Day, Nicholas Merthyr (1988) The role of the architect in post-war state housing : a case study of the housing work of the London County Council, 1919-1956. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This research offers a critical history of the rble played by the
architect in post Second world war state Housing. It takes the housing
output of the London county council, from 1939 to 1956, as a case study.
The aim of the research was to analyse the main strategies of the
post-war Labour Government's housing policy from 1945 to 1951, and to
assess the success of their implementation by the London County Council.
Another aim was to analyse the changes in the architectural style of the
Council's housing, and to relate these to contemporary theory and
ideology.
The thesis is divided into two parts. Part I considers the broader
general issues. Section 1.1 looks at debates concerning architectural
practice and theory. The status and function of the public architect is
analysed. The influence of new art historical methodologies on
architectural criticism are assessed, and the development of
architectural groupings and the definition of three paradigms for
reconstruction are described. Section 1.2 analyses government housing
policy from 1939 to 1956, highlighting the differences between Labour and
Conservative strategies. The political, social and architectural
implications of Labour's policy of 'mixed development' are outlined.
Section 1.3 looks at the structure and staffing of the LCC Architects'
Department housing division, and describes the changes in architectural
responsibility for the Council's housing.
Part II analyses the housing work of the LCC from 1939 to 1956.
section 2.1 looks at the period 1939 to 1945 when J.H. Forshaw was in
Charge of the design and planning of the Council's housing. The
woodberry Down scheme is analysed in detail and its innovatory features
are related to the principles outlined in the County of London Plan,
Section 2.1 covers the housing work when C. Walker as Director of Housing
and Valuer was responsible for the Council's housing. Section 2.3
analyses the work of R.H. Matthew's new housing division set up in 1950,
describing six schemes designed between 1950 and 1956. The development
of a Swedish and a Corbusian style in these schemes is outlined, and the
architectural and ideological differences between them are described.
The thesis concludes that the Labour Government's attempt to
introduce a radical socialist housing policy (from 1945 to 1951) Which
relied upon the theory of 'Mixed development' to create complete and
balanced communities, as illustrated in the work of the LCC, was of
limited scope and success. The rble of the architect was seen to be a
marginal one, limited to aesthetic developments rather than the political
or social aspects of state housing. No new or consistent 'Welfare State
style' of architecture was produced by the LCC from 1945 to 1951 to
correspond to this redefinition of state housing. The later schemes of
Matthew's new housing division were thus merely aesthetic re-workings of
what were basically pre-war housing policies.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor N Fine Arts > NA Architecture
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Housing policy -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Architects -- England -- London -- History -- 20th century, Public housing -- England -- London -- History -- 20th century, Public architecture -- England -- London -- History -- 20th century
Official Date:	June 1988
Dates:	Date Event June 1988 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History of Art
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Description:	For illustrations, see official URL.
Extent:	xx, 391 leaves
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/34810

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