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Author Archives: A. Hussein
Do small homes get the design consideration they deserve?
I sometimes wonder if there is an unspoken hierarchy in the design of housing. At the bottom of the hierarchy you have the smallest type of dwelling: the studio flat (in the UK, at least); then the one, two, three … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Design
4 Comments
Why housing space standards matter
Unlike many Western European countries, England and Wales do not have minimum space standards for housing mandated by law. The exception is London where housing that receives any funding from Government must meet the minimum space standards set out in … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture
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Housing layout: where should the stairs be placed?
The staircase is often a prominent architectural feature in large, spacious, detached houses. However, in volume or mass housing (such as terraced homes and two-storey flats) the staircase can be problematic: it takes up valuable space and affects the layout … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Terraced homes
2 Comments
Housing is the lowest form of architecture
It’s been exactly five years since I started this blog, so you could say this is an anniversary post of sorts. I thought it might be interesting to revisit a question implied in my first blog post five years ago: … Continue reading
Open plan flat design
New build flats in Britain are dominated by open plan layouts. How does this affect the design of these homes? In flats, an open plan layout usually means a combined kitchen/dining/living space. What are the advantages and disadvantages of open … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture
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Tour Bois-le-Pretre: transformation of a housing block
Here is a wonderful and inspiring example of how a 1960s social housing block in Paris called Tour Bois-le-Pretre has been transformed through a remarkable renovation effort. Three French architects – Frédéric Druot, Anne Lacaton, and Jean Philippe Vassal – … Continue reading
Housing research
“Houses and housing standards are a measure of a country’s present achievement as well as an important part of its future. We shape that future while surrounded by dwellings built by past generations, recalling both their triumphs and their mistakes. … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Design, New builds
2 Comments
A Place to Call Home: Where we live and why
This is a short review of a small, free exhibition about housing called A Place to Call Home which is now on at the RIBA headquarters in London and runs until 28 April 2012. The exhibition ties in with the … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture
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Robin Hood Gardens
Robin Hood Gardens is a large housing estate in Poplar in East London designed by the architects Peter and Alison Smithson and completed in 1972. The estate is owned by Tower Hamlets Council who wish to demolish it and build … Continue reading
Space standards and housing design: separate or inseparable?
England and Wales have no national space standards for homes (in contrast to many contries in Western Europe). Better space standards are not a guarantee of better housing design, but they are an essential foundation for any newly built home … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Design, New builds
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