patel taylor realizes courtyard housing project for london borough

patel taylor realizes courtyard housing project for london borough
image © peter cook

the ‘courtyard housing project’ was undertaken by architecture firm patel taylor, along with the london borough of barking and dagenham. the homes are a contemporary, accessible adaptation of traditional english almshouses. with a refreshed design, the single-story dwellings for residents typically 65 years and older, provide plenty of space and simultaneously frees up other properties for families in desperate need of living arrangements. 

‘courtyard housing project’ 
image © peter cook

properties are owned and managed by the local authority, and take advantage of small undeveloped infill areas. each unit contains its own private courtyard garden and provides full wheelchair accessibility. phase one of the project is composed of 27 L-shaped dwellings split amongst two sites. they can be rotated to face any direction on the site to take advantage of natural light and are able to be built in small or large batches based on the available land.

each home also contains its own private courtyard garden 
image © peter cook 

single bay windows, pitched roofs and dominant chimneys differentiates one unit from another and a large, central landscaping area fosters a sense of community. at a time when london boroughs are facing extreme challenges to accommodate residents, the project provides high-quality living on a budget, which unlocks previously unused and abandoned land.  

plot with common landscaped grounds in center 
image © peter cook

the design differentiates each property from one another 
image © peter cook

detail of unit and main window 
image © peter cook

the units are constructed out of brick, with prominent chimneys and pitched roofs 
image © peter cook 

master plan 
image © patel taylor

plot organization 
image © patel taylor

exploded view: single unit 
image © patel taylor

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