Trellick Tower. Open House London. — One of the flats in Trellick Tower is open this weekend. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Open House weekend: London's best social housing – in pictures

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This year’s Open House London architectural festival shows off some of the city’s most striking social housing projects. Here’s where you can go this weekend

Happy homes: share your pictures of Britain’s best social housing

Alexandra Road

An iconic example of brutalist architecture in London, each year one of the flats in Alexandra Road estate opens its doors to the public for the Open House London festival. The estate was designed by Neave Brown for the London borough of Camden in the 1970s as one of the capital’s last large-scale council housing schemes, and became Grade II* listed in 1993. The first residents moved into the flats – each with its own private garden – in 1978. It’s open on 19 September from 10am-5pm.

Perronet House

Sir Roger Walters designed Perronet House for Southwark council in 1969. In 1970 the first tenants moved in, and it was later commended in the government’s good design in housing awards for its “boldness and conviction”. You can judge this for yourself on 19 September from 1-5pm.

Dawson’s Heights

Another structurally striking social housing project built for Southwark council is Dawson’s Heights. Kate Macintosh was just 26 when she designed the brick structure of 296 flats, each with its own balcony. The housing block is situated in East Dulwich on Dawson’s Hill, with uninterrupted views of the city. It’s open for visitors on 19 September.

Trellick Tower

Possibly the most famous social housing block in the country, Ernő Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower was built in 1972, and has become one of west London’s “hippest” high rises. Some of the flats in the former 31 storey council housing block now sell for £500,000. Open House tours run on 20th September, from 10am-4pm.

World’s End estate

The borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s social housing development designed by Eric Lyons, was completed in 1977. For Lyons, his goal was to create a community, and the estate is still home to 2,500 people, in a mix of private and social housing. There’ll be a tour of the estate on 20 September from 2.30-6.30pm.

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