MawsonKerr Architects' Low Rise High Density has been selected as the winner of the RIBA Journal Sterling OSB Habitat Award. The house proposal, in the Byker area of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, uses prefabrication and CNC techniques to confront issues of substance abuse and addiction.

Courtesy of MawsonKerr Architects

MawsonKerr Architects' Low Rise High Density has been selected as the winner of the RIBA Journal Sterling OSB Habitat Award. The house proposal, in the Byker area of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, uses prefabrication and CNC techniques to confront issues of substance abuse and addiction.

Courtesy of MawsonKerr Architects

Designed to be constructed quickly, easily, and by unskilled laborers, the single occupant houses and bungalows can be stacked or arranged side-by-side, coming together to form a low-rise, high-density community. This arrangement accommodates 115 homes per hectare, which each include their own front doors and private external spaces. The design is based on modular units made with 8 sheets of OSB and allows for prefabricated window and door openings, kitchen units, and storage solutions. The interiors are lined with lacquered OSB for a simple aesthetic that contrasts with the external cladding material.
Courtesy of MawsonKerr Architects

MawsonKerr understood that you can create a bespoke component from a sheet of OSB and a CNC machine and make that ...