Community Maintenance Club
Wing Nga Tam
Ania Vàng Anh Tran
Ania Vàng Anh Trần is an architectural designer and maker. She is interested in material reuse and decolonial frameworks in architecture, as well as community-driven approaches with a focus on repair and maintenance. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association. She currently works as an architectural assistant in London, having previously worked at practices in Vietnam.
Zhuo Chen is an architectural designer and documentary photographer currently based in London. He is interested at the connection between everyday life and ways of production. He holds a Bachelor and Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts and selected by Leica Fotografie International. He was one of the recipients of RIBA Research Fund 2024.
Wing Nga Tam is an architectural designer. She is passionate about circular economy, materiality and community involvement in architecture. She holds a Master of Architecture with Commendation from the Architectural Association, having previously studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She currently works as an architectural assistant in London, with prior experience in Singapore, Hong Kong and Seattle. She has served as guest critics at the Architectural Association and was one of the recipients of RIBA Research Fund 2024.
Community Maintenance Club started with a shared vision of community-led upkeep, retrofitting, and future-use stewardship among residents, local craftspeople, and architects.
After UK's introduction of the Right to Buy policy in 1979, the role of social housing shifted from being social infrastructure to a commodity for transaction. The lack of funding at the local council level has led to a drastic decrease in housing provision and a lack of maintenance for existing housing. Since then, the majority of the housing stock has suffered from poor upkeep and deteriorating conditions.
Boundary Estate is one of the first council housing projects in the UK, built in 1890. The estate is currently in poor condition, with damp and mould causing potential health hazards. Our initiative started by sharing the idea with the residents that, by involving them in low-level repairs and maintenance, and making use of the skills of people living on or near the estate, we could create active community involvement in the upkeep, retrofit, and future use.
We began our investigation through archival research, flat visits, photography, and analyses. The current management approach tends to be reactive and passive, resulting in prolonged waiting and processing times. Very often, the repair condition has decayed too severely by the time the council is able to address the issues.
We propose a shift towards a more proactive, collaborative, and community-driven approach to maintenance by tapping into the diverse skillsets of residents living within both the estate and the surrounding area. In cases where specific skills may be lacking, there is an opportunity for training and upskilling. Since Summer 2023, we have been collaborating with the residents to explore current conditions and retrofitting opportunities through skill and knowledge exchange. We aim to establish a network of collective infrastructure involving institutions, authorities, local skilled people, and residents.
