Walworth Alternative: retaining and enhancing Britain's social housing estates utilising contemporary timber construction

This paper describes the research designs of London South Bank University (LSBU)

Masters of Architecture students who investigated the future housing needs of

expanding cities, focusing in detail on the Walworth area of South London as a

potential model for application elsewhere. The students then proposed innovative

ideas on how to expand and remodel the Aylesbury Housing Estate through the use

of contemporary timber construction without resorting to wholescale demolition.

The study is part of ongoing research into resource efficient architecture and

planning by the M. Arch - Resource Studio 22 tutored by Mike Kane and Ron

Yee at LSBU. The field of study was inspired by the Metsäwood’s Plan B research

program of case studies on iconic buildings, such as the Empire State Building

in New York and the Colosseum in Rome, that re-engineered them in timber.

(a) During the study period LSBU with the support of Metsäwood organised

the “Urban Wood” seminar where 3 renowned architects were invited to speak

about building advanced engineered timber buildings within dense urban London

locations.