Nine out of ten architectural practices in Europe are involved in designing private housing, according to the Architects Council of Europe, with the work generating 54% of the average practice’s turnover. But according to RIBA, in 2018 in the UK only 6% of housing was designed by architects. So housing is incredibly important to the economy of a profession which is very marginal to the production of housing in general. How did we get here?

In this episode of the A is for Architecture Podcast I spoke to an architect and their client, or a client and their architect, about a project which perhaps illustrates another way of doing things. Working together, architect and Lecturer in Architecture Technology at Newcastle University, John Kinsley, and client (and Director at StorytellingPR) Miriam Attwood discuss their scheme for a collective custom build home in Leith, Scotland. 

It’s a good story well told of another image of housing, one which adopts a typology, form, material and technology - and a process of design – design-as-relationship - which positions the house in service to the community it is for, and preferences home making above money makers.

As the Bruderhof like to say, another life is possible.

John can be found on John Kinsley Architects’ website and on LinkedIn. Miriam can be found there too and at StorytellingPR.

Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick 

Image credits: Main: Model of collective custom build, Leith © John Kinsley Architects.  

#ArchitecturePodcast #HousingDesign #CustomBuild #CollectiveHousing #waltersegal