3Novices:Architect Neave Brown dies

Acclaimed architect Neave Brown, a "pioneer of quality public housing" for London, has died following a battle with cancer on 9 January 2018.

Brown was named the 2018 laureate of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, receiving his accolade in an unusually early ceremony at the end of last year due to ill health.

He was hailed by RIBA as a "pioneer of quality public housing" at a time when the standard of social housing in the UK is very much in question, with the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire and the demolition of Robin Hood Gardens in his hometown of London.

In an interview to mark the award, Brown reflected on his career as an architect for the London Borough of Camden, during which time he designed a number of low-rise high-density housing schemes – one of which he made his home, the Dunboyne Road estate.

Neave Brown in 1961. A life well lived. RIP. http://pic.twitter.com/b1jEEJMDRF

— Catherine Slessor (@cath_slessor) January 10, 2018

Brown told Dezeen he was "astonished" to have received the award so many believed he deserved much earlier in his career.

"I am astonished that my work is alive and well in the history of architecture, and that young people look at it and come and visit it, and it is a very active ingredient in the background now," he said.

"To me it had just become to my great sadness, simply a piece in the past. And I was, in that sense, dumbfounded and amazed when I heard that I had been put up for the Royal Gold Medal."

Tributes from architecture critics have flooded social media:

What a life. RIP Neave Brown

— Douglas Murphy (@entschwindet) January 10, 2018

RIP Neave Brown. Feisty, fearless and a staunch defender of social housing until the end. "I didn’t think I was designing social housing, but just housing. Good London housing.” https://t.co/fe9yYx1Ja2

— Olly Wainwright (@ollywainwright) January 10, 2018

Very sad to hear of the death yesterday of the wonderful Neave Brown. Architect of our estate and champion of social housing. Our thoughts are with his family. @RIBA @Grindrod http://pic.twitter.com/VRwk5Aijl7

— Alexandra&Ainsworth (@AA_Estate) January 10, 2018

More to follow..

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