Private home's built smart

Own your private home 100%
Pay 1/30th for the heating, spare rooms, garden, tools, etc.
Have more disposable income,
More vibrant community,
Smart like-minded neighbours,
Afford more time, travel more ..

About

Savoy Village is a vision Sligo's Courthouse Block. Based on modern housing models in developed cities, CLH Community Led Housing are increasingly main stream.

Town centres are changing, we must start to adapt and replicate efficiently while improving lives for our increasing population.

By adopting design practices of CLH, we can builder smarter. Mixed tenure residents, 'owning' their own homes, abiding some friendly principles is the perfect compliment for todays urban placemaking.

#CoHousingNotCoLiving

CLH is an umbrella term for various housing formats:

Cohousing
Community Land Trusts (CLTs)
self-help housing
cooperatives

This diagram by soa.ie clarifies the 'CoLiving' model.

Michael D Higgins

A CoHousing perspective

Quick clip of Community-Led Housing groups already working together around the country.

Urban ideas

For architect Grace Kim, loneliness is a function of how socially connected we feel to the people around us -- and it's often the result of the homes we live in. She shares an age-old antidote to isolation, a way of living where people choose to share space with their neighbours.

Allotments or ..

Another example in Belgium where kids can play together rather seperated

Understanding user needs

To meet the needs of the projects potential users, a number of narrative profiles have been developed. By imaging their wants and desires and values, we can begin to see how the development can respond to fulfill these.

Planning

The existing Courthouse Block development Framework Plan stipulates 'some' conditions. The main element is 'mixed use' meaning a commercial activity, or open street at ground level.

What shops or other commercial activity can you imagine in Savoy Village?

Sligo is seeing an increase in tourism, but what about other types like housing, architecture or culture tourism?

Another 10 years..

So your settled in the dream home & community, what's next?....... eventually you get older.

CLH's particularly CoHousing's have a happy maximum of 40 residents. What type of housing should this be? what would most complement or best integrate your CoHousing community? What does your town or village need? What should it provide?

Put yourself in the shoes of the aging member in your multigenerational community (extended family in effect). Your mind is perfect, you're young at heart but in need of physical assistance and request's of your neighbours is now in burden territory. Is this it? end of the line? nursing home time?

Ripped from your community into an 'End Facility' is #HowIrelandWorks still. Imagine a 'Housing with Supports' model being co-located, next block, or part of the district, a NODE to service other surrounding communities.

Housing with Supports

Serviced similar to a nursing-home but enables independent living and to maintain a relationship with your own community

Co locate

Savoy Village has potential as a great case-study

15min

As long as we have capacity and autonomy, we should all be included in the 15 minute access all services design.

Blue Sky Thinking

Many projects remain unfunded in Ireland often due to viability, appeal, function or value. Nested between a c1795 Heritage stone building and an 1878 Victorian / French Gothic Courthouse. Home to the admired Savoy Cinema featuring potential therapeutic panoramic views of Sligo's landscape.

An Innovative development here doesn't stop at the ground level features, history, housing style, architecture aesthetics or views, but the potential of co-locating two new housing models, their synergies and an inclusive community, a rooftop design that would spawn new culture, a fresh attraction for Sligo. Imagine a sunrise or set over Benbulben, Knocknarea as you tuck into breakfast or dinner.

Unlock Existing Homes

Sligo has been identified as a growth centre, yet employers struggle to home / attract new staff. Young families want that house, Ms. Murphy's house. While she loves her home, she's isolated, blesses every day she able to drive her car. She'd consider selling but where would she go? certainly not into a lonely shitty town-flat. Unless, It was near her needs, a decent and private space she can make a home, with a bonus of like minded friends living next door.

To spell it out - In addressing our housing crisis, there's opportunity to address the NEXT CRISES simultaneously. Building a housing TYPE that make Mrs. Murphy or Mr. Smith happier, makes them healthier! Her (currently oversized) home becomes closer to making another family happier who want to live, invest, in Sligo. Our AGING population, and innovative employers looking for workers, need conversations about innovative housing options. Being that exemplarily project to follow, is the dream of Savoy Village.

Got an Idea? say hello below....

Further information..

One group is leading the way in Ireland, 'Self Organised Architecture' who've recently published a 'how to' in CLH. They have a vast resource of information collected from other communities, expert presentations, talks, site visits and years of research.

Most of the concept designs here were developed with the help of ACT-Studio Ballina who 'deliver regenerative design solutions that positively impact people and planet' For more detail see more on the Project here

Alternatives exist..

Non-Capitalist is a term being used in Canada, There are many different housing models and other solutions. Ireland has to start looking further afield.