Homelessness & Housing Design Standards in London (2020)

Urgent Issues:

Homelessness & Housing Design Standards at King’s Cross Triangle Site

by Ee Von Cheah

Diploma 17 The Publicness of Architecture: Radical Democracy in Urban Space AA School of Architecture

Tutors: Gabu Heindl, Eleanor Dodman, Liza Fior

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Number of “affordable” housing promised by Argent (developer) at Triangle Site

Section 106 is an agreement between the local authorities and private developers. Argent, the developer of King’s Cross has broken their contractual agreement by massively reducing the Triangle Site’s affordable housing scheme - up to 80% from its original numbers.

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Residential

Pseudo-public space

Triangle Site

https://www.thepavingexperts.co.uk/king-cross-uses-flowpoint-grout/t

Central Saint Martins

Source: https://www.nashbond.co.uk/projects/coal-drops-yard-kings-cross/

Coal’s Drop Yard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_King%27s_ Cross_railway_station #/medi a/File:King's_Cross_station,_August_2014.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King%27s_Cross_ St._ Pancras_aerial_view,_image_6.jpg

90% residential completed https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/passengers/our-stations/london-st-pancras-international/

King’s Cross Main Site

Due to the private nature of the public spaces at King’s Cross, rough sleepers are forced out of the highly gentrified areas to the peripheries of the train stations instead which are the last truly remaining public spaces in King’s Cross.

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King’s Cross Developer

+ Local Authorities

Housing prices are not the real problem. The real problem lies within the land price. Due to the competitive nature of acquiring land among private developers, the land of price has rose dramatically faster and higher than income which then contributes to the high property prices.

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Site Photos

King’s Cross Main Site

The Triangle Site is a new piece of vacant land that was defined in 2007 by the re-aligned York Way to cater for the new Thameslink 2000 Rail Line. The site sits partly within both Camden and Islington since the borough boundary follows the existing York Way alignment which is the blue line. It currently has no housing on site but a temporary construction school. The Triangle Site is a suitable test ground for the project for its central location and the potential to have a nice and affordable house.

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Alexandra Road Estate (1978) by Neave Brown

Neave Brown never saw a distinction between private or social housing, he only believed in good housing. The Parker Morris standards in the 1960s were influential and houses designed during this time are still highly sought after today including Alexandra Road Estate because of the well planned spaces which includes careful consideration for furniture, modern electrical appliances and integrated amenities.

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Gross Internal Area: approx. 66.60 sqm (excluding 9.30 sqm balcony)

built to Parker Morris Standards

Alexandra Road Estate (1978) by Neave Brown

Smallest One-Bedroom Dwelling Unit Floor Plan

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London Housing Design Guide 2010

*** “Unaffordable� (private or market) housing is not regulated.

Today the minimum housing size prescribed is 50 sqm which is what most of the housing schemes Argent has provided. The current standards are approximately 25% smaller than the housing schemes built in the late 1970s. Not to mention, private housing is not regulated.

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After analysing all the floorplans in King’s Cross, I came to the conclusion that Saxon Court (an “affordable” housing scheme) which happens to be just opposite my site has the worst layout.

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