IT TAKES A VILLAGE

As our cities grow larger, housing denser and connections more digital, we risk marginalising village-like communities which provide vital support networks for children and their carers.

 

A child’s early years are crucial to their development with nursery settings pivotal to this process. However, in London, a full-time nursery place can cost up to £1,500 per month and as families of all shapes and sizes struggle to cope with loneliness, limited space, high housing costs and rising utility bills, the additional stresses of childcare risk tipping many over the edge. 

  

Our proposal conceptualises an urban community providing inclusive, family co-living anchored by affordable childcare. Housing clusters are centred around a communal ‘heart’ where families learn, play, and socialise together. Domestic functions are taken out of isolation and made communal to offer better quality spaces and chance interactions.