Exhibition: Dawson’s Heights: Hilltop Community

This display of 20 previously unseen photographs focuses on Dawson’s Heights in south London, designed by architect Kate Macintosh. It features images originally commissioned from former journalist and photographer Sam Lambert for the Architects' Journal. Dawson’s Heights was a large-scale experiment in British social housing design completed by Kate Macintosh at the age of 27 on behalf of London borough of Southwark’s Architect’s Department. Described as one of the most remarkable housing developments in post-war Britain and much loved by its residents, it was nevertheless turned down for listing in 2012.

These photographs are taken from the RIBA Architectural Press Archive, a collection of over 600,000 images taken for publication in the Architects’ Journal and Architectural Review between 1930 and 1980. As it is catalogued and digitised, images such as these are being rediscovered by a new audience. You can view more images of Dawson's Heights online at RIBApix.

Dawson's Heights: Hilltop Community complements A Home For All: Six Experiments in Social Housing, a RIBA + V&A display in the architecture gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Drawn from the RIBA Collection of drawings, photographs and models as well as the archives of the V&A the display focuses on innovation in British social housing projects from the early 20th century to the present day and is on view from 24 November 2018 to 30 June 2019.