RIBA – 2004 Future House London Competition/Exhibition
The winner in the unbuilt category was Niall McLaughlinArchitects for Houseboat: London
“The Houseboat is a basket of woven carbon-fibre, containing inflatable elements at high and low levels. The lower range is for flotation. The translucent upper range forms the roof of the structure; the trapped argon gas is an integral part of the insulation of the house. By combining inflatable and woven elements, within the depth of the construction of the houseboat, we extend the concept of interdependence between contained and container. The container and the contents rely on each other for stability.”
Second place went to Amin Taha Architects Ltd for A40 Housing
“Placed on black and brown-field sites, the study attempts to define the new urban village green. Beginning with a hard, sparsely penetrated surface on the road’s edge, the individual houses turn inwards to shared and protected gardens. The multiplied building form evolves along the length of the highway, breaking down the visual and aural skyline, allowing the single person household, maisonette or house to reform a social connection with neighbours and passers-by.”
Third place was awarded to Matthew White for The Traveller
“‘The Traveller’ is imagined to be one of the many occasional residents of London who form a vital part of its anatomy and yet can suffer the brunt of its housing problems. He sidesteps the prohibitive land costs that force so many people out of the city by colonising the roofscapes of existing buildings that could not support the weight of an extra storey of traditional development.”
The commended project was Marcin Panpuch’s A Sphere
“The proposed house module can be relocated as often as required by family and works demands; a city tower, a river home, a rural retreat.”
A Scotsman.com article adds:
“You could own a house and be able to live both in a quiet area of east London and in the middle of the capital, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere and beautiful river views, right on your doorstep.” The pods would also serve to tackle the increasing shortage of affordable housing in London. He added: “There is a lack of land in central London and there is a lot of space that is wetland so you could use this space to build new settlements and places to live.”
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