How London’s suburban housing project wins top UK architecture award despite building regulation changes
A mixed development in Coulsdon
Lion Green Road brings together affordable and private homes in a scheme funded by Croydon Council as a public asset. Mary Duggan Architects designed it with RUFF Architects.
The development contains 157 homes arranged across five distinctive 13-sided blocks. Its soft purple and pink brickwork sits among trees near green-belt land. The site faces Lion Green Road. Green-belt housing lies on higher ground to the south, while traditional suburban streets are to the north.
Design shaped around belonging
Duggan said the project challenged common suburban layouts built around roads, private gardens and clearly separated front and back spaces. She wanted to create a public place where people could feel they belonged.
She described the scheme as being about the culture of dwelling, saying architectural ambition, social value and social realities could exist together. Riba president Chris Williamson praised the buildings’ relationship with the landscape. He said variations in their patterns gave each block texture and an individual identity, and noted the community gardens.
Award followed difficult process
Williamson called the judging process inspirational and emotional. He told the BBC that returning to the East Midlands council estate where he once lived made him wonder where his family would have lived after the homes were sold into private ownership.
He said the homes formed part of a mixed scheme with a strong atmosphere, adding that it was the kind of place he would have liked to grow up in. The project faced five or six additional circumstances beyond usual challenges after building regulations changed. Architecture awards assess factors including design vision, innovation, sustainability, functionality and the experience of users and visitors.
Key points
- Lion Green Road in Coulsdon won the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.
- The development includes 157 homes in five 13-sided blocks.
- The scheme combines affordable and private housing and includes community gardens.
- Judges praised its design and fit with the surrounding landscape.