8/13/2019 9526

1/3

Teachers notes: high rise housing developments in the post war period

These notes are background information for the teaching activity How did the vision turn out in reality:Housing in the 1950s and 60s! see also Teachers "otes: # brief history of social housingwhichgives a wider conte$t

194526% houses were owner occupied, 195029%, 196647%, 197049% 198363%. In 1914

under 10% of houses were owner occupied

194712% of houses were rented from a Local uthorit! "#ouncil$ or ew &own de'elopment

corporation. In 1983it was 29% (

1947)*% of houses were rented from pri'ate landlords. In 198311%

47),000 homes were destro!ed durin+ ! thepost warLa-our +o'ernment accepted it had

to -uild houses 1944ousin+ /anual "udle! eport$ set new, hi+her specifications

cooin+ facilities had pre'iousl! -een ran+es in the li'in+ room and were mo'ed into itchens flats were to include sunn! -alconies where possi-le

194610 !ear plan to -uild new houses for all mainl! -! local authorities

there was more emphasis on the appearance of estates and thou+ht +i'en to location architects and planners re+arded themsel'es as social en+ineers the! felt a sense ofmission to create -eaut! and a sense of communit! the aim was nei+h-ourhood units5 mied de'elopment schemes with a 'ariet! of house siesand t!pes "includin+ flats$ which would mi the social classes5( another aim was hi+h densit!, multistore! -uildin+s which would lift the streets into the s!(

and trafficfree pedestrian precincts5 to protect those who remained on the +round. flats were to -e lie a 'ertical +arden cit!5 these ideas came from the architect Le #or-usier the! were also applied to ew &owns and o'erspill towns less semis more maisonettes, flatsand terraces

late 1940sstart of mied de'elopment schemes -! London #ount! #ouncil "L##$lton 8state

oehampton #hurchill ardens, :imlico

the 1stmulti stor! tower -loc was -uilt in arlowew &own

mid 1950s lower -uildin+ standards introduced -! the #onser'ati'e +o'ernment a su-sid!

was +i'en to councils for hi+h rise -locs

;! 19572.) million houses and flats had -een -uilt 7)% of them were -uilt -! local authorities

9% of them were tower -locs "o'er ) floors$

1965 " 19691.* million homes were -uilt )0%of them -! local authorities

1961 #ar$er %orriseport introduced new standards more space

8/13/2019 9526

2/3

10% of housin+ -uilt -! local authorities was tall tower -locs "o'er ) floors$ housin+ polic! chan+ed to -uildin+ low rise hi+h densit! terraces refur-ishment of olderproperties continued

197! sur'e! of hi+h rise tenants found flats were not alwa!s unpopular. &his did depend on

the +eneral appearance and character of the estate and how it was looed after.

1975council housin+ was one third of all housin+ stoc

1979 40% of the population li'ed in council housin+

end o& 1970s 4,)00 tower -locs had -een -uilt

1983the pri'ate sector -uilt 72% of houses

In retrospect the hi+h rise flat was clearl! an episode which did not fulfil the epectations of itsproponents and ne'er commanded the widespread affection, or e'en appro'al, of users5 ";urnett see-elow$

'easons wh( high rise &lats were )uilt(

ideals taen from 1930s modernism mo'ement !oun+ architects who wanted to

impro'e

8/13/2019 9526

3/3