London-based, Stirling Prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann have reinterpreted the almshouse concept for the 21st century with their Appleby Blue project in Bermondsey, South London. Appleby Blue is a social housing development comprising 57 almshouses for those over 65, situated off a busy high street. This is in contrast to conventional older people’s homes, which are typically located on the fringe of cities.
The aim is to establish a blueprint for future adult social housing, where residents remain active members of a thriving urban community.
The building ranges from two to five floors and faces the high street. The ground floor of the building comprises a community kitchen, library, activity room, and offices. A double-height Garden Room connects the high street to a densely planted Garden Court, around which the individual homes are arranged. A roof terrace garden on the second floor features raised beds for herbs, fruits and vegetables, along with space for communal summer dining.
The almshouse is designed to mediate between the local Victorian terraced housing and the adjacent larger-scale post-war social housing. It incorporates two-storey bay windows, pre-cast concrete, brick, and solid oak. In terms of scale, it reduces to two floors at the rear to allow light into the courtyard. All apartments are dual aspect, and the building is passively ventilated with automated vents in the common areas, while 35% of the energy is supplied by photovoltaics on the roof. Photo © Philip Vile. Witherford Watson Mann Architects
