Now in its fifth year, NaCSBA’s Self Build on a Shoestring is back searching for unique designs to combat housing issues in the UK. For 2017, the innovative competition is geared towards housing for the elderly, and the winner will receive £5,000 from Grand Designs Live.
In mainland Europe scores of modestly priced retirement communities have been built by local people who have formed a group, commissioned an architect to design what they want and then hired a contractor to construct the homes for them. The properties are tailored to each resident’s requirements and the communities encourage interaction, healthier lifestyles and the mutual support of each other, thereby reducing the need for social care.
NaCSBA thinks it’s about time we saw more projects like this happening in the UK. That’s why the annual competition,launched in association with Grand Designs Live, ischallenging designers to devise an innovative low cost granny annexe. The designers also have to show how 30 of the homes could be grouped together to create an innovativeretirement community.
The individual homes must be constructed for less than £40,000, or the whole community of 30 homes, which must also include a range of shared/community facilities, has a maximum budget of £1.5m.
Three of the UK’s top TV presenters have agreed to be Judges for this year’s Shoestring competition, including George Clarke, Piers Taylor and Charlie Luxton. Other judges include design and self build experts and the consultant who helped set up the first project like this in the UK-the North London Schemeopened this year and provides 22 new homes for single elderly women.
The annual Shoestring design ideas competition has been running since 2013 and several of the top entries from previous years are now being built (or are expected to start on site soon).
Anyone can enter the competition – architects, designers, modular construction specialists, timber framing experts, custom build developers, innovation or technical gurus, or members of the public.
A more details and a full brief for the competition can be downloaded by clicking here
The winner will be announced at the Grand Designs Live Exhibition at the NEC in October.
