The Baylight Fellowship - Part 1

Escape the office on Friday 20 October with a day-long visit to extraordinary residential landmarks in London.

This first part of the Baylight Fellowship from the Academy of British Housing is led by Madeleine Kessler of Madeleine Kessler Architecture, co-curator of the 2021 British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale focussing on privatised public space across the UK. The day will include:

Resident-led tour of the acclaimed Golden Lane and Barbican estates focussing on the planning and long-term maintenance of shared public spaces and landscaping with Paul Lincoln (Landscape Institute) including an interior visit at Golden Lane
Tour of radical self-build community at Ferry Street (pictured) on the Isle of Dogs featuring perspectives from community organisers Michael and Jenny Barraclough who commissioned the design

Tour of Span housing in Blackheath led by architect and Span resident, architect Ana Francisco Sutherland

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Part 1 - London - Friday 20 October 2023

Take part in an experiential learning programme providing this generation’s most ambitious commissioners of new housing with the insight, knowledge and inspiration required to deliver outstanding homes and unlock sustainable future value.

Meeting at Golden Lane Estate, participants will be led on a tour by local resident and an expert tour guide through the development’s public areas and inside private spaces. The tour will focus on Chamberlin, Powell and Bon’s design vision and the long-term stewardship of the estate’s public and private spaces, following an additional tour exploring similar themes in the neighbouring Barbican Estate.

The group will then travel to the Stout and Litchfield-designed 50-56 Ferry Street on the Isle of Dogs for a building tour. Created by a pioneering community activist, this self-build structure was one of several similar developments in the Isle of Dogs area which sought to radically reshape the delivery and commissioning of housing for everyone.

After visiting Ferry Street participants will have lunch together, and the day will then finish with a tour of unique Span housing in Blackheath.

Open to everyone with an interest in commissioning ambitious new housing, Part 1 is the first instalment of the Baylight Fellowship. Prices for the day include catering and are £85 for private sector with a £65 concession for the public sector.

The multi-part course offers an opportunity to join ambitious like-minded professionals for an experiential journey exploring time-honoured elements of successful housing – building long-term collaboration between Baylight Fellows drawn from across the public and private sectors.

The first chapter will be followed by additional separate, day-long sessions exploring unique examples of successful housing across the capital and its hinterland.

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The Baylight Fellowship - past events

Cambridge

An overnight visit to a series of extraordinary housing developments in Cambridge including Marmalade Lane co-housing designed by Mole Architects and the Stirling Prize-winning Accordia by FCBS, Alison Brooks, Maccreanor Lavington (2008)

South East England

A day-long session out of London by coach visiting a series of extraordinary housing developments in South East England including a tour of Grade II*-listed Turn End, Haddenham, exploring both interiors and the development’s internationally renowned gardens.

South London

A day-long session exploring unique examples of successful housing across south London including Walters Way by Walter Segal (1980) in Lewisham.

Poundbury, Dorset

A day-long session in the company of architectural historians and critics visiting Poundbury, an experimental urban extension to Dorset’s county town of Dorchester. Poundbury is a multi-decade ongoing development built on Duchy of Cornwall land in accordance with the principles of architecture and urban planning as advocated by King Charles III in his 1989 book ‘A Vision of Britain’.

Why join the Baylight Fellows?

The Academy of British Housing connects courageous public and private sector commissioners of new homes with the expertise, insights and passion to create popular and successful housing that will be cherished by generations to come.

It offers fellows the inspiration and embedded learning needed to embrace new perspectives and priorities in housing design, financing and delivery so they can develop both their careers and organisations. The course is suitable for those hoping to learn about the practice of creating extraordinary homes for ordinary people under tight constraints, to see and experience simple and sustainable examples of success, and to meet like-minded people with shared professional goals.

Baylight Fellows completing all modules will receive an Academy of British Housing certificate, a souvenir memento, and be inducted as lifetime members of the Academy of British Housing network offering a wealth of additional networking and professional development opportunities.

What does a Baylight Fellowship involve?

Experiential journeys exploring time-honoured elements of successful housing
Learn alongside ambitious like-minded professionals
Visit extraordinary historic and contemporary housing across London and south east England
Resident perspectives across a range of tenures – private ownership, private rented, self-build, social rented and cooperative rented
Tours inside homes – illustrating technical examples of successful estate management, resilient build quality, shared active outdoor space and more
Group seminar discussions allowing Baylight Fellows to share their reflections and professional insights
Inspirational speakers on a range of topics including experiencing space; taste; seeing and spectacle; music and architecture; poetry, feeling and belonging
Visits to include: Accordia, Cambridge by FCBS, Alison Brooks, Maccreanor Lavington (2008); 56 Ferry Street by Stout and Litchfield; The Ryde, Hatfield by PRP (1963); Golden Lane by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon; and Turn End, Haddenham by Craig & Aldington (1963)
Multi-part modular learning and accredited CPD

What will Baylight Fellows gain?

Long lasting inspiration to help rethink priorities in light of fresh challenges facing housing delivery
Prestigious recognition of personal and professional strengths, and commitment to housing sector advancement
Build long-term collaboration between Baylight Fellows drawn from across the public and private sectors
Master basic elements of long-term housing success which could enhance contemporary schemes without compromising viability
Collective troubleshooting on barriers to progress, ways forward, and how to seed learning from the Academy of British Housing across the wider sector
Lifetime membership of the Academy of British Housing network

The Baylight Fellowship is accredited by Open City and counts as 32 hours of CPD.

If you have any questions please email: baylightfellowship@open-city.org.uk

Any profits from this programme are invested in Open City’s work supporting children and young people from under-represented backgrounds to pursue careers in architecture and city-making professionals.

Testimonials

‘It’s always memorable when someone speaks for their work and anchors it in a wider story. It’s an expression of care and connection. We would do well as an industry to remind ourselves of it’

Rupesh Varsani, Development Manager

‘The Academy of British Housing is all about delivering a step-change in the delivery of new homes so that the industry can create truly long-lasting dwellings that delight and inspire their residents. Its flagship course, the Baylight Fellowship will take participants on an experiential journey exploring the senses and feelings that have defined our concept of home throughout time.’

Crispin Kelly, founder of Baylight and chair of Open City

‘Great public speaking isn’t about talking loudly or using long words – it’s about how you connect with an audience on an emotional level’

Phineas Harper, CEO Open City

‘Open City has 30 years of experience in opening up amazing homes to the world and creating transformational learning opportunities. The best way to discover the secrets of great residential planning, design and delivery is to go inside an inspirational home and hear from the people who love living there.’

**Alison Brooks, founder Alison Brooks Architects**

‘Landscape is fundamental to the creation of successful living places with true longevity. Open City has been championing the design and management of high-quality landscape in the built environment for decades and has unparalleled expertise in educating the public and professionals about the role landscape architecture plays in the creation of successful housing.’

**Paul Lincoln, Editor, Landscape, the journal of the Landscape Institute**

‘Everybody needs to take a break from their day job to be inspired by exemplar housing schemes from past and present. What better way to do that than with Open City’s expert-guided visits?’

Claire Bennie, founder Municipal

This course is accredited by Open City, a registered charity dedicated to making architecture and the urban landscape more open, accessible and equitable. To find out about other training programmes accredited by Open City including the Golden Key Academy, visit our courses page.