The housing shortage is one of the most important topics in architecture at the moment. It is encouraging people to explore innovative ideas that could help deliver more homes. A new one is to redevelop old airports. We want to have a look at this today to see if it could be viable. Then, if you need help with residential architecture in London or other parts of the world, you can speak to us.
Inspiration
Airports are vital pieces of infrastructure, connecting the world and allowing people to travel for work and leisure. They can also be essential for trade. However, some close for one reason or another. It can leave a massive piece of land unused. Could this space become housing?
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), known to many as Robin Hood Airport, is the inspiration for the idea. It has a long history, beginning life as Royal Air Force airfield RAF Finningley from 1915-1995. The closure of Sheffield City Airport brought an opportunity to turn it into a public airport. It became DSA in 2005 and would offer various services from different airlines during its time until closure in November 2022.
Housing
While there are plans to reopen DSA, including a new 125 year lease and the City of Doncaster Council beginning work to appoint an operator, there was another interesting idea. A group of architects, Alma-nac, envisioned turning the site into housing. It said there could be as many as 15,000 homes.
The crucial thing with airports is they offer large buildings, massive open spaces with flat land, and good transport links. All of these factors make them fantastic for new housing estates. Old terminal buildings, hangers, sheds, and other structures could become homes or community spaces. Redundant aircraft could even be repurposed.
The idea definitely has merit and would be far better than old airfields sitting abandoned. It would be more useful to redevelop them to create communities. This would also help to protect other land such as Green Belt sites.
Do you want help with residential architecture in London?
Coffey Architects knows what it takes to create stunning homes in different areas. We can consider all kinds of ideas, including any to transform old commercial sites and buildings. Doing this can result in some amazing housing while also minimising the impact on the environment.
So, if you have ideas for residential architecture in London, whether on a massive scale or an individual property, speak to us. We’d love to help you with the design, planning, and more if you need us.