Abigail Glancy

Project description
This project aims to challenge the role that the suburbs plays in London’s ecosystem, as land-intensive, carbon-intensive, low-density commuter dormitories that have the potential for so much more.

The title ‘Not in My Back Yard !’ critiques the conservatism and compromised individualism symbolised by the interwar semi-detached house, whilst referring to the project’s ultimate proposal: to do just that – build in people’s back yards. This project seeks to convince the reader that this is not only an environmentally and financially attractive option for the existing suburban homeowner, but also a social and sustainable imperative for the city at large.

Just as the speculative builders of the interwar period established development principles that were able to rolled out on a large scale, this project seeks to demonstrate how the modular fabric of the interwar period can be retrofitted with sustainable principles, whilst simultaneously densifying the block.

Site location
The Wrythe, Sutton