The UK's coalition government has made some policy changes in favour of self-build. You can see an overview of the changes here. One key change is full exemption from any sort of charge for infrastructure (i.e. the 'Community Infrastructure Levy') as discussed in my last post, on the former Olympics site in Stratford. More information … Continue reading Self-build policy changes in the UK
Category: Baugruppen
Berlin baugruppe projects compared
Dessau graduate student Winnie yuen-pik Chan has done a comparative study of Berlin baugruppe projects: The comparison between a private developer project and a baugruppe project on pp. 61-64 is interesting. This is a German private development, so decently large. The baugruppe advantage here is cost.
UK self-build pioneers
Oliver Wainwright describes two group self-build schemes; one in Lancaster, another just outside Leeds. These two projects both emphasise building a sense of community, and have design features - such as a communal kitchen in Lancaster - to reinforce that. This might be a step too far for some, so it's worth bearing in mind … Continue reading UK self-build pioneers
Vauban
Compare and contrast. Chelsea Barracks, 5.2 ha. Sold for £959 million to a housing development consortium in 2007. Site remains empty. Woolwich Arsenal, 13 ha. Parcelled up and the best plots sold, from 2003 onwards, to housing developers such as Berkeley Homes and Barratt Homes. Large parts of the site remain undeveloped; enough for 5,000 … Continue reading Vauban
Groupbuilding 