How can innovative prefabrication methods empower local communities and allow for wide-scale urban regeneration?

The thesis is an investigation of the ways in which new modular prefabrication methods can be used to support the local grassroots urban regeneration attempts, using a case study of retrofitting existing mid-war terraces. It aims to provide a new model of engaging the issue of building regulations through a provision of a set of easy to follow, highly customisable solutions as an alternative to lengthy and expensive, and thus often favouring large-scale developers, planning process. The project looks at how regeneration can be understood holistically, improving not only housing, but also providing new amenities and increasing biodiversity.

I wanted to explore the ideas of hostile design on urban scale, trying to understand how a restrictive rather than advisory system can lead to the marginalisation of small-scale builders and private homeowners in favour of large-scale development companies. I wanted to explore whether it is possible to balance the need for growth and improvement of the urban fabric with the desire to protect the image of local communities and rights of all dwellers to generous living conditions, including light, privacy and access to nature.

Inspired by existing prefabricated technologies I created a system which can be easily assembled, even through self-build, which is easy to understand and follow and yet flexible enough to adapt to different needs. The model allows for both refurbishment of existing properties (including vacant ones) as well as extension, new build and even combining several smaller project into larger schemes.

I also devised several ways in which such project could be financed and produced, highlighting the need for community cooperation and portraying ways in which such cooperation could lead to more than just improvement of people's homes, but also to creation of new public amenities, increases in biodiversity and flood protection and increased accessibility.

Through a process of development of the scheme I realised that it is not possible to create a new housing revolution that would unequivocally change the way we provide homes. Instead, what we need in the interest of the public and the ruling bodies in support of continuous innovation, not only in housing technologies and design, but also in the ways in which we can deliver new projects and engage the public.