The third Housing Forum was organised by Tilo Amhoff and Luis Diaz and hosted by the School of Architecture and Design.

We began the evening with a discussion that explored different ways of imagining the future of housing in Brighton. Ian Bailey (Studio 7 and SoAD) outlined alternative frameworks for land and housing development. In contrast to the existing top-down developer led model of housing, Ian spoke about how a community led approach would better provide the houses we need, increase social cohesion and enhance health and wellbeing. Luis Diaz (SoAD) introduced us to the work that he has been doing with his undergraduate design studio imagining new models of suburban housing across a range of sites in Brighton and Hove. Lisa Hartley (SEASALT Housing Co-operative) spoke about student housing co-operatives and the project she is co-ordinating to establish a co-op in Brighton to provide students from with decent, affordable and secure accommodation. Michael Howe (mae Architects and SoAD) finished the discussion by thinking about how historic housing standards might inspire us to imagine housing differently today.

Colleagues from the School of Architecture and Design then hosted a series of drawing workshops. Tilo Amhoff led a session thinking about the relationship between the individual and communal in housing and building co-operatives; Luis Diaz ran a workshop on cognitive mapping of your neighbourhood and community; and Alessandro Zambelli used the idea of the commons to interrogate designs for new student accommodation.

The evening finished with the opening and guided tour of the exhibition ‘Coming Home’, curated and designed by Luis Diaz.