Inside the unique London community built by residents to defy housing discrimination

Occupying a quiet cul-de-sac in the London borough of Lewisham, Nubia Way stands out for its row of nearly identical, free-standing, grass-topped houses. The short documentary Nubia Way (2022) tells the story of this historic small neighbourhood, which was built from scratch by Black Londoners, mostly from Caribbean backgrounds, in the 1990s as part of an innovative housing initiative that offered prospective residents economic incentives to build their own homes. Through interviews with residents, architects and historians, the London-based filmmaker and photographer Timi Akindele-Ajani explores how the project evolved as a response to racism and housing discrimination, as well as the combination of community organising and architectural innovation that made the project possible. In doing so, he crafts an engaging portrait of a unique London community built from the ground up.

Via It’s Nice That