Title & Author:

Learning from the Self-Builders / [presented by] Walter Segal.

Publication:

London, England : Pidgeon Digital, 1983.

Description:

1 online resource (1 video file (27 minutes)) : sound, color

Notes:
Walter Segal, 1983 -- Partial Plan Showing The 2 Grids -- Section Of Fully Assembled Construction -- House At Yelling, Cambridgeshire. View From The South & Plan -- House At Yelling, Cambridgeshire. The Living Room -- House At Ballygarrett, Eire. Garden View & Plan -- House At Ballygarrett, Eire. Framework & Roof With Panels Ready -- House At Ballygarrett, Eire. Framework & Roof With Panels Ready -- House At Halstead, Essex. Views Of The House -- House At Halstead, Essex. Framework -- House At Bromeswell, Suffolk. In Winter & Under Construction -- House At Bromeswell, Suffolk. Plan -- House At Bromeswell, Suffolk. Erecting The Framework -- House At Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire. Gable End Of Building -- House At Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire. The Building Nearly Completed -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Working Together At Elstree Hill -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Making A Frame -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Lifting A Frame -- Houses In Lewisham, London. The Roof In Place (Walter Segal Is On The Right) -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Single-Storey House Under Construction & Completed -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Two Houses On Narrow Site In Longton Avenue. Street Facade & Terrace Between Houses -- Houses In Lewisham, London. Inside One Of The Narrow Houses.

Summary:

Swiss-born Walter Segal was reared in an artists' commune in Ascona. He studied architecture in Delft, Berlin and Zurich. Since 1936, he has practised in England. Author of several books, he has taught in London and Philadelphia, becoming very popular with the younger architects who are disenchanted with the increasing detached role of the architect. Some years ago, Segal gave up using bricks and mortar in favour of a quick and simple, low-cost construction system which, he devised based on a timber frame and standard materials in their market sizes. After it had been successfully tried out by several clients and owner-builders, Segal became involved with a self-build public-housing program in the London Borough of Lewisham. Lewisham provided the land and the Government provided the cost of the materials, for a selected group of homeless families to build their own homes, using the Segal system. Segal tells how he ran an evening school to teach these families - father, mother and older children - how to handle tools and so on, how they subsequently helped each other on the site, and how he himself received a belated education in working jointly with people. He sees this approach to self-buildings as the one form in which housing could be provided in the future; so long as great support can be enlisted.

Subject:

Architectural design Great Britain.
Design architectural Grande-Bretagne.
Architectural design.
Great Britain.

Added entries:

Segal, Walter, -1985, narrator.