White Arkitekter has designed a hedge-like band of housing that could be built around existing London estates, to add homes without the need for demolition, in the latest instalment of our Dezeen x MINI Living series.
Swedish architecture firm White Arkitekter has proposed building the narrow apartment blocks to increase the density of London's housing estates.
Named Hedge House, this system would allow development of estates without demolishing existing affordable housing.
Hedge House is designed to surround housing estates
"Hedge House allows existing affordable apartments and residents to stay," White Arkitekter told Dezeen.
The modular system is designed to be assembled quickly using prefabricated units that can be adapted to suit the large variety of estates in London. The architecture studio claims this would significantly reduce the costs of the apartments. "This solution leads to better affordability as there is a low site cost, no demolition and loss of existing affordable homes," the studio told Dezeen.
With semi-transparent facades covered in plants, the building is designed to act like a hedge

The apartment blocks would feature semi-transparent facades covered with plants, that are designed to become a part of the green spaces they surround ? like a hedge.
Available space on the ground floor of the apartment blocks could house small businesses such as cafes and shops in an effort to "activate the street" according to the archite...