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Continuing our series on social housing revitalization, we revisit the redevelopment of the Grade II listed Bourne Estate in north London, completed in 2018 by local studio Matthew Lloyd Architects.
Located in the London borough of Camden, the project, commissioned by the local council and designed by Matthew Lloyd Architects, involved the demolition and replacement of existing blocks and the reorganization of the site layout.
The studio said it hopes the project will be a “contemporary and contextual interpretation” of an Edwardian private estate.
Originally built by the London County Council in 1905, Bourne Hall is one of the earliest council housing schemes in the UK. Its design was reportedly used as a model for public housing built in Austria after World War I as part of the influential Red Vienna movement.
Matthew Lloyd Architects’ intervention consists of a total of 75 mixed-tenure homes spread over two blocks and is characterized by brick and tile cladding, projecting and recessed balconies and rhythmic facade openings. Both blocks feature balconies leading to decks overlooking public and private courtyards designed by Dally Henderson Landscape Architects.
With 50% of new homes sold privately to provide cross-funding for social housing, the studio strategically designed the apartments without tenure.
The resulting consistent appearance and layout between the different housing types is intended to promote cohesion between social rented and private rented apartments.
“Developing in this context is very difficult,” studio founder Matthew Lloyd told Dezeen.
“It had to be a building that echoed the architecture of the estate, so the challenge [were] Around what the building should look like, how it fits into these vacant sites, and how we do the tenure mix. “
In order to preserve the context and character of the existing and protected estate, the studio used a combination of materials and details that are reminiscent of the original architecture – most notably the form of the brick arches.
“We have a very good planning body, planners at Camden Council, and they want us to build a building that is sympathetic, rather than imitation and old-fashioned looking,” Lloyd said.
“We didn’t want the building to look classical, we wanted to create a building with a contemporary feel,” he added.
Referring to the terracotta tiles of the original estate, decorative ceramic tiles are used throughout the interior exterior, while red patterned tiles are used on other facades.
The manor’s hallway entrance is accented by large arched openings made of detailed brickwork that also mimics the details of the original manor. According to Lloyd, the creation of the arch was influenced by residents.
“Twenty years ago, no one was putting arches in buildings or near houses because they thought it was retro,” he said.
“So we were really worried that the arches would ruin the building. But we did it, and they’re almost the signature of the building.”
To create a long-lasting structure that requires minimal maintenance, the studio used ceramic tiles throughout the public spaces – which are not only durable but also less susceptible to graffiti.
“If you plaster the common parts, you have to repaint it every five or 10 years as people come in and out. Likewise, if you have carpet, it’s going to wear out,” says Lloyd.
“No materials in our universal parts need to change in the foreseeable future. So, yes, it’s more expensive, but the maintenance costs are extremely low.”
“[This materiality] I think that was what differentiated Bourne House from other public houses of the time; it seemed to me to have a very long lifespan,” he added.
Duplex cabins line the ground floors of both buildings, strategically positioned to help activate outdoor communal areas.
Meanwhile, the apartments upstairs have access to decks and walkways that wrap around the estate, with views of the communal courtyard.
At the front of the building, balconies protrude from the facade above the street below, while other apartments have smaller recessed balconies.
A public competition to redesign the listed estate was decided by a panel of residents and Camden Council members.
Close communication between residents, clients and architects allowed the community to comment on and influence every aspect of the design during the three-year construction process, Lloyd said.
Since completion, the project has won a number of awards, including the 2018 RIBA London Award, the 2018 Housing Design Award and the 2017 Camden Design Award.
Reflecting on the redevelopment, Lloyd highlighted the project’s balance of responding to the estate’s historic context while still introducing a subtle contemporary feel.
“I think I’m proud of how people responded to it,” he said. “Because it’s not radical architecture, it’s not ultra-modern. It’s very contextual.”
“This is a long-lasting project. It will last and will integrate into the city, like all good housing should.”
Recognized for the design of contemporary and situational architectural projects such as Bourne House, Matthew Lloyd Architects is part of a wave of architectural practices reviving social housing in the UK.
“I think we’ve restored architectural heroism in housing in a great way,” Lloyd said.
He praised the establishment of a “new London style” of social housing, often defined by brick details and deeply recessed balconies, and suggested that social housing had moved away from the “nameless, nameless” architecture of the 1990s.
“Architectural residential design is the best I have ever known in my career,” he added. “We’re not producing enough.”
Photography is by Benedict Luxmore unless otherwise noted.
social housing renaissance
This article is part of Dezeen’s series on the social housing renaissance Explore the new wave of high-quality social housing being built around the world and ask whether a large-scale return to social housing construction could help tackle affordability issues and homelessness in our major cities.
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