Assael’s ‘Urban Family Housing’ concept shortlisted for the NLA’s Reimagine London competition
We’re thrilled to announce that our ‘Urban Family Housing’ concept design has been shortlisted for the NLA’s Reimagine London competition.
The NLA launched the competition as a call for new ideas to help shape the future of London as it undergoes a massive shift in working and living patterns.
Assael’s concept focuses on solving ‘family logistics’ through design, creating a new typology to fill a gap in the market – where places for children to play are prioritised, childcare settings are integrated, and communities are fostered.
Why?
In today’s fast-paced world, where parents often balance demanding jobs while raising young children amidst the crippling costs of childcare, the advantages of streamlining “life logistics” through thoughtful design are substantial.
Problem for caregivers: Juggling logistics of getting to work, taking kids to school or nursery and lack of family childcare support. This may be exacerbated by lack of space in the home.
Problem for children: distance to green space and playgrounds, safety of playing away from the home, and lack of time to play.
Our solution
Adapt urban housing models to create a community of families that can help each other and share resources. Adaptations could include:
- Community space near a transport hub with childcare and other uses with quality indoor/outdoor space.
- Accessible evening gym for parents.
- Well-overlooked garden/podium with play space.
- Flexible homes adapting as children grow, with shared rooms for young kids, a spare room for grandparents, and partitioned rooms.
Benefits of an urban family housing typology
- Streamline lives
- Community and support network
- Safe places to play
- Happier people and happier society
The ‘Urban Family Housing’ concept responds to the Reimagine London brief in the following ways:
#1 Health, wellbeing and creating agency
The proposal focuses on improving health and wellbeing by giving people agency to gain back time in their day and embracing the power of collective action to foster support networks, helping to address statistics around loneliness particularly amongst new mothers.
#2 Multi-generational adaptable buildings
The apartments themselves are designed to be reconfigured to respond to the changing needs of families, and shared spaces are designed to be multi-use to ensure they can be intensified and offer both daytime and night-time economies.
#3 Blending of childcare and homes
Childcare could be part of the service charge package for those that want it, helping to create a stress-free way of living for parents, potentially saving both money and time, and could be supported by a resident’s phone app.
The vote is now open for the People’s Choice award, so if you think our concept could help shape the future of London, please click here to vote.