The only way I could imagine having a home of my own was to build it. I dreamt to build my house but I was homeless and didn’t have the MONEY. It was a PERSONAL CHALLENGE. I didn’t need money just SWEAT BLOOD &TEARS. Building in a group with strangers is all about SELF IMPROVEMENT. How to read an architect’s drawing. I value the community we’ve made. Five tons of shingle to put on your roof could only be done by a team. We had people behind us and in front of us. A group of strangers who you can rely on and have come to TRUST. The environment is WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
The challenges are the personalities. We need strong wills but they go in different directions. Fulfilling your contractual self-build hours when you have famiy and other works. You must have COMMITMENT for the whole. A good friend stepped in for me when my work took me out of the country. I could tell you where I CUT A JOINT. A lot of effort made this wonderful home. If I could leave this to my own family member than that would be a LEGACY and I wished I owned it.
To next generation. “Get your act together. Know what it is you want. Be a finisher and see it through to the end.” Thank you for the opportunity, Thankful to MYSELF, MY FAMILY and anyone who knows me.
(T13)
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We approached about 15 organisations with no success, we wanted to live together. I was intrigued by a self-build leaflet in a Lewisham housing office. My partner had a dream to build his own home and I was quite good at DIY. We visited the scheme, it was really interesting. We passed our trial period but there were no vacancies. We decided to volunteer while we were waiting for a place on the scheme. We took it seriously, turning up every week. After several months a place became available and we joined the scheme. It was LOVELY. To be accepted.
The building was challenging, lots of ups and downs. We were a disparate group of people. People wanted to do their own thing. There were a few headbutting disagreements. A major issue were the required hours. People had carer responsibilities, full time work and meeting their contractual hours was difficult.
But I really enjoyed the building process: I enjoyed climbing on the scaffold, being on the roof, seeing the houses emerge from the mud. It was a long process but great to be involved in building all these homes.
The arson attacks were incredibly disappointing. People were angry and most of us were afraid. It made me question WHY I WAS BUILDING and DO I WANT TO LIVE HERE? The prospect of a house DROVE ME FORWARD. It was great that you found extra resources to finish the homes as some decided to give up on the building.
The self-build helped me develop resilience, a mental toughness. We JUST KEPT ON GOING, I’d seen the mud, seen the frames go up and I wanted to see it COMPLETED. To get a home at the end of it was GREAT, I AM SO VERY PROUD OF WHAT I DID. There is a LEGACY our children can see that their parents did something great together. My son has some idea about my role hopefully this exhibition will inform and inspire him. He has an awareness of the eco issues hopefully this will show him that his mum was involved in and creating London’s first social housing with grass roofs.
You need a strong group, NOT necessarily like each other but focused on the goal of building a community of homes. There can be LOTS OF CONFLICT. BE PATIENT AND PERSISTENT!
(T12)
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I was overcrowded with three kids in one room. I’d never picked up a hammer before but after the first meeting I knew it was for me. The biggest thing I got from it was confidence, belief in myself and my abilities to solve issues. I had to go to loads of meetings and talk with lots of professional people I had never met before: builders, architects, housing managers, suppliers. I was DESPERATE for my house and I needed to deal with these situations to make my DREAM a REALITY. I NEVER LOOKED BACK.
The physical work was a challenge but I was at my fittest I’d ever been once I adjusted. I am EXTREMELY HAPPY. EVERYDAY I walk in and I am SO PROUD AND GRATEFUL for the transformation it has had on me and my kids. They grew up seeing that if you hold on to your vision and keep working through the setbacks you WILL get it done.
It’s ALL POSITIVE for me. I’ve created a beautiful environment for my kids. Our stress levels have come right down as they each have their own large room and the tower block flat with pigeon crap on the balcony has been replaced by this lovely garden which runs down to the river. From being caged in during winter to a lush environment.
Another benefit was I was taken out of my comfort zone working with strangers. We had to learn to compromise to create a community. It was fulfilling for us to work as one whole unit to be able to live in these wonderful homes. The biggest challenge was the individualism of some people. Interestingly those more self focused are no longer living here and those who worked as a team are still close and living here 20 years after completion.
The legacy of my self-build is that my family have grown up in a safe environment where we know are neighbours. I was inspired by the build to set up my own womenled building company which had up to 11 employees; a great experience for me. My eldest son has built his own house and is onto his second now. My children are very confident, even though things may appear out of reach, they push and go for it. They say its because they’ve seen me struggle and achieve my dream.
I’m very proud to live in an eco house and although we couldn’t get the solar paneling we wanted during the build, I was involved in securing the deal which means we have free electricity. It was it was 100% worth it to me. And when I’m in my rocking chair, this will be one of the moments I will reflect back on. I just know it because I had a terrific time. Actually, living in this environment is absolutely wonderful. And I do thank my lucky stars that I was given that opportunity to take part.
(T11)
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I was in housing need. I saw a self-build leaflet, appealed to me. It required NO money. Both my father and uncle had built their homes in the Caribbean.
It took much longer than I expected. I put that down to lots of people not doing their required hours and poor organisation of the work. We didn’t work in teams systematically working through tasks. I felt a lot of FRUSTRATION.
It had taken two years, so initially, I just felt RELIEF that I finished. However when I walked along the street I could see this row of beautiful houses glistening. I felt REALLY GOOD. I got a lot of confidence. I got a good looking home that I BUILT. It’s a warm and cosy. I feel contented that we had created a COMMUNITY and even though several people have moved on I still talk to my neighbours a lot more than others do in London.
I’d say to any person in housing need, this will be challenging, you don’t know how you will cope with the STRESS. However it is WELL WORTH IT, you get a warm house that is affordable and will be able to pass it unto your relatives.
(T10)
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Living in a friend’s SPARE ROOM, this was my opportunity to create a home I never IMAGINED i could afford. It sounded a FANTASTIC idea:, how does an ORDINARY JOE like Me get to BUILD his own home? Grand Designs is for people with MONEY, and I needed NO MONEY or building experience. But I’m a give it a go person. I was really CURIOUS how normal people got to do something AMAZING, I GAVE MYSELF to the whole process.
I unexpectedly became a father and I was able to provide a GREAT HOME FOR MY SON ETHAN. I felt GOOD to provide a HOME for me and my FAMILY. The building work was demanding, every weekend as I had a full time physical job.
On my first day on site I was struck by how sunny it was and there were CHILDREN around. It created a GREAT ATMOSPHERE a real COMMUNITY. A group of people ALL working towards ONE GOAL. I still find it INSPIRING that we all cooked together. To ME it felt like FUN, serious task but enjoyable. The children brought a feeling of LIGHTNESS. The energy form the children drew forth a different energy from me. I felt like I was PART OF SOMETHING. When my family came along I was READY.
I’ve made lifelong friendships, and feel I belong. I created a home with good neighbors and I even have my own garden which I really value. I met such a range of people from Beverley who runs her own dance company, to Peter the graphic designer and Prince the drumming gardener. Real bonds with strangers in a city that was supposed to be unfriendly.
The time management was hard but we have created a supportive village. I had to learn how to get on with a range of people with different values. It SURPRISED me how I had to grow to get on with people. It was a sacrifice to work seven days a week for almost two years but it was so WORTH IT.
I learnt self- discipline. For me, my son was born in this house. I created a home for him, with the support of others. I will ALWAYS CHERISH THE TIMES we had together in a home I was empowered to build. No better LEGACY than that.
(T9)
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I was homeless, stuck on a 20th floor tower block and heard about a meeting on self-build. It was a short-life group facing the loss of their homes. We set a new co-op, Fusions Jameen, for Caribbean and African people. Chisel was allowed to access a grant to build permanent homes.
Now I have wonderful house and garden. I feel very FORTUNATE to HAVE BUILT the homes we live in. My daughter was born just before we moved in about 28 years ago and she now lives in the home that her mum built. CRAZY.
I had to go through the STEEPEST LEARNING CURVE. I was good at basic carpentry but I learnt all aspects including how to read technical drawings, interact with architects etc. the building process was simplified to maximise our participation e.g. the plumbing was push and fit with skilled welding kept to a minimum.
Also we were a co-op, I couldn’t just focus on getting timbers for my own home. We had to construct the frames together, work as a TEAM. We got lots of TRAINING. Once the structure was water tight we then focused on our individual homes. We had conflicts and if they got bad the management committee would have to step in.
We had a rota for meal preparation on the weekends. It created a genuine community. Different Ones and Ones coming together. Volunteers and friends turning up to push up our frames, EXPERIENCES LIKE THAT JUST DON’T GO AWAY. I’DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT.
It’s about creating a niche, a community I was motivated by Black people moving forward together. The Nubia Way scheme is mixed. I was SHOCKED given where we started and our original purpose. I am very proud of our achievements.
At the end of the day it’s about the LEGACY of creating a community. As you walk up you see these homes that look like PLACES FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. With all the greenery you forget that they’re in South London.
My daughter lives in the house inherited from her self-build mother. My daughter and granddaughter can say grandad built the home we live in and that is true legacy. I say to the next generation’ Get your people together, form a group. At the start we didn’t know how but we met and built. I didn’t expect that another group would emerge from our efforts and build 13 new homes in Nubia Way.
It is up to you. You can sit back or you can do something for your family and your community. It’s amazing how what I learnt in those two to three years of building has lasted a lifetime. I had a dream, a VISION. To stick through to achieve that vision.
What remains is the creative force or energy you put into the scheme. The self-build has opened up a whole NEW WORLD for me. CHISEL seem like they’re just collecting rent, not investing in them. Whole veranda rotting away. They are a threat to our legacy.
(T8)
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My memory was that I knew someone via the church that said they had built their house as part of a scheme.
A few of us had the chance to visit his house in Nubia Way, I remember how spacious and fresh it was. I was probably around 13 at the time.
A couple years later in 1999 my Mother got married and this same home owner was her and my Step-Father’s best man and we had a little get together in that house.
My Step-Father and I stayed in that house overnight, ready for the wedding that would take place the following day. I was around 15 at the time.
So although I wasn’t a resident I had my experience staying in one of those houses.
(T1)
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