Place & home - Jeremy Melvin

Place & Home: The search for better housing is a timely consideration of the work of PRP Architects, one of the most successful housing practices in the world today. The book provides the first in-depth analysis of post-war British housing and includes a compelling analysis of PRP's work, examining and critiquing over five decades of housing in the process. Place & Home explores the full scope of PRP's important and innovative work -- from the firm's first major commission, The Ryde at Hatfield (which won a Housing Design Historic Award in 2006), and their particular involvement in the post-war rebuilding of Britain -- right up to their most recent projects, including the recent redevelopment of the St Matthews Estate in Brixton, London. This project won the Low Energy Building of the Year Award in 2006 and according to Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, "sets the standard for what we should be achieving in every social housing development in London".

Essays by founders Phippen, Randall and Parkes, as well as the firm's current Chairman Barry Munday and Managing Director Chris Rudolf, consider PRP's work in detail, charting the firm's evolution and contemplating the future of housing. In addition, texts on the topics of 'Place', 'Home' and 'Building' by Peter Stewart, Jeremy Melvin and Stephen Mullin respectively, contextualise the practice's work whilst investigating issues and projects spanning the whole range of twentieth century housing. These are interspersed with illustrated case studies of PRP's work with housing associations, local authorities and private developers.

Housing is currently entering a new phase. The reality of climate change is universally accepted and the design of our homes must respond accordingly. The past failures of single tenure estates are now well understood and richer, more vibrant models of place-making are evolving. Moreover, there are considerable pressures to produce more homes at lower cost using new methods of construction. As a practice PRP is facing up to the diverse concerns of twenty-first century housing and this book also sets out strategies for sustainable developments. An important contribution to the housing debate, Place & Home is global in scope and far-reaching in its implications.