Make Bethnal Green Student Competition, London Architecture Contest, Design, News

Make Bethnal Green Student Competition : Architecture Contest

RIBA Exhibition, London, UK

Student architects make Bethnal Green

Two architectural students from Oxford Brooks University have been awarded the top prize in an open ideas competition run by affordable housing provider Affinity Sutton and RIBA Competitions.

10 May 2010

Make Bethnal Green Competition

Twenty-three year-old George Calver and Joe Williams, 25, both RIBA Part 2 architectural students, were asked to comtemplate what type of affordable housing scheme might have been built today on the site of Affinity Sutton’s 100 year-old Bethnal Green Estate, and how that design would make a positive contribution to the environment.

The judging panel, chaired by Ian Taylor, Partner and Studio Leader at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, praised George’s design, for the East London estate, as “an honest, pure form of architecture with residents and the community at its heart and external spaces as important as the buildings.”

Joe’s design was similarly hailed as using “architecture to increase social sustainability and reverse the current trend for working, playing and shopping in isolation.”

Both winners received a funded Stage Two professional experience placement with the design led housing and regeneration consultancy HTA.

George said: “My design was inspired by the idea of order and chaos and I was also inspired by the strong sense of community you get in the favelas in Brazil. I wanted to build stacked cubed units which when built above and below each other create spaces which could become shared communal spaces. I wanted it to be quite distinctive.”

Joe added: “I wanted to change the focus of the Bethnal Green scheme – to make it more social, make it more communal and create opportunities for people to integrate. So there is a launderette, the opportunity for people to start their own social entrepreneur businesses which actually give something back to the community, public transport is prioritised and there are cycle bays. I was really inspired by the idea of social sustainability.”

The Bethnal Green estate, recently celebrated its 100th birthday, and was designed by Victorian architects Joseph and Smithem. It was one of Europe’s first social housing schemes and offered an escape from London’s East End slums.

The competition received an excellent response and eight schemes were selected as finalists by our judging panel to spend a week finessing their designs with Affinity Sutton’s partner architects.

All eight finalists’ refined designs are being showcased at the RIBA HQ Building from the 5 – 15 May 2010.

The judging panel included Hattie Hartman, Sustainability Editor, at the Architects’ Journal, Jane O’Sullivan, Chair of the Bethnal Green Tenants’ Association, Peter Sharratt, Global Director for Energy and Climate Change, WSP Group, Kerry Kyriacou Group Development and New Business Director, Affinity Sutton and Mark Washer, Group Finance Director and Design Champion, at Affinity Sutton.

With a portfolio of over 54,000 homes, Affinity Sutton is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the country.

Mark Washer, Group Finance Director and Design Champion at Affinity Sutton, said: “We are delighted with the response to our first ever Affinity Sutton Design Competition – Make Bethnal Green. The standard of entries was really excellent and I would like to congratulate George and Joe as worthy winners. There is a huge demand for well designed affordable homes which make a positive contribution to their community and we really want to be at the forefront of good design. Anything we can do to encourage talented young architects to develop an interest in affordable housing can only be a good thing”

The exhibition of the Make Bethnal Green Student Competition is on show at the Florence Hall, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London from the 5 May – 15 May 2010.

The schemes on display will be:
Heena Mistry, Oxford Brookes University – RH Partnership
Robert Williams, Oxford Brookes University – Cartwright Pickard
Dominic Taujanskas, Leeds Metropolitan University – Conran & Partner
Mallika Bhattacharya, Oxford Brookes University – PRP Architects
Christopher Bell, University of Bath – Karakusevic Carson
George Calver, Oxford Brookes University – Hunters
Andrew Longland, Oxford Brookes University – HTA
Richard Mather, Oxford Brookes University – Levitt Bernstein

Exhibition of shortlisted designs

Make Bethnal Green Student Competition – Exhibition

Venue: Florence Hall, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London

Dates: 5 May – 15 May 2010

Affinity Sutton and RIBA Competitions launched an open ideas competition for RIBA
Part 2 architectural students. Competitors were asked to contemplate what type of affordable housing scheme might have been built today on the site of Affinity Sutton’s 100 year-old Bethnal Green Estate, and how that design would make a positive contribution to the environment.

With a portfolio of over 54,000 homes, Affinity Sutton is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the country. Designed by Victorian architects Joseph & Smithem, Affinity Sutton’s Bethnal Green Estate celebrated its one hundredth birthday last year. It was one of Europe’s first charitable social housing developments, offering an escape from London’s East End slums and a decent home for its inhabitants. Bethnal Green has survived the rigours of time (including two World Wars) well, and remains a fundamental part of Affinity Sutton’s affordable housing portfolio.

The competition received an excellent response and eight schemes were selected as
finalists to spend a week with one of the Affinity Sutton’s partner architects to finesse their designs prior to the final judging. The result will officially be announced at a prize giving event on the 5 May and the exhibition will officially open on this day also. The schemes on display will be:

– Heena Mistry, Oxford Brookes University – RH Partnership
– Robert Williams, Oxford Brookes University – Cartwright Pickard
– Dominic Taujanskas, Leeds Metropolitan University – Conran & Partner
– Mallika Bhattacharya, Oxford Brookes University – PRP Architects
– Christopher Bell, University of Bath – Karakusevic Carson
– Aaron Birch, Oxford Brookes University – RPS Architects
– George Calver, Oxford Brookes University – Hunters
– Andrew Longland, Oxford Brookes University – HTA
– Nur Zafirah, Oxford Brookes University – HLM Architects
– Richard Mather, Oxford Brookes University – Levitt Bernstein

Make Bethnal Green Student Competition Exhibition Summary:

Venue: Florence Hall, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London
Dates: 5 May – 15 May 2010

Further Information

The RIBA Gallery is situated at the RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD. Nearest tubes are Oxford Circus, Regent’s Park and Great Portland Street. The RIBA Gallery is open Monday to Friday 10am – 6pm and Saturdays 10am – 5pm. Tel: 020 7580 5533. All exhibitions are free to enter and are open to the public and members of the RIBA. t 0207 307 3770.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has a dedicated unit to help clients and procurement professionals select the best designer or design solution for their particular project. RIBA Competitions has an international reputation for organising selection processes that encourage excellence in design in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and the public realm. For further details please visit www.architecture.com/competitions

With over 54,000 homes and a one hundred year history, Affinity Sutton is one of the biggest providers of affordable housing in England. As a business for social purpose we’re committed to helping people put down roots. We act as a springboard, maximising life chances for our residents and creating places for communities to thrive. For further details visit www.affinitysutton.com.

Location: Bethnal Green, London, UK