McInnes Gardner Architects hope to solve Britain’s housing crisis with ArcHouse
October 26 2015
ArcHouse is intended to serve as a template for low-cost volume housing within planned new garden cities which will be built around London with a barn-style aesthetic defined by a curvaceous roof and timber cladding.
These are configurable in stepped terraces of five with homes brought forward onto the street to discourage turning front gardens into car parks.
Explaining the approach in The Sunday Times senior partner Alastair MacIntyre remarked: “I wanted to get away from the typical rectangular solution, to create something softer and more romantic, but perhaps less efficient in terms of volume. After all, most people who have to look at and appreciate a house don’t actually live there. And I was keen to create a sense of privacy and openness.”
Costing less than £200k to build the 3 bedroom homes secured the backing of a third of voters, beating off competition from The Hundred Year Home, a contemporary take on the Victorian terrace by CF Moller and Hanging Gardens House by Somorjay & Talliss.
Housebuilder Redrow has committed to build a prototype ArcHouse for further evaluation.
Each home will be built using aircrete- an environmentally friendly form of concrete breeze blocks
The three-storey homes will have an open plan kitchen/living/dining area
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10 Comments
#1 Posted by Dan on 26 Oct 2015 at 10:11 AM
Not with that they wont!
#2 Posted by Ella h on 26 Oct 2015 at 11:18 AM
Er, what? Building the house is only a portion of the problem. How are they going to pay for the land? Plus a house that size in and around London will go on the market for 1 million pounds Plus. Do they think that the developers will pass the difference of the build cost on to customers?
Nice houses, but design alone cannot solve the housing crisis.
Nice houses, but design alone cannot solve the housing crisis.
#3 Posted by said no person ever on 26 Oct 2015 at 11:28 AM
"I wish my house was smaller"
(or less efficient in terms of volume)
(or less efficient in terms of volume)
#4 Posted by Thomas on 26 Oct 2015 at 12:46 PM
"...discourage turning front gardens into car parks."
Every visual showing the front garden as a car park.
Every visual showing the front garden as a car park.
#5 Posted by William Morris on 26 Oct 2015 at 15:07 PM
Hingin that wallpaper up the sterrs will be a pure nightmare by the way, man, but.
#6 Posted by james on 26 Oct 2015 at 19:11 PM
the trouble with these Fabians is no one recognises the world they live in...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/26/overcrowding-sharing-bed-housing
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/26/overcrowding-sharing-bed-housing
#7 Posted by Bannister Fletcher on 27 Oct 2015 at 10:13 AM
Fantastic...more power to the Architects elbow. Design adds value....Well done Glasgow's finest.
#8 Posted by Sue Pearman on 27 Oct 2015 at 10:26 AM
Does anybody remember that episode of the Simpsons where homer got to design his own car....
#9 Posted by Neil on 28 Oct 2015 at 12:54 PM
I quite like the design - although it looks a bit strange replicated across an estate. But I don't see how it in any way solves the housing crisis. There is nothing special about building a 3 bed house for £200k and construction cost is only one element of the final cost to the developer. Sale price is then whatever the market will pay.
#10 Posted by Goggles on 29 Oct 2015 at 12:47 PM
Great to see Scottish architects on the national stage!!
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