Enfield Council and Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing have launched a design competition for emerging, local and BAME-led architects, designers, community groups and artists to propose innovative ideas for intergenerational living.

The competition backer said that intergenerational living is a concept based on the idea that residents of different generations, such as school-age children, young adults and older residents, live together and share resources, skills and offer each support. Intergenerational housing – both wider housing developments and individual households – can thus help to build ‘more robust and resilient communities’.

The competition seeks innovative thinking and high-quality designs - of both individual homes and the housing development - to find ways of building stronger communities, tackle social isolation and bring neighbours together so that ultimately, people across Enfield have access to a wider network of social support.

Interested parties can enter the two-stage competition by entering here. The deadline for entries for the first stage is 4pm on Friday 7 August. Shortlisted entrants will be asked to develop high-quality proposals, explaining how their designs will bring communities together.

Enfield Council leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said research shows that in the UK the number of homes with more than one generation living in them is on the rise, with the Coronavirus outbreak acting as a significant factor in bringing families together.

“There are enormous social benefits from encouraging families to live together for longer but we need to make sure that the homes that we provide are fit for purpose and meet the needs of our residents.

"This competition will enable us to harness the creativity and skill of the brightest minds to help tackle one of the single most difficult issues we face in providing housing today – how do we build genuinely inclusive developments that create a real community spirit in which residents look out for each other.

“I hope this project will enable us to identify and work with emerging local practices, including those that are BAME led to tackle this burning social issue.”

Geeta Nanda OBE, Chief Executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Enfield Council on this innovative project, which will help to produce deliverable ideas for how we can help more people to live well together for longer.

 “During the pandemic, the benefits of a decent, secure and affordable home have never meant more to people. By thinking about how we can build more homes that support people of different ages to live well together, Enfield Council and MTVH will be at the forefront of efforts to create more sustainable homes and communities.”