Single Aspect Blog

Great estate, love the burnt umber bricks, so much better to look at than raw concrete.  Lovely use of communal garden space within the courtyard level above the car park at 1st floor level.  Have some doubts about the – bordering on – single aspect tower block flats,but they have at least been designed so that every flat has a SW facing window even if it’s only one, and they are popular.

The practice of modernism: modern architects and urban transformation, 1954-1972

 By John Robert Gold

80% of the estate remains council tenants despite RTB.  Car ownership is low as proved by the 300 space car park having only 1/3 occupancy.

The first floor walkway “street in the sky” is attractive, clean and well kept as are the lift lobbies and other communal areas.

Communal heating system, popular estate, what’s not to like?  It can be done.

More photographs on Flickr World’s End

Tower block plan below:-

Click image for larger version

Notes about estate page 1 click above

Notes about estate page 2 click above

Many thanks are due to the residents’ association for organising this tour and their kind and enthusiastic support including hot drinks and biscuits for their temporary guests, not to mention their well informed and enjoyable walking tour.

During the walk one of the others said to me that they thought the communal garden on the first floor above the car park ought to be accessible from the individual flats that look out over it.  In the month that has passed since the visit I have had the chance to consider this idea.

I think that what would happen would be the gradual loss and desecration of the grounds.  It would happen in stages, not deliberately but such is human nature that anyone with a dog would be inclined to let it out onto the grass through their “french windows” instead of “taking it for a walk” elsewhere.

Others without pets might decide they liked to sit out in the sunshine or for a smoke, and begin to leave garden chairs, flower pots, tables, you name it, in the area immediately outside their property.  In this way, within a few months if not weeks what had been a communal space would have been personalised.

With a very few people in the same situation, who all knew each other and were friends, perhaps it would work, but in my opinion, not otherwise.

n.b. The architect Jim Cadbury Brown may be heard speaking about the estate in Rebuilding Britain for the baby boomers.