Advertisement
Housing

Social housing in Norwich could win a coveted architecture prize next week

The 105 energy efficient homes for social rent on Goldsmith Street tackle fuel poverty and are up for the Royal Institute of British Architects’ prestigious Stirling Prize

This time next week a street of social housing in Norwich could be celebrating victory in one of the UK’s most prestigious architecture prizes.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) will be naming the winner of their Stirling Prize on October 8 and the fuel poverty-tackling homes on Goldsmith Street are vying for victory.

Architects Mikhail Riches and Cathy Hawley designed the 105 energy-efficient social rent homes to Passivhaus standards for Norwich City Council.

Each house features smart innovations like removing the letterbox from the front door and placing it in garden walls instead to prevent energy from being wasted.

The suburban street also shuns cars and features play spaces for children while front doors also face each other in a bid to maximise the social impact on offer.

“As a council we have been interested in building new social housing for a long time.” Said Laura Mcgillivray. “The properties we have here are all built to Passivhaus house standards and that has really lowered the energy bills.”

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertisement

The nomination for the award is recognition that building more social rent homes is a crucial way to tackle Britain’s housing crisis with the social rent sector in particular being decimated in recent years.

But to get the nod for the Stirling Prize for Britain’s best new building, Goldsmith Street will be up against stiff competition.

A Scottish whisky distillery with a grass-covered roof, London Bridge Station, a rural opera house with a 17th-century stable block, an experimental carbon neutral house made of cork in Berkshire and a contemporary Yorkshire art gallery are all in the running.

“The RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist epitomises the enviable global reputation of UK architecture,” said RIBA President Ben Derbyshire when the nominees were announced.

“These six buildings could hardly be more diverse in typology and scale. But what they have in common – ground-breaking innovation, extraordinary creativity and the highest quality materials and detailing – sets them apart.”

Images: RIBA/Tim Crocker

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Never miss an issue

Take advantage of our special subscription offer. Subscribe from just £9.99 and never miss an issue.

Recommended for you

Read All
Introduce inspections for temporary housing to stop children living in horror homes, Labour told
a child at the window of their home
Homelessness

Introduce inspections for temporary housing to stop children living in horror homes, Labour told

Tenants win more than £250,000 of rent back from billionaire landlord in five-year legal battle
Somerford Grove Renters in Hackney
Renting

Tenants win more than £250,000 of rent back from billionaire landlord in five-year legal battle

This is the devastating impact growing up in temporary accommodation has on children’s GCSE results
school children at desks
Education

This is the devastating impact growing up in temporary accommodation has on children’s GCSE results

Electric van to help charity deliver 50,000 meals to homeless people
Four people stand around an electric van
Homelessness

Electric van to help charity deliver 50,000 meals to homeless people

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue