community-led housing london

resource and advice hub

Lewisham

Nubia Way

A black-led self-build co-operative who built 13 sustainable timber frame homes in the mid 1990s.

Number of homes 13 social rented homes
Location Downham, Lewisham
Completed on site 1997

Fusions Jameen was set up as a black-led self-build co-operative, inspired by projects like Greenstreet Hill. The prospective residents organised the construction work and physically built their own homes, acting as contractors for CHISEL Housing Association, who took ownership of completed homes, and offered discounted social rents in return for self-builder residents’ labour.

Construction was based on the timber frame method pioneered by architect Walter Segal, although it had to be updated to meet more recent construction standards. The houses incorporate energy saving features and environmentally-healthy specifications. Fusions Jameen also built other schemes such as Lowther Hill.

 
A recent film crowdfunded by the Architecture Foundation documents the challenging self-build process, and the sense of community that was established through that.

Brockley Tenants Co-operative

An established housing co-operative seeking to expand and adapt to the changing needs of their residents.

Brockley Tenants’ Co-operative has been in existence for forty years as a Registered Provider and owns 90 units across Lewisham.

Having paid off most of their mortgages, they are now looking to expand their housing stock to provide more social housing for those in need. This expansion will also allow them to adapt to the changing needs of their elderly residents, some of whom are no longer suited to their existing housing stock.

How we’re helping:

We are supporting Brockley Tenants with long term business planning to establish what they can do without putting existing homes at risk.

 
Visit their web page

Photograph by Peter Brooker

CASH

Community Assets for Society and Housing (CASH) is a CLT founded by members of housing co-ops, bringing together personal and professional experiences of community led housing.

As members of South East London based housing cooperatives, including Sanford and Nettleton, CASH have knowledge and resources they can draw on to provide a platform for new co-operative housing. They are keen for existing housing co-operatives to support new projects by pooling contributions from their reserves as loan stock and sharing their management experience to support a number of smaller developments and projects.

How we’re helping
We have advised CASH on Community Benefit Society rules and funded their incorporation. We are now supporting their site searching activity in South East London and corporate financial modelling.

 
Visit their Website

 

Sun Housing Co-op

An intentional community with a vision for a communal living and working environment, governed by the occupants.

A group of young freelancers in private rent looking to incorporate as a co-op and provide small private living spaces alongside communal live/work space.

How we’re helping
We have explained incorporation options and implications, advised on site searching and getting a better understanding of their financial position, and helped with a proposal brochure.

 
Visit their website

Greenstreet Hill

A self-build housing co-operative built in timber frame, around a communal garden, in the early 1990s.

Number of homes 11 affordable units
Location Brockley
Completed on site 1993

Group

CHISEL Housing Association helped to facilitate the formation of a housing co-operative, and supported the establishment of the project. The co-operative members were actively involved in selecting architects and the designs of the project. They had to contribute a certain number of hours to the construction of the project every week, alongside formal employment or other duties, as a condition of the affordable housing grant.

The original residents organised the construction work and physically built their own homes, learning a great deal through the process.

Site
The site off Drakefell Road in Brockley was originally owned by the Council, but had not been used for council housing by the 1990s. As a relatively small site it was available for development.

Design
Car parking is provided in one part of site, leaving the rest of the site available to group houses around a shared garden space in the middle of the site. Access to individual homes increases the chance of bumping into neighbours and building a strong sense of community.

The houses were designed in close consultation with the group and individuals. Variations to the basic layout were easily achievable as the wall elements are independent of the structural frame.

Construction
The simple timber frame method was pioneered by architect Walter Segal on self-build schemes in the early 1980s, although it has had to be developed and updated to meet more recent construction standards. It has been particularly suitable for people without previous building experience as it makes economical use of ‘off the shelf’ materials, detailed to require as little cutting as possible, while keeping the construction process largely ‘on-site’.

The structure uses small pad foundations at the foot of each post. This allows development close to mature trees without expensive retaining structures. The houses incorporate energy saving features and environmentally-healthy specifications.