Pocket 2 Competition
Responding to the current plight of city-makers as the price of property extends ever further out of reach, this design proposal tries to address issues of housing affordability by standardising areas of high-cost and considering a range of optional extras and flexible post-purchase payment options.
RCKa’s Custom Built Compact Home starts from the premise that reduction of area alone can only reduce cost so far, and at some point larger, simpler homes are more cost-effective to build. This is particularly true when one considers the irregular nature of most London infill sites and refurbishment opportunities, for which a more flexible component-led design solution is better placed to resolve.
Looking to future restrictions on finance and affordability criteria we identified the custom-build model of development as a natural direction for Pocket, where alongside high-quality communal space the provision of service core elements and shell alone are enough to obtain a mortgage and enable city-makers to get on the housing ladder.
This naturally suits active, creative and motivated young professionals who can finish their home themselves and/or select from a catalogue of Pocket Options which include upgrades to standard Pocket#2 home specification – the acceptable extent of which is a point worthy of further discussion within the industry.
Our approach acknowledges the need, as housing becomes increasingly expensive, to challenge affordable housing policy that stipulates what constitutes an intermediate affordable 2b2p/2b3p/2b4p in terms of building fabric, area and cost.
The Custom Built Compact Home is designed to be inherently flexible, facilitating open-plan living and resolving inner room situations by way of a simple domestic fire-suppression system. This avoids the need for internal corridors and in the custom-build model would enable compliant use by providing the shell and service core elements alone.
Social cohesion is encouraged through the careful integration of incidental communal spaces that result in informal use and chance meetings. Pocket#2 also provides a range of customisable building elements and systems that create an increased sense of ownership.
RCKa’s Custom-Built Compact Home addresses the commercial reality of constructing consistently high-quality homes without compromising space standards or choice, focusing instead on cost-effective efficient construction.
