On 25 March, Architects for Social Housing was approached to respond to some questions from WIRED magazine about ‘how substandard home design will make this period of self-isolation worse for many people in the UK’. The resulting article, by Sophie Charara, was published as Our terrible housing stock is making lockdown life even worse; but … Continue reading Coronavirus, Government Lockdown and its effects on UK Housing
Coronazombies! Infection and Denial in the United Kingdom
It’s a curious fact that, in every disaster movie that comes out of Hollywood, whatever threatens Western Civilisation, Humankind or Planet Earth typically starts with the United States of America, usually New York, but sometimes Los Angeles. Whether it’s alien invaders, nuclear war, the rise of artificial intelligence, terrorist attacks, a tsunami wave, an earth-bound … Continue reading Coronazombies! Infection and Denial in the United Kingdom
Language is a Virus: SARs-CoV-2 and the Science of Political Control
This is the third in the series of articles I’m writing about what has become known as the coronavirus pandemic. In the first, COVID-19 and Capitalism, I argued that the UK Government’s decision to send workers home without pay while compensating businesses for lost revenue with vast sums of public money was capitalism attempting to recoup … Continue reading Language is a Virus: SARs-CoV-2 and the Science of Political Control
Sociology of a Disease: Age, Class and Mortality in the Coronavirus Pandemic
1. Who is dying in Italy? Italy is now by far and away the country worse affected by the coronavirus, with 69,176 confirmed cases of infection and 6,820 deaths, the latter figure more than double the whole of China, with only 8,326 people recovered, and 3,393 currently in a serious or critical condition. As of … Continue reading Sociology of a Disease: Age, Class and Mortality in the Coronavirus Pandemic
COVID-19 and Capitalism
‘Depressions are when the monopolies see their profits increased, and when they consolidate their economic empire, absorbing all the small ones, all the sardines in this ocean of economic struggle.’ — Ernesto Guevara 1. Capitalising on the Coronavirus Crisis Capitalism, in basic terms, means that capital is more valuable to a society than the workers … Continue reading COVID-19 and Capitalism
The Future of St. Raphael’s Estate: Design Options by Karakusevic Carson Architects and their role in the consultation of residents by Brent Council
‘Residents should be closely involved in shaping the priorities for estate regeneration and options for achieving these priorities. To achieve this, options appraisals should be open and transparent. They should assess the full range of social, economic, and environmental costs and benefits of different options.’ — Better Homes for Local People: The Mayor’s Good Practice Guide … Continue reading The Future of St. Raphael’s Estate: Design Options by Karakusevic Carson Architects and their role in the consultation of residents by Brent Council
Saving St. Raphael’s Estate: ASH presentation to residents, St. Patrick’s Church
On Tuesday, 25 February, at the invitation of the campaign to save St. Raphael’s estate from demolition by Brent council, Architects for Social Housing gave a presentation to residents of the estate. At the start of the meeting we asked for a show of hands, and we counted 64 residents from St. Raphael’s estate present, … Continue reading Saving St. Raphael’s Estate: ASH presentation to residents, St. Patrick’s Church
The Campaign for St. Raphael’s Estate: Fighting a Social and Environmental Disaster
St. Raphael’s estate is built on land between the North Circular Road and the River Brent in Stonebridge and Neasden, North-west London. The housing is a mix of maisonettes in 4-storey blocks, flats in low-rise blocks, bungalows and, in the earlier development to the east, terraced town-houses provide 1,174 homes for over 3,000 people (below). … Continue reading The Campaign for St. Raphael’s Estate: Fighting a Social and Environmental Disaster
St. Raphael’s Estate: ASH presentation to the Bartlett School of Architecture (housing design research workshop)
In April 2019 Architects for Social Housing was invited by Murray Fraser, Professor of Architecture and Global Culture and Vice-Dean of Research at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, to be part of an experts group to advise his team in the Centre for London Urban Design (CLOUD) on a design research project being … Continue reading St. Raphael’s Estate: ASH presentation to the Bartlett School of Architecture (housing design research workshop)
The Fight for Montreal Square: Questions and Strategies for Housing Campaigners
In September 2018 Architects for Social Housing received a letter from the Residents Association of Montreal Square in Cambridge (above) asking for advice on opposing the demolition and redevelopment of its 18-homes for social rent by the landlord, Cambridge Housing Society (CHS). The following month I went to talk to residents, and over a 3-hour … Continue reading The Fight for Montreal Square: Questions and Strategies for Housing Campaigners