Dezeen School Shows: a mixed-use housing development in Chelmsford, UK, is among the projects from Anglia Ruskin University.

Also featured is an art gallery in Bethnal Green, and a proposal for buildings designed in Fish Island, London, inspired by the area's industrial heritage.

Anglia Ruskin University

Institution: Anglia Ruskin University
School: Architecture and Planning
Course: BA (Hons) and Master of Architecture
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr, Maria Vogiatzaki, Carla Molinari, Richard Gatti, Marco Vanucci and Howard Gilby

School statement:

"The BA(Hons) or Master of Architecture at ARU courses are developed in line with industry standards and prescribed by the Architects Registration Board. Our BA(Hons) course is fully validated by RIBA, while validation for our Master of Architecture course is expected in 2026.

"If you're passionate about the built environment and aspire to create spaces that are innovative and sustainable, these courses are for you.

"Expand knowledge with an optional European field trip each year to cities such as Barcelona, Rome, Paris and Berlin, or apply for one of summer scholarships to work and study in cities like Venice or Barcelona.

"Gain real-world problem-solving experience through live briefs designed with regional employers. You'll collaborate with city and borough councils and firms including Gatti Routh Architects, Opensystems Architecture and project.architecture.

"Alongside your lecturers' expertise, you'll benefit from visiting designers, artists, historians, theorists and national and international architects and scholars.

"Together, you'll explore contemporary themes such as climate change, passive house techniques, fire safety, environmental strategies and social and political challenges.

"By studying at ARU, you'll gain theoretical, technical and design skills to shape the built environment for a sustainable future.

"At the end of each academic year, your work will be showcased in an exhibition – a chance to share creativity and vision with peers and industry professionals."

Warp and Weft by Stefania Milan Pereira

"The Warp and Weft is a student architecture project in Fish Island that seeks to reconnect the local community with its industrial heritage through sustainable design, culture and collective making.

"The building employs a timber frame of glulam beams and columns arranged on a symmetrical grid, enabling efficient construction, flexible planning and reduced embodied carbon.

"A crafted brick facade explores pattern and bonding to enrich material expression, while a secondary polycarbonate skin introduces contrast, spatial layering and filtered light.

"Together, these elements create a contemporary yet rooted architectural language that celebrates craftsmanship and environmental responsibility."

Student: Stefania Milan Pereira
Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Year 3
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr and Carla Molinari

Agriculture in the City by Basil Ali

"This project explores architecture as a catalyst for connection between people, nature and food within an urban context.

"Located in Fish Island, it is organised around a biodiverse courtyard shaped to maximise daylight and support outdoor cultivation.

"Growing is integrated throughout via raised beds, aquaponics, rooftop gardens and biophilic installations. A public cafe activates the park edge, inviting engagement.

"Layered spaces for exhibition, learning, workshops and communal growing create a rich spatial journey.

"Reclaimed materials, exposed glulam, green roofs and prefabricated concrete elements express sustainability, material honesty and environmental awareness."

Student: Basil Ali
Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Year 3
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr and Carla Molinari

Mindmet by Poppy Selmes

"This project in Fish Island, East London, proposes a mixed-use scheme that brings work, social life and landscape together.

"Composed of a small office building, a cafe and a sheltered courtyard garden, the project creates a welcoming environment for both workers and the local community.

"Corten steel and brick define the material character, referencing the area's industrial heritage while providing durability and warmth.

"Numerous sustainability features are integrated, including passive design strategies, natural ventilation and green landscaping, positioning the project as a resilient and environmentally responsive addition to its urban context."

Student: Poppy Selmes
Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Year 3
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr and Howard Gilby

The Gardens of Enlightenment by Bradley Mason

"The Garden of Enlightenment is a student architecture project in Fish Island, East London, addressing serious mental illness through spatial design and community integration.

"The scheme responds to social deprivation by introducing biophilic public spaces and social hubs that reconnect the area's fractured mix of creatives and new residents.

"Designed as an inclusive, sustainable centre for education, wellness and cultural exchange, the building maximises natural light, open space and green infrastructure.

"By blending Fish Island's industrial heritage with contemporary design, the project aims to strengthen local identity and support long-term wellbeing and social cohesion."

Student: Bradley Mason
Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Year 3
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr and Richard Gatti

Growth Kitchen by Amelia Barrow

"Growth Kitchen is a community-focused architectural project in Fish Island, East London, centred on social connection, urban farming and supported sustainable living.

"The scheme integrates three key elements – community space, urban agriculture and affordable housing – into a cohesive environment.

"Responding to the local housing crisis, an almshouse model provides reduced-rent accommodation.

"A repurposed warehouse supports hydroponic and aquaponic farming, powered by rooftop solar panels and canal-sourced water.

"Produce is grown and consumed on site, with landscape planting reinforcing food cultivation, education and social interaction within a vibrant urban setting."

Student: Amelia Barrow
Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Year 3
Tutors: Tom Routh, Alistair Barr and Howard Gilby

Assembled Futures: Prefabricated Living in an Expanding City by Rory Carnell

"The project addresses the housing shortage in the city of Chelmsford by introducing a new structure designed to meet growing residential needs.

"It takes advantage of modern methods of construction, making use of modularity and prefabrication to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

"Together, these strategies contribute to the creation of sustainable, resilient and future-proof communities."

Student: Rory Carnell
Course: MArch Architecture Year 1
Tutor: Marco Vanucci
Email: RAC213[at]student.aru.ac.uk

Dualis Gallery by Devika Prakash

"Students were tasked with inserting an art gallery into a congested site in rapidly gentrifying Bethnal Green.

"Adjacencies include a railway line, canal, new high-end housing and a series of mid-to low-rise warehouses.

"The site included an existing fragment of a 19th century brewery, which is locally listed and which students had to incorporate into their proposals.

"Devika Prakash leant into the warren of narrow alleyways that surrounded the site, to devise a scheme based on looping circulation routes and moments of pause, where narrow routes open out into unexpected vistas or peaceful courtyards."

Student: Devika Prakash
Course: MArch Architecture Year 1
Tutors: Richard Gatti
Email: DP840[at]student.aru.ac.uk

Populous by Susan Dean

"The project envisions a co-housing residential community in the historic city of Chelmsford, creating an affordable, intentional and self-governing environment for multigenerational living.

"It addresses temporary accommodation needs by offering some apartments for rent, while most homes are available for purchase to support a stable, thriving community.

"Responding to the Chelmsford Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027, the project delivers 98 one to four bedroom homes for families, young people, workers and older residents.

"Shared facilities include safe play spaces, a nursery, communal areas, elderly-focused spaces and an urban plaza with retail, events and cafes.

"Integrated green spaces, rooftop gardens and allotments strengthen wellbeing, ecology and long-term resilience."

Student: Susan Dean
Course: MArch Architecture Year 1
Tutor: Marco Vanucci
Email: SD1271[at]student.aru.ac.uk

Connected Ground: Movement, Access and Community by Mahsa Fasaei

"This affordable housing project addresses the growing need for affordable homes in the UK.

"It proposes a sustainable, well-integrated and functional living environment in Chelmsford for diverse groups, including single parents, young families and elderly residents.

"The project prioritises flexible, high-quality housing units tailored to residents' needs while encouraging a strong sense of community.

"Sustainable design strategies are central to the proposal, incorporating energy-efficient materials, green spaces and shared facilities.

"A central courtyard acts as the heart of the scheme, connecting different areas, supporting social interaction and enhancing overall environmental performance."

Student: Mahsa Fasaei
Course: MArch Architecture Year 1
Tutor: Marco Vanucci
Email: MF508[at]student.aru.ac.uk

Living in Between: A Multigenerational Housing Model for Chelmsford by Yash Shetty

"The UK housing market is failing to deliver affordable, secure and suitable homes across all life stages.

"The cost-of-living crisis is increasing housing insecurity, with many families spending years in temporary accommodation.

"Chelmsford reflects this national challenge, as rising prices and rents push households out of the market.

"A mixed-use development model offers a positive response, enabling underused land to support sustainable, integrated neighbourhoods.

"The project is an affordable, inclusive housing concept for multigenerational living, combining temporary rental homes with varied ownership options.

"Through holistic design, shared spaces and integrated green infrastructure, the project fosters connection, wellbeing and long-term resilience for communities."

Student: Yash Shetty
Course: MArch Architecture Year 1
Tutor: Marco Vanucci
Email: YDS104[at]student.aru.ac.uk

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Anglia Ruskin University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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