LEVELLING THE HIGH-RISE
A portfolio and research report on readdressing the inequalities of social housing.
The place where you live can change the way you behave and whilst architects strive for the utopia of modern high rise living, the reality for many of the residents is a dystopia of poverty and social division.
What does high rise architecture say about social structure, class and wealth inequality in inner city housing and how can this be readdressed to reduce social segregation and isolation? It is vital that inner city living is inclusively designed to consider the needs of all demographics within communities.
The topic of this investigation focuses on the inequalities of social housing and in particular the architectural designs of high-rise builds in inner cities and how this has the potential for contributing to violence and social discord. I will examine what architecture says about social structure, class and wealth inequality in inner city housing and how can this be readdressed to reduce social segregation and isolation. “A new architecture can transform the moral and sentimental lives of human beings”. I will explore this premise further with how architecture has the power to change people’s life’s both for the better and for worse.
The main area of interest is how urban planners striving for a vision of utopia have inadvertently created a dystopia for residents by disregarding the inhabitant’s health, wellbeing and living requirements resulting in anti-social behaviour.
My research and studio practice relate to theoretical studies on the inequalities of social housing. In particular, Jane Jacobs book ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ which examines the flaws in urban renewal and the deconstruction of potentially healthy cities through urban planning. I also studied the novel ‘High Rise’ by JG Ballard which depicts the moral decent of residents living in a fictional forty storey tower block.
The relation of my project to this research is the consideration of emotional reactions of urban dwellers when designing inner-city housing. My research hypothesises that architecture impacts on social structure, class and wealth inequality in inner cities.
The objective was to identify what creates social and economic division in inner city housing and if town planners and architects contribute to this inequality. Examining high rise living, my research explores the architectural intentions and the reality for residents. My proposal to level the high-rise is to redesign JG Ballard’s fictional forty-storey ‘High Rise’ to negate the oppression for the people inside and create a new way of living that connects not only the physical floor levels but also the human diversity of our society.

PLANS AND SECTIONS
Final Design
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
RESIDENTIAL SPACE 13TH FLOOR
2 bed, 3 bed and 4 bed flats
PUBLIC SPACE - 12TH FLOOR
Small Grocery Store, Swimming Pool, Spa, Bar, Cafe
PUBLIC SPACE - FLOOR 11
Main Grocery Store, Green Space, Restaurants, Bars, Cafe
PUBLIC SPACE
PUBLIC SPACE
Floor 11
Green Space, Bar, Cafe, Restaurant, Grocery Store
Restaurant
PUBLIC SPACE
Floor 12
Smaller Grocery Store, Spa, Swimming Pool, Walkway
RESIDENTIAL SPACE
Floor 13