Tuesday 23 September, Jarvis Hall, RIBA

'Lifetime homes'; 'flexible homes'; 'smart homes', '£60k homes'; 'eco homes', 'flat-pack homes'; 'off-site homes'; 'kit homes', 'carbon-neutral homes'; 'sustainable homes'; 'micro homes'; 'high-density homes'; 'quality homes'. There is no shortage of ideas and research initiatives for improving our housing stock.

Certainly the density of new housing has been rising and space standards appear to be going down. But how much do we really know about the quality and quantity of space in new homes? How do people use their homes and what do they think about them? How much space do people need? How do our homes compare with those abroad? How, if at all, does housing affect our quality of life? If standards of private space are going down, does public open space compensate? What is the relationship between homes, housing, neighbourhoods and communities?

These were some of the issues that were addressed in the RIBA Research Symposium 2008. A range of presentations described current challenges in housing research, the questions being asked, and the state of the evidence base. The symposium provided an opportunity to hear at first hand from those responsible for housing research, and included studies of social, technical, economic and environmental issues. The symposium addressed how housing research fits into the wider policy debate and impacts on health and well-being. In addition, leading designers presented case studies featuring recent projects.

Overall, the symposium brought together designers, housing providers, clients, researchers and policy makers to discuss new housing developments and emerging quality standards. Between them, they provided a state-of-the-art overview of what we know about space in the home.

 

Since the Symposium, CABE, one of our sponsors, has published some research: "Space in new houses: what residents think". To read the report, please visit CABE's website|.

 

Edited and illustrated transcripts of speakers' presentations are available to download below.

Symposium convenor

RIBA Research and Development Committee

 

Chairs  

Paul Morrell, Davis Langdon (morning) 

Dickon Robinson, Building Futures (afternoon) 

Steve Carr, English Partnerships (plenary) 

Opening address

Jack Pringle, RIBA Past President, Pringle Brandon

Session 1: Keynote  

Alejandro Aravena, Elemental - Do Tank affiliated to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and COPEC

'From SUB.urbia to SUPER.urbia'

Session 2: The issues of space

Mike Roys, BRE Housing

'Housing space standards: a national perspective'

 

Andrew Drury, HATC Ltd

'Space in the home: what is being built and is the customer happy?'

 

 

Session 3: Case studies

Walter Menteth, Walter Menteth Architects

'Consort Road, Peckham'

 

 

Andrew Matthews, Proctor and Matthews Architects

'SLO – Simple Living Opportunities – an approach to high density, low rise family homes'

 

 

Session 4: Types of space

Jeremy Till, University of Sheffield

'Soft Space'

 

 

Fiona McLachlan, University of Edinburgh

'Cutting the cloth'

 

 

Session 5: Policy

Duncan Bowie, London Metropolitan University

'Density, housing mix and space standards of new housing development in London'

 

 

Andrew Ogorzalek, PCKO Architects

'Current Practice: Opportunities, Inspirations and Constraints'

 

 

Dominic Church, CABE

'Space standards and densities: how policy tools and the market interact'

 

 

Session 6: Homes, housing, neighbourhoods and communities

Yolande Barnes, Savills Research

'The value of space – why places matter more than architecture'

 

 

Patrick Hammill, Levitt Bernstein Associates

'Space at home, making a good place to live'

 

 

Plenary session

Steve Carr, English Partnerships (chair)

Duncan Bowie, London Metropolitan University

Dickon Robinson, Building Futures

Jeremy Till, University of Sheffield

Richard Hill, Housing Corporation

Paul Morrell, Davis Langdon

Closing remarks

Sebastian Macmillan, Chair RIBA R&D Committee