NLA Coffee conversation: What are the opportunities for housing on constrained sites?
On 25 March, Richard will be speaking at NLA’s Coffee Conversation about how London’s most constrained and overlooked sites can play a role in addressing both the housing crisis and the climate emergency.
Across the city, small and fragmented plots are often dismissed as too difficult to develop. Backland sites, former garages and leftover spaces within established neighbourhoods are frequently overlooked by conventional development models. Yet collectively they represent a significant and largely untapped opportunity.
Developing these sites requires a different approach. They are typically embedded within established communities, surrounded by existing buildings and shaped by tight physical and planning constraints. Unlocking their potential demands careful design thinking, close attention to context and a willingness to engage with complexity.
At the same time, these sites offer clear advantages. They make use of land that is already within the urban fabric, close to infrastructure, transport and local services. Sensitive infill development can increase housing supply without large-scale demolition or major new infrastructure.
Our project Modern Courtyard explores this idea in practice.
The house is built on the footprint of two former garages on an overlooked cul-de-sac site. Rather than seeing the tight constraints as limitations, the design uses them to shape the architecture. Two courtyards organise the plan, bringing daylight deep into the home while creating moments of openness within a compact site.
The result is a contemporary home that demonstrates how small, overlooked plots can be transformed into high-quality living spaces.
Projects like this raise important questions for London’s future. If approached thoughtfully, small sites can make a meaningful contribution to housing delivery while also supporting more sustainable forms of urban growth.
Join the conversation, 25th March, 12:30pm - 13:30pm
NLA Coffee Conversation
Richard will be discussing these ideas at NLA’s Coffee Conversation on 25 March, exploring the opportunities and challenges of delivering housing on constrained sites.
The discussion will consider how these overlooked plots can contribute to London’s housing supply, what design strategies are required to unlock them, and how they might form part of a more sustainable urban future.
Event details:
We will cover:
• The potential of small and overlooked urban sites to contribute to London’s housing supply
• Why backland plots, garages and residual spaces are often dismissed and how they can be unlocked
• Design strategies for working within tight spatial, planning and contextual constraints
• How infill development can reduce urban sprawl and make better use of existing infrastructure
• The role of fabric-first thinking and low-impact design in small-site housing
• Lessons from our projects that transform constrained plots into high-quality homes
As pressure on London’s housing supply continues to grow, it is increasingly important to explore opportunities within the existing urban fabric. Small sites are often overlooked, yet collectively they represent significant potential for delivering new homes in established neighbourhoods.
The session is free to attend and open to all, including architects, designers, planners, developers, local authorities and anyone interested in housing, urban regeneration and the future of London’s built environment.
You can reserve your place here:
https://nla.london/events/nla-coffee-conversation-what-are-the-opportunities-for-housing-on-constrained-sites
Click here for link to reserve a place
https://nla.london/events/nla-coffee-conversation-what-are-the-opportunities-for-housing-on-constrained-sites
The session is free to attend and open to all, including architects, designers, planners, developers, local authorities and anyone interested in housing, urban regeneration and the future of London’s built environment.
It would be wonderful to see you there and continue the conversation around this increasingly relevant topic.
If you are feeling inspired, book a call with Richard in order to discuss your plans for your home!
Book a call
There is a particular responsibility that comes with working on an existing building. The Old Timberyard , a former Victorian workshop, offered the opportunity to demonstrate how careful retrofit can honour heritage whilst delivering genuine long-term performance. Behind its retained brickwork and historic fabric sits a carefully executed EnerPHit upgrade. This was not about surface improvements, but a rigorous, fabric-first transformation, reworking a cold, underperforming structure into a comfortable, resilient and low-energy building fit for contemporary use.
Three weeks ago, Heather Faulding and I had the pleasure of presenting at the NLA’s technical briefing on Retrofit and Reuse a CPD-certified webinar on low-energy & high-performance buildings. It was a fantastic session spotlighting some of the most innovative retrofit work. Heather shared her incredible project for Daily Paper in New York: a powerful example of creative reuse, transforming a crumbling structure using over 7,500 soda cans crafted by local communities. The shimmering façade reflected not only light but the heritage of African beadwork a story of culture and circularity woven into architecture.
We’re excited to share our refined Project Planning Pack, designed to support anyone preparing to embark on a design or building project. Planning ahead is one of the most important steps in ensuring a successful project . This clear, easy-to-follow resource helps you reduce risk , improve your design outcomes, and gain a better understanding of costs and the architect’s role in the process. It also introduces core design principles and provides tools to assess where you’re at before you begin, giving you confidence in every decision. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner, an experienced developer, or simply exploring ideas for a renovation or new build, this pack is an essential companion for your project journey. What’s included: • A structured framework to plan and organise your project • Guidance on core design principles • Insights into costs and the architect’s role • Tools to assess your project readiness We’ve refined this pack to be practical, user-friendly, and aligned with real-world architectural practice. Our goal is to give you clarity, reduce uncertainty, and make the design process as smooth as possible . Access the full Project Planning Pack here:
What Makes Brownfield Sites Unique? Across the UK’s cities, thousands of small, disused plots sit idle: the remnants of former garages, workshops, and scrap yards. These brownfield sites, often dismissed as too constrained or contaminated for development, represent an untapped opportunity. Yet within these limits lies enormous potential. When approached with imagination and technical rigour, they can become prototypes for compact, sustainable urban living. Projects on brownfield sites are unique in their demand for a precise balance between innovation, practicality, and sustainability; ultimately, every square metre counts. And the result can be one of the most rewarding in contemporary housing design. Our project, Eva’s House , completed in 2005, offers a compelling example. Built on the footprint of two derelict garages in Southeast London, this modest three-storey home demonstrates how a forgotten plot can be transformed into a durable, adaptable dwelling that continues to perform nearly two decades later.