AT talks to Emily Newton, Associate Director at Assael, about the practice’s Urban Family Housing concept, and how being an architect and working mother influences her design and leadership approach.

What is Assael’s Urban Family Housing concept, and how did it come about?
As an architect specialising in residential design, I’ve worked on many different housing models over the years, mostly tailored for professionals and based on community living principles. But alongside my career, I’m also a mother of two young children, which gives me a personal perspective on the challenges families face in urban environments.

Assael’s Urban Family Housing concept is a new typology shaped by both my professional experience in residential design and my personal experience of raising a family in a city. While we design many forms of community-focused housing, families in urban areas – families like mine – could really benefit from a built-in support network. Essentially, it’s about creating a housing model that acts like an ‘NCT in building form,’ fostering a strong, built-in community for parents and children alike.

This typology is designed to address the everyday challenges of urban family life, such as balancing work and childcare, managing with limited space, and ensuring children have safe places to play. The concept builds on existing build to rent principles – an area Assael helped to pioneer in the UK more than 15 years ago – and takes inspiration from co-living models, which I’ve worked on extensively with projects like Sunday Mills in Wandsworth and Florence Dock in Battersea. By applying similar thinking to family housing, we could create environments that genuinely support modern urban families.

How does it work, and what are the main benefits?
There are four key issues it aims to address. First, is the pressure of modern parenting. Many parents juggle work, childcare, and daily life with long commutes and little wider family support. Second, is homes that don’t fit family life. Many urban homes are small with limited storage and outdoor space, making them less suitable for growing families. Third, is a lack of safe play areas. Green spaces are often distant, and safety concerns mean children spend more time indoors, often on screens. Fourth, is a need for better integration. Housing that incorporates childcare, play areas, and shared family amenities could make daily life easier.

The concept rethinks urban housing by integrating key family-friendly elements within residential developments. It envisions community-focused buildings near transport hubs, where nurseries or crèches are part of the very fabric of the development, making childcare drop-offs and pick-ups much easier. Children would have access to well-overlooked gardens or podiums with playgrounds – safe high-quality spaces to play, directly connected to their homes.

Flexible homes would be designed to grow with families, and amenities like late-opening gyms could give parents back valuable time in their day. They say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and this is at the heart of the idea. Parents could team up to share resources, offer support to one another, and create strong networks, turning neighbours into friends. This approach could dramatically improve work-life balance for urban families, fostering a happier and more connected community.

What are the biggest barriers to implementing this concept?
To me it feels like families have been somewhat forgotten about in terms of the rental typology. At Assael, we’ve already explored elements of this model in projects like our family-focused build to rent scheme at Greenwich Creekside, which features larger balconies, more storage, and wider corridors. However, broader adoption requires buy-in from developers and policymakers, as well as financial models that support the integration of childcare and shared family amenities. It’s an ongoing conversation within the industry, but the need for family-friendly urban housing seems like a no-brainer

Do you have an Urban Family Housing scheme in the pipeline?
Right now, it’s an idea we’re actively developing and researching at Assael. We’re exploring its viability with consultants and clients, particularly in the build to rent single-family housing sector. There’s definite interest, and we’re keen to see how we can evolve the concept into real, deliverable projects, that we are seeing in places like Madrid with its Casa Dumont in Getafe – a family focussed product with multiple kids play areas, crèches and ample outdoor space amongst other amenities.

The life balance and childcare aspects of the Urban Family Housing concept are no doubt close to your heart as an associate director in a busy architectural practice. How does being an architect and working mother influence your design and leadership approach?
I believe in empathetic, growth-oriented leadership that fosters talent and creates an environment where people can thrive. I see a general need for better support for female architects, especially those balancing careers and family life. Without this support, we risk losing talented professionals who could make significant contributions to the industry.

Architecture, like all design disciplines, benefits from diversity. To create fantastic places, we need input from a broad mix of people of all ages and with different experiences designing them to ensure our designs work for everyone.In my team at Assael, I aim to create opportunities for people to take ownership of their work and develop their skills. I want to ensure that the next generation of architects feel supported and empowered to grow and are given the platforms and opportunities to do so.

Have you seen positive changes in the architectural industry regarding career progression for female architects with young families?
There’s still a long way to go but things are definitely improving, and I have witnessed this over the past decade. However, it is difficult to juggle working with family life and high expectations in the workplace. Also, advances in technology mean that we are more ‘plugged in’ than ever before, resulting in not having a clear separation between work and family life. I often feel guilty about not being able to switch off from work when I am with my own children.

What still needs to be done?
The architectural industry thrives on creativity, problem solving, and diverse perspectives, so why wouldn’t we want more balance in the workplace? Women bring different ways of thinking, collaborating, and leading, which ultimately results in better design and stronger teams. It’s about making sure we’re hearing from everyone.

One thing that would be positive step forward is the normalisation of part-time and flexible working. Architecture has long had a culture of long hours, but if we don’t evolve, we risk losing talented professionals, especially working parents, who bring valuable insight to the table. That lack of diversity doesn’t just affect careers, it impacts the way we design spaces for the people who use them.

Real progress will come when firms actively foster inclusive cultures that challenge outdated norms and ensure women have equal access to leadership. When leadership teams reflect a mix of experiences, skills, and viewpoints, we don’t just get better workplaces, we get better architecture.