150 Minories, Aldgate

Across Europe, demand for housing is rising, thanks to population growth and the increase in single-person households. But supply is failing to keep pace: in the UK, the average number of new homes built annually over the last decade has been barely half the amount required, while the steady rise in house prices has pushed more people into the already overstretched rental market.

We need to build more high-quality housing, particularly now more people see their home as a place to work as well as sleep and socialise. But at the same time, we need to be conscious of how the built environment contributes to our overall carbon footprint.

Co-living, an emerging residential concept that combines private living space with communal amenities, helps us tackle both these challenges. It is a low-carbon, higher-density model that allows us to repurpose under-used urban buildings, in a way that combats social isolation and broadens access to quality housing.

Bridges and our partner HUB have acquired 150 Minories, an under-used commercial building in Aldgate. Our goal is to repurpose and refurbish the existing building to create a highly sustainable co-living residential scheme.

The conversion will involve retaining the frame of the building and reinforcing its foundations, an approach which saves 30% embodied carbon compared to an equivalent new build.