Traditional housing with a modern edge will soon be coming to south east London. KERRY ANN EUSTICE talks to the architect about the benefits.

One of the biggest names in innovative housing design has been given the go-ahead to develop in New Cross.

Peter Barber architects the company behind the much-lauded Donnybrook Quarter in Bow is starting building work this month on Tanner's Hill Mews. The project is for Presentation Housing Association a social investment and affordable housing group operating the south east.

Presentation approached Peter Barber as it was keen to develop a flagship project which pushed the boundaries of affordable housing.

Presentation had heard of the impact Peter Barber was having on the social housing sector. Its designs, which draw on traditional values and modern aesthetics, are winning numerous awards and commissions and attracting attention from all corners of the industry.

Donnybrook was the latest development adding to the hype. Its award-winning design focuses on social spaces and creating an interdependent area inspired by traditional-style terraced homes with strong communities.

It mixes residential with retail and work units and interconnects these spaces with walkways.

Peter Barber thinks this encourages residents to interact with each other.

Peter's philosophy is for architecture to create the potential for social action and activity. The practice views community as a sign of a successful urban space and feels a strong street is central to successful urban design.

Donnybrook created a close-knit community, met the Government's quota for density and still managed to be visually exciting, incorporating curved, clean lines, light reflecting white and modern use of glass.

Despite being such a desirable stretch of architecture it has been used as a backdrop for a Wallpaper magazine fashion shoot it is not so exclusive mere mortals' cannot settle there.

In fact 25 per cent of the properties were reserved for affordable housing schemes and the Tanner's Hill project will follow suit.

This is not the only aspect Tanner's Hill will have in common with its Bow counterpart. Phil Hamilton, an architect from Peter Barber gives a sneaky peak into the future of the Lewisham-based development.

He said: "The layout and heights of the street and terraces were driven by site restraints and by heights of surrounding buildings. Although the clean lines of the architecture which some describe as suped up modernism will be quite different in style to the surrounding architecture, the scale and heights of the scheme are very contextual with precedent examples of the back-of-pavement terrace typology all over Victorian south and east London."

Back-of-pavement terraces are homes with front doors opening straight onto the street. Peter Barber feels being in such close proximity to the communal space, not being self-contained adds to the community atmosphere.

Which as Phil highlights, is ideal for Tanner's Hill, as it is a development designed for people.

He said: "This is a public spirited scheme and will be a resource for the people in the area providing an easier route to the train station and creating a delightful public space.

"We hope people in New Cross will embrace the scheme as their own and not feel segregated from it which is commonplace with the opposite housing philosophy of private gated developments.