London's First Women-Only Social Housing Tower Opens After Years of Local Opposition

GRID Architects has completed Brook House, a 15-storey social housing tower in Acton, west London, built exclusively for vulnerable women and delivered entirely as affordable housing at social rent.

The project was developed for Women's Pioneer Housing (WPH), a housing association founded 100 years ago by suffragists, in partnership with London and Quadrant Housing Trust. It replaces three existing low-rise buildings on the Gunnersbury Lane site that were no longer fit for purpose, failing basic wheelchair accessibility standards and falling short of the National Described Space Standards.

Brook House provides 102 homes, comprising 100 one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom units, with 10 reserved specifically for people with disabilities. The tower has a 15-storey central core flanked by 11 and 13-storey wings, creating a gross internal area of approximately 7,500 square metres at a construction cost of around £28 million.

The building's red brick facade draws on the art deco detailing of Gunnersbury Court nearby, broken up with balconies and horizontal bands of Reconstituted stone. Photovoltaic panels sit on the roof and heat pumps replace gas boilers throughout, supplying heating and hot water to all homes.

WPH worked with GRID Architects on design details specifically suited to the building's residents, including exploration of lower kitchen counters and enhanced ventilation controls to support comfort for menopausal women. Ground-level amenity spaces include a woodland garden and an activity garden with exercise space, benches, and a timber pergola, enclosed by hedgerows and railings for security and privacy.

The scheme faced fierce local opposition during planning, primarily over its height. Ealing Council granted approval in April 2023, with twelve votes in favour and one against. GRID director Colin Veitch acknowledged the community concerns but said the scheme met a genuine housing need. "With rising levels of inequality for women in the UK, particularly those who are older, have a disability or are BAME women, there is a huge existing demand for this type of housing," WPH said at the time.

The project is the latest completion from GRID Architects, a London-based studio of around 60 architects and interior designers working across residential, build-to-rent, and affordable housing sectors across the UK.