Brixton Housing Co-operative
Brixton, London
In October 2019, ASH was awarded funding by the Community Led Housing Hub at the GLA for a feasibility study to assess the potential for co-operative development in collaboration with the Brixton Housing Co-operative.
Located at 141-149 Railton Road in Brixton, SE24 0LT, this community-led project is a proposal for the redevelopment of a derelict medical clinic as co-operatively-managed-and-owned co-housing. The site of the clinic is currently under threat of redevelopment by the private owner as high-cost, market-sale, residential property built to capitalise on land values in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood of Inner London.
Beyond housing provision for those on the current waiting list, the project will enable the Brixton Housing Co-operative to attract new members. BHC is particularly interested in recruiting young people, and has identified a potential new members in local youths who are either in care-homes or in education, and who are socially vulnerable and in need of good-quality social housing.
For a detailed article which explores the project in depth please see here.
The medical centre was a gift to the community as the result of the Scarman report following the Brixton Uprisings in 1984.
More information can be found about this history of the site in the article on the research site here.
We initially explored the option to refurbish the existing health centre, but the cellular nature of its construction rendered it extremely inflexible and virtually impossible to retrofit.
The current sketch proposal for full redevelopment proposed communal uses for the ground floor with three ‘houses’ above.
Roof pitches and building materials such as London stock brick and white painted render make reference to the existing terrace which comprises many of the Brixton Housing co-op’s properties, with the intention to both tie the new housing in to the existing terrace while simultaneously being distinct.
What emerged through conversations with co-op members was the desire to provide housing for young people coming out of care which would both support the young people in an extremely vulnerable time in their lives, while simultaneously supporting the increasing ageing co-op population.
The ground floor is given over to the Brixton Housing Co-op offices and other community facilities to be decided through a consultation with the co-op and the local community.
Each ‘house’ has an individual front door on the street, and is connected into the ground floor communal spaces.
The ground floor is given over to the Brixton Housing Co-op offices and other community facilities to be decided through a consultation with the co-op and the local community.
Each ‘house’ has an individual front door on the street, and is connected into the ground floor communal spaces.
The first floor accommodates all the communal living spaces for the houses on the front, with bay windows which provide views up and down Railton Road.
Bedrooms to the rear overlook the co-op communal gardens, and the angled facade directs the views away from the back gardens behind, eliminates problems with overlooking and privacy, and orientates the windows to the east.
The second floor accommodates the remainder of the living spaces, with each ‘house’ having a communal roof terrace facing the gardens to the rear.
House C has the option of being two separate 2 bedroom flats to offer a range of accommodation
