What Can We Make? - Knowle West Citizen Led Housing Workshop

June 29, 2017

Last night Rob, Jess and I from Barefoot Architects attended the latest in a series of workshops run by Knowle West Media Centre. Their We Can Make Make project is seeking solutions for 'Citizen Led Housing' - ideas that can provide affordable and perhaps alternative models for new homes in the area. Common to many areas, it lacks diversity in housing stock. People looking to downsize cant, and those looking to get on the housing ladder find the large semi-detached houses too big. We considered what might be able to be built using local skills and manufacturing capabilities, and then how it might be financed and undertaken.

It turns out South Bristol makes quite a lot.....of caravans, doors, windows, chassis, scaffolding. It also has a lot of makers - skilled trades people who could undertake local building projects.

After the workshop we visited a trial project in the area - TAM which uses some interesting ideas to enable housing which doesn't require planning permission.