The Davidson Prize

The postwar play streets and adventure playgrounds of South London have seen a decline since the 1970s due to increased privatisation of public space, austerity, and demographic shifts. Housing affordability has also pushed young families farther out of London, further reducing investment in play spaces.

Taking both a domestic and environmental approach to the competition brief, ‘Mewsings on Play’ presents a new model for affordable housing, proposing community spaces and shared amenities at ground floor, housing at mid-level, and a series of interconnected rooftop commons, all designed to promote mutual support, collective governance, and intergenerational play.

Initially situated in Wickham Mews, Brockley, the proposal operates as a Community Land Trust focused on unlocking micro-sites between Victorian villa terraces, a housing typology prevalent throughout South London. Project funding uses a blend of public grants, developer and housing association partnerships, social lender loans, and local authority support.

Land is assembled in a 3:6:3 ratio; 3 metres of existing garden space is leased from the private owners on an opt-in basis, while the roughly 6 metres of underdeveloped mews and the air rights above it are long-leased to the CLT (subject to existing rights) to create a new play street through the development.

The scheme’s prefabricated shell-and-services structure is delivered by specialist contractors, while internal partitions and secondary elements are designed for simple installation and adaptation by residents. This reduces cost, allows incremental change, and enables participation through construction, creating spaces that are efficient, intimate, and open to change over time.

Team

Nasios Varnavas, Architect, Partner, Urban Radicals

Steve Webb, Engineer, Director, Webb Yates

Derin Fadina. Digital Planning Officer, Architect, Writer, Brent Council

Sebastian Tiew, Designer, Visualiser, Studio Ee

Era Savvides, Partner, Urban Radicals