In 1993, ten families from the Southwark housing list were offered the chance to build ten houses on a shared ownership basis. The part they owned would be earned the sweat of their labour on the project. This turned out to be a unique experiment, and, although it was fairly successful, it represents a rare example of participatory architecture in action.
The members of the Sharsted Self-Build Association were active in changing the design in relation to their own needs and research. The materials housed at Mayday Rooms – minutes of SSSBHC meetings, timekeeping reports, organisational documents, architectural plans, design materials – offer a holistic perspective on working-class intervention in the built environment.
View Sharsted Self-Built Association on Catalogue View digitisations on Leftove.rs