London studio Mae Architects has created Harriet Hardy House in Southwark, a block of 119 social homes complete with a community centre and cafe.
Commissioned by Southwark Council, the housing forms part of the Aylesbury estate redevelopment and is organised in a U-shape around a central courtyard.
Harriet Hardy House contains 119 social homes
According to Mae Architects, Harriet Hardy House is designed as a "21st-century almshouse", which is traditionally a type of low-cost sheltered housing provided by a private charity.
Among its 119 homes are 54 extra care flats ? a form of specialist housing for older residents.
Its design references traditional almshouses
"[Harriet Hardy House is] planned around the idea of progressive privacy, that is of giving residents independence as well as strong connections to the support and communal facilities within the building," explained the studio. "The horseshoe configuration around the communal garden provides repeating views from inside to outside, and is an anchor focus throughout," it continued.
The ground floor is lined with arches
The ground floor is defined by a series of double-height arches that wrap this courtyard, creating a colonnade framing communal facilities such as a tea room, lounge and dining room.
Above, in the lower portion of the U-shaped plan, flats have been positioned off short, semi-outdoor decks overlooking the communal garden, with a generous width to give residents ample space to...