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By Tobi Sobowale 2021-09-27T06:00:00 Can design strengthen community spirit, asks Tobi Sobowale I’ve lived in the same building for 25 years. Once upon a time, I knew who most of my neighbours were. Today I can’t tell who’s who. Why am I telling you this? Home is a word that has many definitions. To some it’s a place, to some it’s a person and to others it’s a feeling. I want to look at the home as a physical concept and the role that neighbours play.
Finnish architect and former architecture professor Juhani Pallasmaa writes in his 1996 book The Eyes of the Skin ‘the way spaces feel, the sound and smell of these places, has equal weight to the way things look’. When I wrote a poem for my dissertation – that looked at social housing and crime – I decided to reflect on how the in-between spaces of my estate made me feel.
Now, more than ever, versatile green space matters to those living in social housing. So why are these outside spaces so poorly designed, asks Tobi Sobowale Enjoyed your complimentary access to the AJ?
Outdoor spaces in council estates are supposed to offer a sense of escape from the confined boundaries of a flat. With Covid-19 forcing people to work and study from home, green and open spaces have become even more of a necessity. I grew up on the Orchard Estate in south-east London and there is one open space that comes to mind when I think about what’s lacking here. It is covered with tarmac and is essentially an outdoor gym.
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