This project investigates the culture of repair through the lens of my street on the Shaftesbury Estate, a 19th century housing development in South London that reflects the era’s ideals of improving living conditions through well-designed and community-focused housing initiatives. During the Second World War the street’s cohesive design was fractured by bombing. Five houses (No. 38–46) were obliterated, but only four were rebuilt. The rebuilt houses starkly diverge from the pre-war architectural language, standing as a testament to a pragmatic, perhaps rushed, approach to restoration and recovery in the aftermath of war. This investigation explores how these houses reflect a departure from the cohesive identity of the original streetscape, raising questions about the interplay between repair, heritage, and modern necessity.

As part of this exploration, I am exploring archival photographs and records to contextualise the historical changes observed in the estate. These materials will help me trace how the area evolved after the war, revealing the practical yet possibly contested nature of the reconstruction process. For the final outcome, I create a large-scale painting informed by the geometric forms from my research. The painting features a repetitive pattern that captures the cohesive and uniform design of the pre-war houses. The colourful shapes will be intentionally disrupted by the stark, linear lines that represent the post-war new builds, creating a striking visual break from the original landscape.