Co-Housing

This project designed by Joshua Jones.

This Hybrid Housing project – located just outside of Sneinton Market, Nottingham was a Co-Housing development with another use: a performing arts space. The ground level of the housing block was home to a local performing arts theatre, which opened out into a plaza central to the scheme. A community kitchen/common house located just below this served as a place not only for the residents of the scheme to convene for food, drinks and socialisation, but during these times of performance also as a restaurant and café for viewers of these performances. Inspired by the street performances of Italy, the ability to open the back of the space up and into the plaza increased the effectiveness of this overall site as this allowed for performances to happen outside in the sun.

Having the common house connect to another private housing block via a green canopy also provided an enticing entrance into this scheme, as well as shade for this outside space. Pedestrianizing Brook Street also meant that this canopy was an inviting entrance to the scheme as an extension of Sneinton Market, so visitors could go from there to a street market along Brook Street, organised by the residents to sell produce from the community garden and other arts and crafts that they create.