Samuel Fraquelli

How can Metro-Land be adapted to better address the growing demands of its residents today?

To say that housing in Britain today is problematic would be an understatement. With astronomical rent prices and newly built ‘luxury’ towers lying empty, many residents are looking towards the outskirts of London for more affordable living. A cultural stereotype once held by many in Britain, the idea that the suburbs are boring has become widely accepted as the norm over the past century, with Metro-Land the birthplace of such contempt. Previously the landscape of semi-detached, inter-war housing estates built across north-west London were regarded as living a smaller and more limited kind of existence, but in recent decades our patterns of life have changed profoundly, and the make-up of the modern British suburb no longer reflects the nuclear family it was once designed for. Instead of demolishing the everyday buildings that make up much of suburban life, we must look to legitimise the inherent do-it-yourself attitude of its residents as a way of rejecting the present neoliberal model for development, where housing is primarily viewed as a vehicle for investment.

Looking beyond our cultural understanding, we can see how the suburbs were originally characterised as a place beyond the power exerted by the city walls, historically home to a place of difference and resistance to dominant ideologies. This project proposes an alternative model for suburban development which better responds to the increased demand for adaptable, affordable and sustainable homes. Specifically looking at the semi-detached house typology, I am exploring how it can be adapted in order to accommodate the diverse and varied living conditions of its modern inhabitants. As a way of offering a viable alternative, this suburban renaissance must exist at all scales, from everyday objects to adaptable extensions as well as policy regarding DIY material networks. In doing this, we can look to build more responsibly in relation to the climate crisis, viewing housing as a fundamental right as well as providing residents greater agency in the decision-making process of their environments.