"Stretford Road Social Housing and Community Kitchen"
Intersectional modular housing and a communal kitchen allows for community based living.
The main purpose was to create a co-dependent community, where people would work together and help each other. The communal kitchen plays a key role in achieving this. The residents are able to connect through the most basic human necessity - food. They can cook together, farm together and their children can play and eat together.
The modular housing was specifically designed to consider all genders, races, ages and disabilities. There are three types of modules: studio, two-bedroom and three-bedroom.
The materiality of the structure and envelope also play a key role. The concrete core, with columns specifically placed to create a three dimensional grid, provides a strong structure. It also creates thermal massing, reducing the load of heating the building. The housing modules - made of timber construction - easily slot in to the spaces in the grid. Timber is environmentally sustainable, as it is locally sourced and has a much lower carbon footprint compared to other materials. Along with that, it is known to improve mental health and wellbeing - benefitting the residents.
To make it more sustainable, the communtiy kitchen is run by solar power and water in the toilets is provided by rainwater harvesting. Creepers and vines add to the greenery. Bicycle stands are present, instead of parking spaces, to promote a more eco-friendly lifestyle.To provide security and create a sense of safety, the community is gated. All the windows for the housing also have manually adjustable shading devices, so the residents can alter the density of shading accordint to their needs. This creates a more fluid elevation, and allows for more inside-outside interraction.
