Archinect - News

‘Mutant’ London apartment block to be demolished for deviating too far from permitted development

2023-10-17T11:54:00-04:00

The planning authority in London’s Royal Borough of Greenwich has ordered the demolition of a new residential development along the River Thames. In a statement, the authority concluded that the 23-story building, named Mast Quay Phase II, was “so substantially different to the scheme that was originally permitted” that the development’s ultimate construction was unlawful.

In its decision, the authority cited 26 main deviations from the scheme originally granted planning permission, including “visible design changes to the external appearance of the towers,” arguing that the towers looked “more solid and bulky because of the removal of the stepped back top floor and the glazed curtain wall facade” to one of the blocks.

The approved Mast Quay Phase II (left) versus the scheme subsequently constructed (right). Image credit: Royal Borough of Greenwich

The authority also cited visible changes to the materials and windows, a larger than approved footprint, “lower quality residential acco...

Couple fined for using a fake garage door to disguise a residential property

2018-02-13T13:16:00-05:00

At Leicester magistrates court, Herzallah and Almasri, of Enderby, Leicestershire, were each ordered to pay a £770 fine, legal costs of £1,252 and a £77 victim surcharge.

A couple, who had disguised housing on their property with a fake garage door, has been fined by Leicester Magistrates Court. The case was brought about by the Blaby district council after they were notified about unauthorized work being carried out at the couple's home and discovered the hoax garage.

The couple, Reeta Herzallah and Hamdi Almasri, had wanted to bypass planning regulations. In 2007, the duo had been granted permission to develop the property under the condition that car-parking facilities, including the now converted garage, remain permanently available. Beyond the illegal living quarters, the couple had also undertook illegal works within the highway and created an unauthorized vehicle access onto the busy B4114 dual carriageway.

Beyond the legal costs, the court has also ordered that the garage be restored to its former use. Blaby district councillor Sheila Scott spoke of the case, sending a strong warning. "The message from this case is clear. If you breach planni...

Hong Kong death-trap apartments photographed by Benny Lam

2017-06-08T14:20:00-04:00

Photographer Benny Lam has documented the suffocating living conditions in Hong Kong’s subdivided flats, recording the lives of these hidden communities.

From a stove-adjacent toilet to walls crammed with knives, scissors, and precariously stacked storage cases, Benny Lam's photographs of illegally subdivided apartments in Hong Kong are like a gorgeously illustrated case study in how major disease epidemics get started. This Guardian article is a showcase of Lam's Prix Pictect 2017 shortlisted photographs; the video below is a literal page-turner of Lam's book, "TRAPPED," documenting the Hong Kong apartments:

Monterey Park City Council adopts tougher penalties for landlords of illegal boarding homes

2015-05-12T16:06:00-04:00

Landlords of illegal boarding homes could face $1,000 fines and six months in jail under tougher enforcement regulations adopted this week by the City Council...The city has staffed a volunteer in the code enforcement office and plans to add more of them. The council unanimously voted to update regulations to say it could prosecute landlords of illegal boarding homes with an infraction or misdemeanor charge and shut the 'public nuisance' down.

"These renters said in previous interviews that they try to stay out of the limelight and cannot afford other living arrangements as they work for below minimum wage and send a large chunk of their earnings back to family in China."

Illegal "air corridor" apartment built between two high-rises in China

2014-12-12T11:22:00-05:00

An illegally built corridor connecting two high-rise buildings in a residential area on Dongge Road of Nanning, Guangxi has become a cause for concern after images of the thing were posted online. The corridor joins two separate apartment buildings and was constructed and used by only one tenant.

Looser Rules on Illegal Housing Sought

2013-10-15T12:11:00-04:00

New York City’s Department of Buildings issues more than 4,400 violations a year for illegally converted basements, cellars and attics that cannot be occupied because of health and safety hazards, like poor ventilation or a lack of multiple exits. But with the scarcity of affordable housing in the city and with many New Yorkers already living in makeshift apartments, some housing advocates are calling for a new approach.