This project reuses an abandoned steel making warehouse to provide 6 housing units, studios and workshops, supporting the concept of co-housing for artist communities in fostering relationships, creativity and prosperity.
London’s arts and culture scene attracts diverse creative individuals, but rising prices and gentrification have resulted in artists being priced out of their homes and studios. They question whether the high costs and loss of community are worth the convenience of accessing London’s galleries.
Artists seek alternative solutions that allow them to live and work without financial burdens and community dislocation.
Site
Frankly Art House, located in Swancombe Peninsula, Kent, was once home to the UK’s longest-operating cement works, which produced ‘British Cement’ for 165 years. The area is now a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Just 18 minutes from London by train, it offers a unique opportunity to develop housing for displaced artists, providing them with a peaceful environment surrounded by a rich, biodiverse ecosystem.
Environmental Model
Key features of this plaster cast, artistically represents the key ideas of the existing site conditions:
– The use of dried flowers better showcases the large tree foliage that surrounds the perimeter of the entire site
– The texture and colour variations represent new growth and vegetation on the concrete as a result of sites abandonment
– Cracks in the plaster showcases the concrete that covers the whole site
– Cinnamon corresponds to the earth and timber composition of the area
Opportunities
The site contains disused steel infrastructure once used for production and storage, offering a chance for reuse while preserving a historical element in the architectural project.
Co-Housing and Public Programme
Frankly Art House addresses affordable housing and loneliness, issues tied to the current cost of living and digitalisation. It provides artists the opportunity to build a co-housing community where they can create and share their work.
The co-housing model allows for shared access to expensive industry tools and equipment, making them more accessible while also promoting skill-sharing and collaboration within the community.
This supportive, like-minded environment fosters better health and productivity, with the resulting works showcased through exhibitions and art festivals for the public.
Conceptual Model
In consideration of the historical and environmental context, the design focuses on the adaptive reuse of the existing site infrastructure.
New volumes are thoughtfully integrated into the steel structures to create spaces for the Frankly Art House Co-Housing Community.
Aspiration
Through shared co-living spaces, studios and workshops, artist are empowered to showcase their work to the public
