Category Archives: Design

Do small homes get the design consideration they deserve?

Posted on 3 June, 2013 by

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

Housing research

Posted on 31 March, 2012 by

“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

Space standards and housing design: separate or inseparable?

Posted on 26 December, 2011 by

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 | Leave a comment

Flat design from the 1950s vs flat design today

Posted on 20 November, 2011 by

Over the past few weeks I’ve been posting examples of 1950s flat designs from: England Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland Sweden The layouts from the 1950s flats are much more appealing than the flat layouts of today. Why has flat … Continue reading →

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Flat design from the 1950s: Sweden

Posted on 13 November, 2011 by

This is the third part of a series of posts about flat design from the 1950s. Part one looked at examples from England. Part two looked at examples from Belgium, Denmark, Holland, and Switzerland. This post looks at examples from … Continue reading →

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Flat design from the (mostly) 1950s: Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland

Posted on 9 October, 2011 by

This is the second post in a series looking at flat design from the 1950s. The first post looked at flats in England; this post looks at examples of flat layouts from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

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Flat design from the 1950s: England

Posted on 2 October, 2011 by

This is the first in a series of posts looking at examples of flat design from the 1950s, in particular floor plans and layout. In this post I’ll look at examples from England and in the next set of posts … Continue reading →

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Claredale Street housing by Karakusevic Carson Architects

Posted on 18 September, 2011 by

Every September in London, hundreds of buildings normally closed to the public open their doors for a weekend to let everyone take a free peek inside. The event is London Open House and numerous talks, walks and guided tours also … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, London Housing, Terraced homes | 2 Comments

Are standardised floor plans a good thing in housing?

Posted on 11 September, 2011 by

I think it’s fair to say that a lot of new-build housing in Britain is dominated by standardised floor plans. This is particularly true of new-build flats. For the volume homebuilders, standardised floor plans have a clear cost advantage. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, New builds | 5 Comments

Do we need to re-think the design of terraced houses?

Posted on 4 September, 2011 by

The need to build houses economically and at high density has led many architects to re-consider the layout of the terraced house. For example, in Britain in the 1950s, three architects – Stanley Amis, William Howell and Gilliam Howell – … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, High density, Terraced homes | 4 Comments