41 Self build housing Tilbury L.pdf - Sergison Bates architects

121 View from north2 Stairs to verandaSergison Bates architects

121 Construction section2 Timber panel constructionSergison Bates architects

121 View of east elevation2 Detail of east elevationSergison Bates architects

The Broadway Estate comprises justunder 500 primarily, Council-ownedhomes in Tilbury, Thurrock, within theThames Gateway. The estate housessome of the poorest people in the areaand there are extremely high levels ofunemployment and benefit dependency.The estate comprises a majority of twostorey, flat roofed buildings formingterraces running north-south and eastwest.The buildings date from the 1960’sand are sited around a central greenspace with three tower buildings markingthe Northern most edge. The spacesbetween buildings consist of open roadsand pavements, alleyways and leftoverscrub spaces. Typical of many estatesdesigned in this way there is no clearownership of this territory or definedthreshold between very public, groupsharedand more private spaces. This hasled to a general ambivalence to spacesoutside the home with reliance on thelocal authority to maintain them andtherefore control their material and spatialexpression.The new building represents the firststage of a regeneration programmefor the community, by introducingaccommodation suitable for youngpeople. The site lies at the western edgeof the Estate and was chosen to removean area of open ground that had becomea hazardous short cut and suffered froma lack of visibility making it prone tovandalism.roof, the benefit of western aspect, anoverview of part of the estate and distantviews across Tilbury marshes to theriverfront docks, it was hoped residentswould identify and adopt these spaces asan extension of their own apartments.The ‘wooden box’ construction of partprefabricatedtimber frame, was raisedslightly from the ground by concretebeams which are visible at the base ofthe building. External walls are clad onthree sides with a rainscreen of cementpanels, lightly washed but otherwiseleft in their natural state. The pattern ofsalts and cement dust make each paneldifferent and yet, as a whole, create anoverall façade of visual depth and organicvariety. On the veranda side, walls areclad with a rainscreen of Larch-facedtimber boards which extend to formthe soffit of the overhanging canopy.The configuration of grain and knots,the flatness of the surface and the totalenclosure of wood may be associatedwith a protected environment which feelsappropriate here.The building was partly constructed bythe future residents working alongsidethe contractor (known as assisted selfbuild).It was hoped that by physicallyand emotionally contributing to theproject, the young residents woulddevelop skills, independence and throughmutual participation, a communalsense of ownership in the project. Thebrief reflected the demand for smallapartments prevalent in the area. Tenapartments are provided with eight1-Bed, two person flats and two 2-Bedthree person flats.A courtyard is established into which abuilding with an open veranda is placedto align and complete the adjacenthousing terrace. The courtyard is a semiprivatespace marking out a territoryfor exchange and unambiguous in itsownership and limits. Two gates provideaccess to the nearby railway stationat the south western corner and to aparking area at the north eastern corner.The timber veranda at first floor leveland a raised boardwalk at ground levelreflect the building’s multiple occupancyand display the principal social spaces toview by others. With large overhangingSergison Bates architectsClient: New Islington & Hackney HousingAssociationCost consultants: DwbStructural engineers: Price & MyersPlanning supervisors: DwbContractor: Rooff Ltd