Housing standards
2010 will be a pivotal year for housing standards. We know from our work around the country that many local authorities are looking at setting their own standards for their local area.
CABE has brought together this collection of the latest research on housing standards. This provides technical details and a comprehensive evidence base for anyone to draw from.
CABE's position
Improving the design of new housing: what role for standards?
The current regime of building regulations, planning policy and funding has created a framework for housing quality that is confused, overlapping and sometimes contradictory. CABE believes that this plethora of standards should be replaced by a much simpler national standards framework.
-
Improving the design of new housing: technical background
Evidence supporting CABE’s position that a new, simpler framework for housing design standards can help ensure new housing makes a positive contribution to residents’ quality of life, and help developers generate greater value from their schemes.
Evidence and research
What is currently in place?
Mapping existing housing standards describes the standards currently applied to housing. This report reviews the Code for Sustainable Homes, Lifetime Homes, Secure by Design, Building for Life and the Building Regulations Approved Documents. It gives their history and development. It contains a table showing the extent and overlap of the standards.
Mapping space standards for the home is a series of graphs comparing space standards commonly used for homes in England and Ireland over the last 60 years, including the latest proposals, out for consultation. This illustrates where different organisations’ standards vary by dwelling size and occupancy levels. It describes which standards have been applied to public and/or private sector homes and where they derived from.
What is the wider impact of space standards in our homes?
Space standards: the benefits is a literature review of the evidence of the benefits of minimum floor space standards for new homes. It traces the evolution of housing space standards. It explores the impact of dwelling space on health and wellbeing, family life, educational attainment and housing market stability.
What we are getting from the market now?
Dwelling size survey is a study of the space provided in 200 typical houses and flats and reveals that there is a particular problem with two bedroom flats and houses designed to accommodate four people, with well over 80 per cent of them falling below the proposed standards. This measures the Gross Internal Area and Net Internal Area, the provision of utility and storage space and additional measures such as notional corridor space. The 200 represent commonly used housing types analysed by the number of bed spaces in each. It suggests a simple consistent methodology to measure areas in dwellings.
What can we learn from sample sites?
Applying housing standards – London case studies is a study which compares five proposals for housing schemes in London against the London Housing Design Guide and the London Density Matrix. It then illustrates how four schemes could be redesigned to make them compliant with the proposed new standards for the capital.
Further CABE research
- The value of housing design and layout
Demonstrating a way of measuring the economic dividends of investing in high quality housing design and layout. - Space in new homes: what residents think
This research summary supports the case for more space in private homes, to ensure that they are functional, flexible and fit for purpose. - What it's like to live there: the views of residents on the design of new housing
Presenting the findings of CABE's research into what residents think about the design, character, environment and sense of community in new housing developments across England. - A sense of place: what residents think of their new homes
Research exploring the implications of residents' views for those involved in the delivery of new homes, including developers, local authorities and policymakers. - Housing audit 2004: London, the South East and East of England
The first phase of a nationwide audit of new build housing, covering London, the South East and East of England. - Housing audit 2005: North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber
Summarising CABE's audit of design quality in new private housing developments across the north of England, with recommendations on how to raise design standards. - Housing audit 2006: East Midlands, West Midlands and the South West
Uncovering disturbing evidence about the quality of some schemes, but also highlighting inspiring examples of what good design can achieve. - Affordable housing survey
The first national survey of the design quality of affordable housing. - Design review-ed: urban housing
Urban housing projects reviewed by CABE's design panel, with case studies that illustrate how higher densities and high design standards can be compatible. - Winning housing designs: lessons from an Anglo French housing initiative
Reflecting on the experiences of two housing associations in London that used a team of French and British architects to create high-quality affordable housing.
Other quality and standards research
Essential reading
- Internal housing space standards in England and Italy: comparing the ‘conditions’ of regulation (Nick Gallent, Manuela Madeddu, Alan Mace - Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, 2010)
Historical timeline for the application and impacts of space standards since Parker Morris. - The density debate: a personal view (Christine Whitehead - East Thames Housing Group, 2008)
Perceptions of housing density and their economic and social consequence - Housing space standards: a report for the GLA (Andrew Drury - HATC , 2006)
National and International trends in dwelling sizes, mechanisms for setting standards. A discussion of implementation issues for housing standards and short impact assessment - Why do people buy new build housing? Preferences, quality and choice in new-build housing (Leishman, C et al - Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004)
Investigation of relative importance house buyers attach to price, location and property size and how they trade them off to arrive at a final choice of property.
Recommended reading
- Room to swing a cat: measured study of the amount and use of space in new dwellings in London and the South East (Andrew Drury - HATC, 2010)
The report analyses the GIA and NIA, number of bedrooms, design occupancy, the provision of utility and storage space, and additional measures such as notional corridor space. - Improving housing quality: unlocking the market (Royal Institute of British Architects, 2009)
Summary of evidence on current housing quality, with critique of techniques such as Design Codes, charettes or permitted development rights. - Residents’ views of new forms of high density living (Joanne Bretherton and Nicholas Pleace - Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2008)
A review of whether new high density developments can provide an affordable, attractive place to live - Unaffordable housing fables and myths (Evans, Alan W and Hartwich Oliver Marc - Policy Exchange, 2005)
A study highlighting that Britain has amongst the oldest and pokiest houses in Europe living in crowded and dense cities, not a crowded and urbanised country - Bigger, better, faster, more: Why some countries plan better than others (Evans, Alan W and Hartwich Oliver Marc - Policy Exchange, 2005)
A study of the housing and planning systems in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia - all four considered to have similar demand side issues to Britain - Crowded house (Shelter, 2004)
Report demonstrating the scale of the overcrowding problem, and calling for the introduction of a ‘bedroom standard’ - Perceptions of privacy and density in housing (Design for Homes, 2003)
Findings of research into impact of design on people’s perceptions of privacy and what this reveals about their preferences for community and high density housing.
Your comments
Housing on 5 June 2010 at 1:14pm
Where does one start? The shrinking new builds since 1980 and the Thatcher removal of mandatory space standards? The disappearance of the bath to be replaced by a shower only in new flats. The disappearance of the kitchen to be replaced by a corner unit stuck in the living room without a window over the sink or being in its own four walls? The loss of what was formerly loft space in a building by bedrooms with Velux and not dormer windows such that the occupant has no direct view out? The increase in double loaded corridor apartment blocks leading to vast numbers of poky single aspect flats in blocks that will stand for 30 years at least? This attempt at long last to bring about mandatory housing standards is most welcome but very late in the day. Much has been built that even a lay person would find unacceptable as a flat dweller and I am one such, not an architect but you don't need to be an architect to see that rooms are too small, ceilings too low, that places lack storage space, and that there is an absurd number of toilets and showers in newly built flats. Since when did people refuse to share a toilet? I could show you the floor plan of a two bedroomed flat in Essex that has three toilets, one in each ensuite and one presumably for visitors. Are we now so precious about our backsides that sitting on a toilet somebody else has used is anathema? I don't think so. Yes, this review is long overdue and very welcome. I sincerely hope you succeed in your aims of increasing internal space, increasing ceiling heights, reducing redundant toilets and showers, increasing storage space and improving light, ventilation and sound proofing to future developments. http://www.singleaspect.org.uk/
lynettebrooks on 14 June 2010 at 9:08am
Light and space that can be used flexibly seem to me to be the most important aspects of living spaces. Large windows and lots of cupboard space can make all the difference to how a home feels and how it can be used. I also feel that the focus on en suite bathrooms, toilets and showers is unecessary.
spongemum on 30 June 2010 at 1:32pm
I read this with interest as we used an architect a great expense for a new house design. Being a contemporary design we were met with opposition from neighbours to build at all but the more modern design made it easier to oppose. Sadly however we were not really supported by the planners either though when our architect won a Civic Trust award they suddenly changed to supporting us. The committee threw it out however then the inspectorate failed it with three reasons, two based on errors which were not easily apparent so we missed the chance to appeal to the High Court. The third reason was proximity of architectural styles which was the very reason our architect won his award for his ability to put old and new together so successfully! Now our planners have refused another contemporary application on a site in a village nearby where permission was already in place for two traditional houses. No reasoned argument was given yet the applicant and their architect had been in pre - planning discussions for over 7 months. It looks like the planning appeal will succeed (as ours should have) and another fiddled with design has been submitted, spoiling some of the details in my view so that the planners can now support the second go by these applicants. This is all so expensive for people it is no wonder safe,mundane rubbish is constantly applied for. CABE should be giving help to individual house applicants as they are often in areas where a new idiom is desparately needed and the influence of something different but successful could make objectors realise that it is design and quality that matter not just trying to stop any building at all.
Alan Sutton on 1 July 2010 at 1:44pm
spongemum on 2 July 2010 at 11:28pm
Clivew on 27 August 2010 at 9:20am
Single Aspect on 26 November 2010 at 12:39pm