Championed by the artist Grayson Perry, this innovative scheme has been created for the exclusive use of artists, with a total of 12 live work units over a ground floor gallery and community space.

calfordseaden provided multi-disciplinary services for this scheme offering affordable and sustainable housing, including Architecture and Lead Designer from RIBA stages 4-6.

The ambitious scheme, delivered by Be First and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, is tied to a long-term public engagement in Barking town centre. It provides flexible living and work spaces for artists and their families across five floors. In return for reduced rent, the artists deliver free creative programmes to the wider community.

House for Artists was finished both internally and externally in fair faced concrete which created a variety of technical challenges such as preventing cold bridging, realising the desired angular aesthetic and detailing the elevations so as to minimise water staining. In overcoming these challenges the scheme’s simplicity and elegance was maintained throughout.