Viva Brighton Issue #71 January 2019

DESIGN
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we are in, but the big picture is, you’re giving
someone their own bathroom, their own
kitchen, their own front door. It’s such a
powerful thing, that I think the rest of us just
really take for granted.”
Container housing attracts attention. Some
celebrate its capacity to help solve a big
problem in an economic and sustainable way,
but critics suggest it is unhomely. Cityzen
explain that the key is in good property
management and community building.
Temporary homes have to meet the same
regulations as permanent housing, and the
Ealing apartments are ‘better insulated, better
heated and better performing’ than much of the
existing housing stock in Brighton.
“When I was at Ealing Council,” says John, “I
was told that people would just turn up to their
front desk with two carrier bags and say, ‘I need
a home’. They were having up to 200 people a
week doing that. They needed to do something.”
Richardson’s Yard was built using student
accommodation units that had already been
designed and fitted-out in the Netherlands.
The newer projects are made from containers
manufactured to Cityzen’s specifications. As
a net importer, the UK doesn’t often return
its ‘empties’, so considering the reuse value
prevents surplus from sitting around unused.
“They’re a cheap commodity,” says John.
“They’re good, usable things… I say to people
to think of it as a metal-framed building, not
a container.” Indeed, the business of designing
factory-manufactured housing is a growth
industry with unique complexities that both
inspires and challenges designers.
It’s something Cityzen is working on, but it will
be a while before we see any more big-scale
modular builds in Brighton. In the meantime,
John and Charlotte will happily work on
anything that tests their skill. Their recent
Grade II listed development in Ditchling won
awards for heritage protection and design.
“We really like a technical challenge…” explains
Charlotte. “The thread that runs through our
practice is complexity. We’re not really phased
by anything.”
Interview by Chloë King
cityzendesign.co.uk
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