Housing Crisis Meets Creative Solution: Melfield Gardens, a Bold Experiment in Intergenerational Living
The housing crisis in London is a pressing issue, and it's time to explore innovative solutions. In 2007, the London Borough of Lewisham took a significant step by transferring 6,400 homes to Phoenix Community Housing, a move that has since grown to over 7,600 homes, primarily in the Bellingham, Catford South, Downham, and Grove Park wards.
But here's where it gets interesting... Melfield Gardens, their latest venture, is a unique intergenerational development designed by Levitt Bernstein. It offers 30 independent homes for residents aged 55+ and accommodation for students from Goldsmiths, University of London. This project is a testament to the strong client-architect relationship, as Levitt Bernstein also designed Hazelhurst Court, another Phoenix Community Housing scheme nearby.
The Problem: The shortage of specialist housing for older people is a growing concern, especially with the increasing population of residents aged 65+ in outer London. This issue has a ripple effect, impacting young families as well. Without suitable housing for the elderly, family homes become scarce, leading to overcrowding and a lack of options for those in need.
The Solution: Melfield Gardens aims to address this challenge. The site, previously home to 16 substandard bedsits, has been transformed. Tom Randle, associate director at Levitt Bernstein, highlights the added benefit of their detailed knowledge of the area. The development encourages social interaction with carefully designed seating areas and planting, creating a safe and welcoming environment.
A Festive Touch: During a mid-December visit, the festive spirit was evident, with fairy lights and Christmas remnants adorning the south-facing garden communal room. This space, with its kitchen, bathroom, and private garden access, fosters a sense of community.
Music and Community: Steve Connor, Phoenix's development manager, shares that one student resident is a DJ, embodying the desired communality. To ensure this, Phoenix developed a Good Neighbor Agreement with Goldsmiths, where students earn reduced rent by providing support and company to older residents.
Energy Efficiency: The development embraces energy efficiency, with a focus on removing gas. Connor, a Passivhaus designer and assessor, led the design to reduce gas dependency without burdening residents with high electricity bills. Levitt Bernstein's design prioritized a fabric-first approach, despite challenges posed by the site's east-west orientation. Simple massing and form, along with strategic angling, minimize overshadowing, and carefully designed spaces support these choices.
Attention to Detail: The design extends to the public realm, with directional paths and decorative brickwork adding texture. Brick banding, recesses, ribs, and columns enhance the human scale without compromising insulation. The balustrades' design acknowledges the site's context, drawing inspiration from an adjacent tower.
Accessibility and Flexibility: Melfield Gardens includes Category 2+ and Category 3 homes, with four wheelchair-accessible homes on the ground level. The 30 homes for older residents are dual-aspect, flexible 'one-bedroom-plus' units with an additional 'study/hobby room' or home office, adaptable as residents age. Student accommodation is provided in two flats, each with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining space, and a living room, offering future adaptability.
Intergenerational Support: Historically, intergenerational support occurred naturally, but modern housing shortages make this challenging. Melfield Gardens aims to engineer social connections, reduce loneliness, and strengthen community care. Located near Hazelhurst Court and Phoenix's headquarters, The Green Man, this development showcases well-designed, energy-conscious architecture rooted in care and community.
Architect's Perspective: Melfield Gardens consists of 32 ultra-low-energy Passivhaus-certified homes, ensuring exceptional comfort, reduced heating energy, and improved construction quality. The design, developed using the fabric-first approach, optimized building form and glazing with high-performance specifications. The buildings' forms were subtly splayed to optimize solar gain and daylight from the south, and 100% dual-aspect units ensure cross-ventilation and reduced overheating risk.
Engineer's Insight: Etude, engaged from the early concept design stage, guided decisions on orientation, form, insulation, glazing, shading, and mechanical services. They modeled operational performance, demonstrating compliance with Passivhaus Classic standard, Part L requirements, and TM59 overheating assessment. During Stage 4, they collaborated with the contractor to refine details, ensuring Passivhaus requirements were met. The desire to locate MVHR cupboards externally led to a challenging combination of demands for door types along the walkways, ultimately accepting a modest reduction in thermal performance for practicality and safety.
Client's Vision: Phoenix Community Housing, a resident-led provider, manages over 7,600 homes in south Lewisham. In 2018, they identified under-occupation in the over-55 age group, leading to the development of Melfield Gardens. The brief prioritized generously sized one-bedroom homes with flexible living space and low energy bills, achieved through the Passivhaus standard. Phoenix introduced an intergenerational element, partnering with Goldsmiths University to offer accommodation for eight students in exchange for volunteer time with elderly neighbors. The garden room facilitates these interactions.
Working Detail: The access deck, serving residents' front doors, features a 1.1m-high imperforate upstand with powder-coated steel railings and a solid metal backing. The zig-zag railing pattern references Millcroft House, the adjacent residential building. Decorative brick ribs align with walkway columns, and angled brick specials soften corners for rainwater run-off. The rear of the upstand is in fair-faced concrete, matching adjacent columns and balcony soffits. A projecting brick string course breaks up the building's scale, with powder-coated aluminum capping for protection. Deep wall build-ups and an independent wall lining ensure thermal performance and airtightness.
Project Details: Located in London SE6, construction began in February 2023 and is set to complete in July 2025. The gross internal floor area is 2,556m², with a construction cost of £12.5 million. The project involves Levitt Bernstein (architect), Phoenix Community Housing (client), Price & Myers (structural engineer), Max Fordham (M&E consultant), Potter Raper Partnership (quantity surveyor, employer's agent, and principal designer), Bureau Veritas (approved building inspector), Etude (Passivhaus consultant), Jerram Falkus Construction (main contractor), and Revit (CAD software).
Sustainability: The development focuses on energy efficiency, with roof-mounted solar PVs reducing energy and carbon footprint. The Passivhaus standard ensures exceptional comfort and reduced heating energy. The fabric-first approach, combined with high-performance specifications, contributes to improved construction quality and energy efficiency.
Controversy: While Melfield Gardens offers a creative solution to the housing crisis, some may question the practicality of intergenerational living. Is it a viable long-term solution, or a temporary fix? How can we ensure the privacy and comfort of all residents while fostering community? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
