Pollokshields Living in Agreement.

The collective urban building and urban housing projects in Pollokshields have developed from neighbourhood research, specifically taking forward the area’s social history. With the aim of ‘socially knitting’ this rich, vibrant, diverse community even closer together this proposal focuses on bringing the northeast of the neighbourhood into the wider community. Choosing the Bowling Green site for both of these projects provides the perfect opportunity to bridge the demographics of the neighbourhood creating a heart for the community.

Identifying one of the key attributes of the neighbourhood as its diversity, I believe focusing on one aspect of this community wouldn’t accurately represent this neighbourhood. For this reason, I have chosen to explore areas within this design that cater for different members of the community in a holistic proposal.
This proposal will include the community from the outset through community consultation and involving them in every step of the design and build process. This will involve employing unemployed members of the community with construction training and helping them get into work afterwards. The project looks to see, hear, and involve everyone to create an open and welcoming hub for the wider community.

Urban Housing.

I have chosen to explore intergenerational housing and co-living in this proposal as I believe this will best provide for the community of Pollokshields. This approach to housing also focuses on easing loneliness, which in a digital world is likely to become a more pressing issue in the future by creating communal areas for everyone to mix. In the co-living section this happens on every level through different communal areas and in the intergenerational housing the opportunity for different families to mix happens at the ground floor, creating an active ground floor and activates the street.

Within this design direct connection to green space is also important as these areas are lacking in the wider community. This housing has been approached with those inhabiting them at the forefront, seeking to keep living costs down through efficient buildings and shared facilities. This proposal will be affordable housing that isn’t owner occupied, with no private developer involved.

Urban Building

After carrying out interviews with members of the community key missing areas within the community were identified. These included children’s indoor spaces, communal allotments, spaces to be creative, flexible working spaces and a place where people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds can mix.

Due to this research, I have chosen to explore areas within this design that cater for different members of the community. Providing spaces for the older members of the community, the youngest members of the community and the working members of the community, finishing off with areas which bring the whole family together. The programme is positioned so that associated activities are together, however the vertical circulation creates the node where everyone meets. This creates a place where people can mix with people they might never interact with otherwise. This design aims to bring the community together and create a sense of belonging and ownership to the building.