A programme of art, culture and new infrastructure to reimagine the future of the UK’s biggest council housing estate
Archio Architects took the ‘Garden City’ principals used to design the Becontree Estate as a starting point for this affordable housing project for Be First, at 200 Becontree Avenue. Two new urban ‘villas’ containing 19 affordable rent homes and a ground floor community space, are surrounded with a lush green landscape, an idea the team developed after studying the original hand drawn masterplans of the Estate in the Valence Archive.
The original Becontree Estate uses a combination of 91 house types, with a particular emphasis on varying roof designs. Similarly, the new buildings on Becontree Avenue use undulating rooflines and features like large dormers and round windows to give the buildings a strong local character - a 92nd type for the 21st Century. Internally these same features make each of the flats unique with their own individual charm.
Becontree Avenue
Archio imagine a better quality of life for everyone. They think that access to decent homes, buildings and spaces provides the foundation to help us grow as individuals and as communities.
They were founded with a mindset that design should be used to tackle major societal challenges. They seek out opportunities to progressively shape a better, more sustainable and more inclusive world for now, and for future generations.
They listen and respond to the everyday issues people face in their neighbourhoods, because they recognise that good design can have a transformative impact on physical and emotional health.
They believe that regeneration is most effective when design teams, councils and local communities co-produce visionary approaches that enrich lives. They are focused on working with purpose-led clients who have a long-term interest in the vitality of the communities they operate in. This approach has developed into a specialism of working with local authority regeneration companies, housing associations, select private developers and community-led organisations.