Posted Feb 18 2019 | By Jo McCafferty

'Modernist Estates – Europe’ book launch

Alongside kicking off the student lecture series this year for the Housing Design Handbook, with events in January and February at schools of architecture in Liverpool, UoL in London, Reading, Newcastle and the Architectural Association, I was invited to speak at the launch of Stefi Orazi’s new book, 'Modernist Estates – Europe’.

Launched at the Swiss Embassy, alongside Stefi and Dr. Irina Davidovici, a Senior Researcher at ETH Zurich, the theme of my lecture was ‘From the communal to the individual’ and included an exploration of the post-1955 work of Atelier 5 in Switzerland, specifically the concept of collective living and the creation of places of solitude within the home, and A5’s influence on LB Camden’s housing projects of the 1970s, led by Sydney Cook. All the case studies, both historic and current, were examined through drawings, photographs and personal insight. It was an inspiring evening of discussion and celebration of exemplary housing projects of all ages from across Europe – and Stefi’s book is well worth a read.