Croydon Council’s new in-house architectural practice will work in both the public and private sectors. It’s a model that should appeal to local authorities and architects alike, says director Chloë Phelps
We are still in the early days of Common Ground Architecture, having launched publicly a few weeks ago. The commercial practice was set up to enable my team, already established within Croydon Council, to market architectural services to other public sector organisations and private sector clients. It also gives us an identity commensurate with the smaller nature of the work that we do, designing infill housing schemes in suburban London locations. The business sits as part of Brick by Brick, a development company created by the council in 2015 to deliver new and affordable homes in the borough that people will be proud of. Any profits generated are returned to the council as the sole shareholder.
Common Ground Architecture operates in several ways; first as an architectural practice, and second providing client-side advice to Brick by Brick on its wider portfolio of schemes. Working closely with other architectural practices is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. The sites that Brick by Brick works on are typically small and infill in nature, and they deliberately chose to work with a range of architectural practices that could bring a richness and character to these individual places rather than rolling out a one-size-fits-all approach.
This architectural collaboration will continue as we move on to the next phase of sites in Croydon, but we also strongly believe that there is benefit in collaborating with other boroughs who face similar challenges. The Greater London Authority has identified that there is potential to provide 25 per cent of the required housing supply on smaller sites across London, and we believe the knowledge and expertise we have gained through our work with Brick by Brick could help realise the true capacity of these plots.
Scheme for Station Road, South Norwood, designed by Common Ground Architecture for Brick by Brick, inspired by an Art Deco cinema which once stood on the neighbouring site
The challenge is that these small, often brownfield sites are not easy to develop, especially in outer London areas and beyond, where the values are nowhere near as high as central London. Common Ground Architecture specialises in bridging the divide between the private and public sector to develop practical, commercial strategies which address even the most difficult sites.
Our first scheme designed as Common Ground Architecture will shortly start on site, as part of the wider Brick by Brick delivery programme, some of which is already under way. These schemes together form a body of work which focusses on the application of great, inclusive design in suburban locations, irrespective of tenure or value. It will be a game changer for Croydon.
I consider myself very fortunate to have found myself working in a local authority that values the skill set that architects have.”
My journey at Croydon started four years ago in the planning department with the Placemaking Team. I was looking for an opportunity to do something beyond the normal boundaries of an architectural career, and it hasn’t disappointed. While Croydon as a place is often mocked, it is its everyday unpretentious qualities that make it unique, and I love it for its ordinariness. The challenge for us is to ensure that we continue to deliver great new homes for local people that enhance the character of the places for generations to come.
I consider myself very fortunate to have found myself working in a local authority that values the skill set that architects have. While we may be the first in-house architectural team to be established in a generation, it feels that the tide may be turning on the number of designers in the public sector. If we are to address the housing crisis succesfully, it is essential that the public sector narrows the skills gap and draws in built environment professionals from a wide spectrum of sources.
