RE-IMAGINING THE LONDON COURTYARD

by Billy Nguyen

A large part of my proposal at New Cross stems from what I have learnt in Beijing, specifically traditional Chinese courtyards. The idea is all about the stacking of modular housing units around five different courtyards of different functions and spatial qualities: a children’s playground, a quiet contemplation garden, a sunken sports court that can be viewed from the street level, a 'square' at the corner of the site inviting the wider community into the site, and finally, an ecological corridor that is overgrown with ferns and plants with low light consumption. This project is a high density low rise experiment, learning from precedents in Beijing, to unlock the value of the courtyard typology.