Modern urban chic - scaffolding for 21st century living! Courtesy of the Architecture Centre.

The Architecture Centre is presenting a forward-thinking collection of design concepts for contemporary homes in a playful exhibition entitled Housey Housey, running until January 31, 2005.

Pierre d’Avoine Architects has put together the designs in collaboration with London Metropolitan University School of Architecture, with the aim of being appealing and responsive to modern needs, and above-all, buildable.

Pierre d’Avoine says: “For those people who yearn for the opportunity to inhabit an appropriate 21st century home there is virtually no choice between housing stock which is on average 60 years old, and the childlike reconstructions of those same models which pepper the land and make a mockery both of the originals which they emulate, and of the house-buying public.”

The exhibition follows a childhood theme, featuring giant doll's house models with toys for residents and billboard size architect’s drawings on blackboards. The projects are however mature, being drawn from almost 20 years of practice and research into residential design, both in Britain and overseas.

Light box rooms. Courtesy of the Architecture Centre.

The book accompanying the exhibition is subtitled A Pattern Book of Ideal Homes. The fundamental idea behind the pattern book, written by Pierre d’Avoine and Claire Melhuish, is a reproducible formula which can be shaped to suit different needs, be they physical, economic or cultural.

“Only a small minority of people will ever be in a position to employ an architect to design a new house entirely in accordance with their particular requirements, tastes and values,” explains Pierre.

“There is a great opportunity, therefore, to introduce into the housing supply a greater range of choice,” he continues, “by instituting new procedures of developing land in smaller parcels, on a more individual basis, using standardised construction methods which can nevertheless deliver ‘desirability’ and accommodation suitable for today’s lifestyles, within a plausible budget.”

If you dream of bypassing the big developers and taking control of the shape of your home, Housey Housey might give you some ideas. As Pierre points out, though, for most individuals, buying land and making a personalised design isn't a viable option. We'll just have to stick with our custom-built doll's houses.