“One of the best things about this project has been working with a talented group of architects. The Bell Phillips team actually listen which is quite rare. They have been exceptionally responsive without selling out their vision.”
— Ioana Lupas, RIBA Client Advisor and CLT Board Member
In a borough with one of the largest social housing waiting lists in the UK, this proposal represents something powerful: community-led housing driven by the commitment and persistence of local volunteers.
Brent Community Land Trust is an independent, not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers who live and work in the borough. This is their first housing project: 19 new homes for social rent on a derelict garage site in Stonebridge, designed specifically for single adults in the area.
The design takes inspiration from Brent’s modernist heritage, with a prominent curved corner, and an articulated entrance and lift shaft that echo the Art Deco buildings of Metroland, an important part of the borough’s architectural identity.
Wide deck access on the upper floors is conceived as shared social space with in-built bench seating next to each front door. A communal room at ground floor has been designed with a kitchenette, communal washing machine and co-working area but also kept deliberately flexible with integrated storage to allow future residents to decide how it will be used, reinforcing the project’s community-led ethos.
Each of the one-bed flats is dual aspect and two ground floor units are fully wheelchair accessible. A shared garden includes food growing space and a communal eating area.
Energy performance has been a central consideration. A fabric-first approach with ambitious U-values is combined with air source heatpumps and PV panels integrated into a bio-solar roof, achieving a 79% improvement over Part L requirements. Perforated roller shutters provide further protection against overheating.
