Community-led plans for affordable, eco-friendly homes in Knowle West

A pioneering project to build homes in Knowle West could set a model for estates across the UK, according to Bristol’s cabinet member for housing.

Paul Smith has welcomed the submission of plans for the first two properties as part of a community-led initiative with the potential to act as a catalyst for creating a “back garden revolution” in the way housing is delivered.

We Can Make is a collaboration between residents and digital arts charity Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC), who have been working on identifying possible “micro sites” in the neighbourhood on which to build homes that meet the needs of people in the area.

This means homes that are genuinely affordable, so rent set at no more than one third of average household income for Knowle West, and the homes will be owned by a community land trust. Also, buildings that enhance the character of the neighbourhood, are eco-friendly and sustainable and help create jobs.

Using Modern Methods of Construction, We Can Make is working to develop KWMC: The Factory in Filwood Green Business Park as a neighbourhood housing factory, and training for residents and tradespeople is already underway.

Designs for the first two homes have been submitted to Bristol City Council.

The first two We Can Make homes have been designed for John (left) and Toni – Illustrations by Rediat Abayneh

John, a long-term resident currently living in temporary accommodation, will move into one of the properties if the plans are approved.

The one-bedroom house will be built in the rear garden of an existing council house, where Bill and his son live and will continue to live.

John says: “The We Can Make home is brilliant because it’s a secure home of my own I can afford and in a place where I can be close to my family and work. I’ve got construction skills so I can help build it.”

For Bill, it helps by giving him a more manageable garden and someone close by.

Architects at London-based Studio Bark have worked with both John and Bill to develop a design that exceeds National Space Standards and meets John’s needs for flexibility, storage, and outdoor space, whilst giving both households their own access and privacy, including a hidden roof garden for John.

A home for Toni and her daughter has been designed in her parents’ back garden – illustration courtesy of Agile Design and We Can Make

The second home is for Toni and her daughter, Amancia, and will be built in the back garden of her parents’ council home, enabling Toni to be close to her family but have her own space.

Architects at White Design, based in Hamilton House, have designed Toni and Amancia a single-storey two-bedroom home with a green roof and solar panels. Both homes exceed National Space Standards, with the idea that they are designed to fit relatively small sites without compromising on property size.

Director of We Can Make Melissa Mean says: “We Can Make is about much more than just delivering housing units. We’ve been working with John and Toni and the wider Knowle West community to make sure these homes are good for the people who live in them and good for the neighbourhood.

“Our community-led approach shows how you can have more homes, and at the same time make the neighbourhood greener and create jobs for local people. We hope these two homes are the first of many in Knowle West and beyond.”

The plan is to develop KWMC: the factory as a neighbourhood housing factory – photo by Ellie Pipe

If planning permission is granted, construction of John and Toni’s homes will begin in the autumn. We Can Make has the support of the Nationwide Foundation and Homes England to deliver up to 16 similar homes in Knowle West over the next eighteen months.

The aim then is to scale up delivery and explore how the approach could be used to help people in housing need in other neighbourhoods in Bristol and beyond.

Paul Smith, the council’s cabinet member for housing, says: “Bristol has an urgent and desperate need for more housing. The housing market continues to fail to deliver what people and communities need.

“We need new imaginative solutions which build homes and communities with and for the people. We Can Makes offer a groundbreaking alternative which can be scaled up to provide the numbers we need, of high quality, and where communities want them. Bristol City Council is excited to be a partner to this project which could set a new model for estates across the UK.”

Main image of John’s house design, courtesy of Studio Bark and We Can Make

Read more: The Knowle West community that built a home made of straw to address housing need