IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

Defensible Space Theory, as described by Oscar Newman (1970), looked at predominately neighbourhood safety and crime prevention. However, challenging the implementation of this theory, and those of similar scholars, into a post covid society and the current social challenges that are around us, will start to create a new architectural language of vertical and horizontal defensible lines. The role of the Architect, will be to setup these framework, in order to see how they can be generated, altered and defined by the user, in order to create social success. Building upon the social and historical theories of The Welsh Terrace, presented at AMPS in Prague 2023, Cardiff University Masters’ student Theodora Filippopoulou, (Value Unit 2023-24), alongside her tutors Daniel Benham and Mhairi McVicar, explored this notion, within an urban square of Grangetown, Cardiff, known as Pentre Gardens’. Previously a fenced off green space, surrounded by terraced housing, the connection with the surrounding dwellings is not always positive, which required a possible expansion of the public and semi public space, from the centre of the park, through various levels of the dwelling and into the rear alleyway. Taking the previous notion of ‘streets’ and ‘squares’ (Benham, Weekley, 2023), in order to create positive social situations, within housing design, Theodora explored junctions, or lines of defence, at each moment, not just at ground level, re-imaging the boundaries, to create a symbiosis between the housing and public space. Themes include the exploration of public and private thresholds; See, Hear and Meet (Activity as an attraction); Exploration of what is ‘front’ and what is ‘back’. The outputs of the study, reimagined the terraced house, building on previous work, together with the new articulation of public square, which will now be owned by three distinct ‘clients’.