study of sustainable and affordable housing

8/7/2019 Study of Sustainable and Affordable Housing

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THE WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

Report by RACHAEL BERNSTONE 2003 CHURCHILL FELLOW

THE AV JENNINGS FELLOWSHIP to study sustainable and affordable housing.

I understand that the Churchill Trust may publish this report, either in hard copy or on theinternet or both, and consent to such publication.I indemnify the Churchill Trust against any loss, costs or damages it may suffer arising outof any claim or proceedings made against the Trust in respect of or arising out of thepublication of the report submitted to the Trust and which the Trust places on a website foraccess over the Internet.I also warrant that my Final Report is original and does not infringe the copyright of anyperson, or contain anything which is, or the incorporation of which into the Final Report is,actionable for defamataion, a breach of any privacy law or obligation, breach ofconfidence, contempt or court, passing off or contravention of any other private right or ofany law.

Signed: Dated:


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Index

Introduction 3Executive Summary 4Fellowship Objectives 4Fellowship Highlights 4Key Findings and Recommendations 4Program 6Main findings 8

1. The United Kingdom 81.1 Key players in affordable housing 81.2 Issues and challenges 91.3 Policies and strategies 101.4 Projects and Programmes 13

2. Finland 392.1 Key players in affordable housing 392.2 Issues and challenges 392.3 Policies and Strategies 412.4 Projects 45

3. Sweden 493.1 Policies and Strategies 493.2 Projects 494. USA 624.1 Key players in affordable housing 624.2 Issues and challenges 634.3 Policies and strategies 664.4 Projects 69

Conclusions 79Recommendations 80Appendices 82


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IntroductionUndertaking the 2003 AV Jennings Churchill Fellowship enabled me to investigate thelatest policies and practices in the fields of affordable and sustainable housing in theUnited Kingdom, Finland, Sweden and the United States of America.I arranged meetings with representatives of federal, state and local governmentrepresentatives, architects and planners involved in the design process; and members ofthe development and construction professions. Topics of discussion included:

policies and strategies; current approaches to design, and advances and innovations in construction techniques

for the provision of affordable and sustainable housing. In addition, I was able to view andexperience many first class examples of affordable, sustainable, and affordable-sustainable housing.

I hope that my findings and recommendations might prove useful in considering andtackling specific housing problems and challenges in Australia, such as: Procuring new sources of funding, both public and private, for the provision of new

public housing, Upgrading existing public housing stock, to enhance social, economic and

environmental sustainability outcomes; Providing affordable housing for key employees, or low to moderate income

earners, in areas where market rate housing is often out of reach; and Developing and implementing cost effective and sustainable construction methods

for the provision of new public and market rate housing Improving environmental performance of all housing types, from public through to

premium market rate.I am grateful to both the Churchill Trust and AV Jennings for their financial assistance: thetrip was extremely satisfying and would not have been possible without their support. Iwould also like to acknowledge my employer, Simon Grover at The Intermedia Group, whosupported my ambition to carry out research overseas for the benefit of the Australianhousing industry, as well as my own professional development. I also receivedconsiderable support from generous industry colleagues before I departed, who providedreferences and contacts that were extremely useful in my application and initial research.All of the people I met with during the course of the Fellowship were extremely generouswith their time and knowledge, and I would like to thank them for their contribution and forsharing their experiences with me.Lastly, the support of my family and friends has been extremely valuable, and I am gratefulfor their encouragement throughout the entire process.


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Executive Summary

Rachael BernstoneEditor, Building Australia MagazinePO Box 55

Glebe 2037 NSWT: 02 8586 6118E: [email protected]

Fellowship Objectives

To study sustainable and affordable housing initiatives that aim to assist welfaredependent or low- and middle-income residents, with emphasis on environmentalinitiatives, in the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden and the United States of America.

Fellowship Highlights

Without exception, everyone I met in the course of the trip was extremely generous withtheir time, knowledge and access to information. I visited more than 20 individual projects,some of which were strong in their approach to environmental design and constructionissues, while others placed more emphasis on affordability. Some of the projects wereequally strong on both aspects, and they were therefore the highlights of the trip. Theyincluded: Londons Greenwich Peninsula, where English Partnerships, Meridian Delta, the

London Borough of Greenwich and architects Erskine and Tovatt, Proctor andMatthews and EPR are all dedicated to delivering some of the most excitingaffordable and sustainable housing projects in the UK;

The Peabody Trusts Murray Grove and Raines Dairy affordable housing projects inLondon, which have demonstrated that modular housing can combineenvironmentally friendly construction, affordability, and aesthetic appeal, as well asreducing waste and defects, speeding construction, enhancing the constructionworking environment, and finally, resulting in places to live that are of higher qualityand more affordable than traditional solutions;

The Viikki Ecological Neighbourhood in Helsinki, Finland an experiment in greenbuilding that is resulting in appealing and environmentally friendly places for peopleto live, work and study;

The Highlands Garden Village in Denver, Colorado where new urbanist principlesof design have resulted in a genuine mixed use, mixed tenure community of more

than 300 homes. It combines environmental building with historic preservation withurban infill and all within 10 minutes of Downtown Denver truly the mostimpressive development I saw on the trip; and lastly,

Colorado Court, in Santa Monica, California a demonstration green affordablehousing project that generates its own energy and is designed to maximise occupiercomfort

Key Findings and Recommendations

The most advanced sustainable and affordable housing projects I saw while travelling arefundamentally driven by governments that strongly believe in the importance of

environmentally sensitive planning and building, and the provision of housing for all. Thecountries with the best green building regulations and intentions are committed to the


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targets set for them in the Kyoto Protocol, and are actively attempting to achieve themthrough a combination of regulation and incentives.From my observations, it is possible to create successful sustainable communities throughplanning and design, by integrating housing with opportunities for employment, education,

transport, health and culture. Many communities I visited hoped to foster diversity andunderstanding among their residents, through the provision of similarly high qualityhousing for various income and tenure types.Although I had hoped to find that developers overseas had found a way to include greentechnologies, such as water recycling and reuse systems and photo voltaic energysolutions, in new housing projects with little or no extra cost, I discovered that this has notbeen the case in most instances. Where green technologies have been incorporated intonew projects, developers work hard to educate consumers about the benefits of payingmore upfront to reap savings over the course of the tenure there.

This means that rather than moving towards a scenario where green technologies areseen to be priced competitively with traditional non-green solutions, there is a growingrealisation that it is no longer adequate to consider pure economic outcomes, and thatsocial and environmental factors are gaining more importance, so that a shift towards realtriple bottom line reporting is occurring in some places.I have already reported on several key areas from my trip in Building Australia magazine,with articles on three key European sustainable cities projects (Greenwich, Malm andViikki) and a Greenbuild conference wrap-up appearing in the Jan/Feb 2004 issue. TheMarch 2004 issue features material from the Fellowship, with a report on modular andprefabricated buildings. I intend to cover other topics such as Affordable Housingthroughout the year. I am also planning to present my findings in person to architectureand engineering firms, industry organisations and university students as appropriatethroughout 2004.


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Program

London and York, United Kingdom: 29 September to 17 October 2003 Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Raines Dairy public housing, Hackney Bill Dunster Architects BedZed environmentally sensitive housing, Sutton

Cartwright Pickard Architects Murray Grove public housing, Hackney Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment Architecture and housing

policies English Partnerships Greenwich Peninsula redevelopment EPR Architects Greenwich Millennium Village design and construction Greater London Authority Draft London Plan and housing policies Housing Corporation public housing funding and policies Hyde Housing Association New affordable and public housing London Borough of Greenwich local government perspective on the Greenwich

Peninsula redevelopment London Borough of Islington Public and affordable housing policy and provision Meridian Delta Limited Greenwich Peninsula redevelopment Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Governments public housing finance and policies Peabody Trust New public and affordable housing Proctor and Matthews Architects Greenwich Millennium Village design and

construction Yorkon Modular and prefabricated housing construction Piercy Conner Architects the Microflat project affordable housing for first home

buyersHelsinki, Finland: 20 to 24 October, 2003

City Planning Department Viikki Ecological Neighbourhood Housing Fund of Finland Public housing funding and policies Ministry of the Environment Public housing funding and policiesStockholm and Malm, Sweden: 27 to 31 October 2003 City of Malm Bo01 City of Tomorrow housing exhibition BoKlok modular affordable housing from Ikea and Skanska Erskine Tovatt Architecture Masterplan and housing design at Londons Greenwich

Millennium Village

New York, NY, USA: 3 to 10 November, 2003 Lower Manhattan Development Corporation public housing policies following the

September 11 terrorist attacks GF55 Architects new public housing projects in Manhattan Stephen Tilley Architecture sustainable and affordable housing in Irvington, NY Housing Development Corporation public housing funding and policies for NY City Housing Preservation and Development public housing funding and regeneration for

NY City Housing Finance Authority public housing funding and policies for NY State State of New York Mortgage Agency low cost mortgages for low- to moderate-income

first home buyers NYSAFAH New York State Association for Affordable Housing


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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 11 to 14 November 2003 Greenbuild Conference and Expo, hosted by the US Green Building CouncilDenver, Aspen, Basalt and Snowmass, Colorado, USA: 17 to 21 November 2003 Perry Rose LLC Highland Gardens market rate and affordable housing, Denver

Cottle Graybeal Yaw Architects Employee housing design and construction for Aspen Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Office Employee housing funding and policies for

Aspen Rocky Mountain Institute Sustainable housing research and development Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHAFA) public housing funding and

policies for ColoradoPortland, Oregon, USA: 24 to 27 November 2003 City of Portland public housing funding and policies Portland Development Commission market rate and public housing development

City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development Green Building Division greenbuilding resources for residential and commercial applications Gerding/Edlen Development Company Brewery Blocks adaptive reuse project Shiels Obletz Johnsen Museum Place market rate and affordable housing project SERA Architects Public housing design ROSE Community Development Corporation affordable housing development and

managementLos Angeles, California, USA: 1 to 4 December 2003 Global Green USA thinktank for greening affordable housing Community Corporation of Santa Monica provision of new affordable housing Pugh+Scarpa Architects Colorado Court sustainable and affordable housing Koning Eizenberg Architects 5th Street sustainable and affordable housing


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Main findings

This Fellowship focussed on two key sub-sections of the housing market - sustainabilityand affordability and in the main, the people I met with operated in only one of thosesectors, although there were several instances where both aspects were given equal

weight.Each of the four countries I visited used different methods for the delivery affordablehousing, and each featured different levels of regulation for sustainability outcomes. In anattempt to simplify the presentation of my findings, I have chosen to first divide them bycountry. Within each country, I have provided details about:

a) the policies and strategies that underpin the delivery of affordable and sustainablehousing (as developed by government, housing and construction industryorganisations, and non-profit and for-profit developers); and

b) the individual projects and programmes that have resulted from their

implementation. Each of these outlines provides a summary of the lessons from theindividual projects.

In the Conclusion and Recommendations, I have attempted to summarise the findingsfrom the entire trip, and draw out some salient points that are most relevant forconsideration and possible application in Australia.

1. The United Kingdom

1.1 Key players in affordable housing

The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, announced a new government housing

strategy in February 2002. Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future was designedto tackle problems associated with housing shortages in some areas and low demand andabandonment in others.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) oversees the allocation of governmentfunding for construction of new affordable housing, via a non-departmental public body,the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation funds and regulates HousingAssociations orRegistered Social Landlords (RSLs) that build, own and operateaffordable housing in England (similar bodies exist in Scotland, Wales and NorthernIreland). During the financial year 2003/04, the Housing Corporation planned to grantabout 1.5 billion in funds under the Approved Development Program, for the constructionof approximately 22,000 new affordable homes throughout England.In the capital, the Greater London Authority (GLA) acts as a strategic planning authorityand co-ordinates the activities of local government entities, the London Boroughs. TheGLA (established in 2001 to replace the defunct Greater London Council), developed aDraft London Plan under the direction ofMayor Ken Livingstone. The GLA has no directjurisdiction for housing, except for developments at significant sites where more than 200units are planned, although its mandate includes a general duty to promote social,economic and environmental issues of importance to Londoners, according to ChrisJarvis, a Senior Policy Advisor in the GLAs Housing and Homelessness Unit.

Public or affordable housing is owned by local authorities, comprising 32 LondonBoroughs and the Corporation of London, Housing Associations such as the Peabody


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Trust and Hyde Housing, and other entities. The London Boroughs administerapplications and allocations of affordable housing, according to income and asset criteriaand need. They also have responsibility for planning and housing approvals for newdwellings, and can impose affordable housing criteria on private housing developers suchas Greenwich Millennium Village Corporation and Meridian Delta Limited through the

planning approvals process.English Partnerships is the national governments agency charged with sustainableurban renewal and regeneration. It oversees the Millennium Communities program thataims to improve sustainability in design and construction; it oversees the 10-year 365million National Coalfields Programme, which is helping to create more than 40,000 newjobs, more than 6,500 new homes and 2m square metres of commercial and industrialaccommodation; and it facilitates the establishment of Urban Regeneration Companies,which bring together local partners to champion and stimulate new investment and plansfor regeneration and redevelopment, currently operating in 14 locations throughout thecountry.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is an Executivenon-departmental public body, funded by the ODPM and the Department for Culture,Media and Sport (DCMS). Key aims include: regenerating places suffering from economicand social decline by restoring community identity and civic pride and attracting investorsand visitors; delivering better public services through a direct impact on the quality ofhealthcare, education and welfare services; promoting value for money by reducing thelifetime costs of buildings and improving their performance; assisting in the reduction ofcrime and anti-social behaviour by creating places that foster community ownership andeliminate physical opportunities for vandalism, violence and theft; and promoting moreenvironmentally friendly ways of living.

1.2 Issues and challenges

Current housing demandAccording to the ODPM, published projections for household growth suggest that 155,000additional dwellings will be needed each year in the UK. Across the country, new housebuilding has fallen steadily from a peak of 350,000 annually in the late 1960s to less than140,000 now. The net figure, taking account of demolitions and conversions, is closer to120,000, insufficient to meet new demand let alone replace ageing housing stock.Nationally, about 70% of households are owner-occupied, up from 50% about 30 years

ago, although this figure is lower in the capital, where only about 50% of homes are owner-occupied. Surveys suggest that up to 90% of people would prefer to own their own homesif possible.In London, the Housing Commission estimates that 25,700 new affordable homes will berequired each, to meet anticipated population growth levels, and solve current shortagesover a period of ten years, the timeframe set by the Mayor to deal with the currentaffordable housing crisis.This annual total comprises 11,200 homes for applicants currently waiting for permanentaffordable housing; 5,000 new social rental homes to absorb population growth; 2,000 new

social rental homes to replace those lost through right to buy schemes; 2,500 new socialrental homes to meet new demand as a result of affordability issues, and 5,000 new


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intermediate homes for low to moderate income households. In addition, 15,700 marketrate homes will be required each year to account for population growth.Current housing stockIn April 2002, there were 3.13 million homes in London, 2.31 million of those in the private

sector (74%) and 816,700 publicly owned (26%). The majority of public housing is ownedby local authorities, (512,766 units, or 16.4% of total housing stock), while HousingAssociations own 291,910 units (9.4% of the total), leaving 12,024 units (0.4%) in otherhands. Since 1981, approximately 175,000 units of public housing have been lost, mainlyas a result of Right to Buy Sales.New housing supplyAccording to GLAs Housing in London 2003 report [Table 1.2], the volume of new homeconstruction has dropped significantly in the last decade, despite increased demand forhousing in the capital. In 1991/92, 17,077 new homes were completed in London (13,357by the private sector; 3,140 by Housing Associations; and 580 by local authorities), while

in 2001/02. the number of new homes completed had fallen to 14,170 (10,324 by theprivate sector; 3,794 by Housing Associations; and 52 by local authorities).

1.3 Policies and strategies

Office of the Deputy Prime MinisterThe ODPM oversees the governments Sustainable Communities strategy, which boastsa new regional approach housing policy and a budget of 22billion over three years(2003/04 to 2005/06). It aims to provide more new homes in areas of strong economic andpopulation growth (such as London and the South East), and tackle issues ofabandonment and decay in the areas that are currently in decline (such as much of the

north of England). It also aims to support people in their aspirations for home ownership.More than 5 billion has been allocated to the regeneration of deprived areas; while350m will be allocated to speeding up planning systems. A further 5b has beenearmarked for more affordable homes, including at least 1bn for key worker housing.The plan will concentrate future growth in four regions nominated in a review of newhousing demand completed in 2000: the Thames Gateway in London, Milton Keynes andthe South Midlands, Ashford in Kent and the London - Stansted Cambridge corridor.More than 600m has been allocated to the development of these growth areas.

The Sustainable Communities strategy also incorporates the Millennium Communitiesprogram which aims to showcase advances in construction sustainability, by reducingconstruction waste, implementing new construction techniques, reducing workplaceaccidents, increasing energy efficiency in new buildings, re-using water and demonstratingre-cycling of waste.The government hopes to extrapolate the lessons from the Millennium Communitiesprogram to all new construction in the UK. So far, seven neighbourhoods have beenselected, including Greenwich (London), Allerton Bywater (near Leeds), New Islington(East Manchester), Nar Ouse (King's Lynn), East Ketley (Telford), Oakgrove (MiltonKeynes) and Hastings.


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According to Sue Beaumont, a senior policy advisor at the ODPM, developers werecautious about the first implementation at Greenwich, but the experience there changedideas about what can be done.Initially the developers that were willing to become involved were small, and the others

were wary, Ms Beaumont said. That had changed by the time we started implementationat Telford, where 19 out of the top 20 national builders submitted bids. Theres anacceptance now that developers and builders have to be in this game.Also within the Sustainable Communities strategy, the government intends to overcomesome of the difficulties of the current planning system. Developers tend to buy up landand then sit on it, because the planning systems are too slow, and local authorities havetoo much control, she explained.A review of the planning system aims to shift from a predict and provide approach to asystem of "plan, monitor and manage". A new Planning Bill will introduce a simplified and

streamlined planning system and bring greater focus to regional planning through theintroduction of Regional Spatial Strategies.Gillian Verrall, a Key Worker Policy Advisor in the Affordable Housing Division at theODPM, said that the organisation was considering expanding the pool of eligible affordablehousing developers to enable private developers to compete with Housing Associationsand Registered Social Landlords. That proposal has since been incorporated into policy,through its inclusion in the governments new Housing Bill, submitted to Parliament inDecember 2003.A joint venture between government agencies English Partnerships and the HousingCorporation is developing a register of disused or underutilised public land in the hope ofmaximising funding and speeding the delivery of new affordable homes. It will considerconverting surplus office space into housing, making use of space above shops andregeneration of brownfield sites, and aims to forge new relationships with volume housebuilders and institutional investors.

Also in 2003, the UK government initiated two major inquiries into housing. The HomeOwnership Task Force included 20 representatives from national and local government,universities, private lending institutions and home builders. It was convened in February2003 with a mandate to investigate the range of programmes available to help people into

home ownership.The groups final report, released in November, made 45 recommendations in six mainareas. These included increasing the supply of affordable housing; implementing a newand simplified framework for low-cost home ownership programs including discounts,equity loans and shared ownership; and providing better information and advice topotential applicants. The reports executive summary, A Home of My Own, can bedownloaded from the Housing Corporation website. Deputy PM John Prescott has alreadyincorporated some of the recommendations into a new Housing Bill, which was submittedto Parliament in December 2003, while others will be considered in 2004.

The Barker Review was commissioned by the Treasury in the 2003 Budget, and aimed todetermine reasons for a lack of housing supply and weak responsiveness to the housing


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shortage in the UK. It examined the roles of competition, capacity and financing in thehouse building industry; and the interaction of those factors with the planning system andsustainable development objectives.In her interim report, Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of Englands Monetary Policy

Committee, reported that the supply of new homes in the UK was not keeping pace withdemand: only 175,000 houses were built in 2001 the lowest level since the SecondWorld War and Barker suggested that another 39,000 new homes would be neededeach year to keep up with population growth.As a result of the shortage, housing affordability had suffered, Barker said. A Londonhouse that cost around four times the annual income of a low income household in 1993would cost nearly eight times the same income level by 2002.The Review identified land supply as the main constraint, and suggested that thehousebuilding industry contributed to the problem through its response to risk, which leads

to a reluctance to build out large sites quickly. The interim report also found that theplanning issues, such as the regulatory relationship and control over the use of land,influenced the way land was made available for development. The Review will publish itsfinal report with recommendations for government in the second quarter of 2004.Greater London Authority and the Mayor of LondonIn the Draft London Plan, the Mayor has proposed minimum delivery levels for affordablehousing as a proportion of all new home building across the capital: in 19 Londonboroughs, the target has been set at 50%, while in the remaining 13 boroughs it has beenset at 35%.Adoption of the targets would require a public subsidy of between 500 and 600 millionfor about 10,000 new dwellings per year (for a total of 130,000 dwellings between 2004-16). In 2002/03, the Housing Corporations budget for construction of new affordablehousing in London was 338 million, so the Mayor plans to put a case to the nationalGovernment to increase funding for affordable housing under this proposal.At the same time, the Mayor is working with the Housing Corporation, London Boroughs,housing associations and private developers, to find ways to make more effective use ofprivate and public investment, and to maximise the number of affordable homes deliveredthrough the planning process.

The Mayor anticipates that about three quarters of the proposed new affordable homeswould be provided on mixed tenure sites, with the remainder on stand alone sites. About70% of the new properties would be provided as social rental housing, while 30% would beintermediate housing for low to moderate income earners, for sale or rent.The Mayor also hopes to work with local authorities to ensure that where potentialdevelopment sites are already publicly owned, they are developed to ensure a highproportion of affordable housing instead of simply ensuring the highest financial returnthrough their sale into private hands.

The DLPwas due to be finalised in December 2003, with supplementary planningguidelines due for release to assist in its implementation by the spring of 2004. If and when


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it is adopted by the London Boroughs in 2004, each will need to ensure that itsdevelopment guidelines conform with the London Plan to enable its implementation.According to Chris Jarvis of the GLAs Housing and Homelessness Unit, adoption of theplan would drive the push towards greater housing affordability from the supply side of the

equation, thereby eliminating some of the uncertainty inherent in the current planningsystem. At the moment, there is a degree of uncertainty for planners in terms ofaffordability: until they go to the London Borough, and negotiate a Section 106 Agreement,they dont know what is required, he said.He added that the GLA was also trying to convince planning authorities to release landthat is currently zoned for employment uses to make it available for housing uses. TheGLAs priority is to make use of every opportunity to provide as much housing as possibleand to ensure that it is as affordable as possible, he explained.To this end, two recent studies have demonstrated the potential for building over existing

single-storey developments. The Department of Transport, Local Government and theRegions commissioned a study into airspace development potential above single storeyuses, such as food stores and petrol stations, which concluded that an extra 25,000 unitscould be provided over 15 years6. The second study, commissioned by supermarket chainTesco's, investigated housing and regeneration potential in mixed-use developments onexisting retail sites, and estimated that an at least 10,000 dwellings could be provided.

1.4 Projects and Programmes

Keep London Working researchThe London Development Agency, through its Single Regeneration Budget, has funded

research into the need for housing for London workers. The Keep London Working (KLW)research board comprises employers, housing providers, developers, local authorities andlobby groups, and its main purpose is to clarify the contribution that affordable housing canmake to the recruitment and retention of key workers in London and identify ways ofprocuring it, without grants if possible.KLW has also developed and leased 175 flats and houses in the intermediate housingmarket to test new solutions.KLW defines key workers according to their industries, which are geographically specific,frequently constrained in wage bargaining, generally labour and skills intensive, and

essential to the maintenance and growth of the capital. This includes workers in health,education, transport and law enforcement sectors, although the research has concentratedon teachers, nurses and bus-workers as being representative of most key workers inLondon. KLW concluded that there were more than 670,000 key workers in London, andthat more than 500,000 of them earned less than 30,000 per year.It found that more than a third of nurses and teachers working in the capital would be lookfor a new job in 2004, and that 50% of those job-seekers were planning to leave London.They cited housing costs and other housing issues as their main cause for wanting toleave, while other reasons included low pay, inadequate pay differentials and difficultworking conditions.

Although the research conceded that the current housing crises among key workers waspartly cyclical (resulting from strong economic conditions and booming housing costs), it


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argued that underlying structural factors were also partly to blame, and that the problemwas unlikely to disappear of its own accord.The research suggested that intermediate housing solutions for key workers should be affordable: rent should be related to key workers incomes rather than discounted

market rates, at levels that are at least 25% cheaper than equivalent private sectorfurnished accommodation;

available: key workers should wait less than a year for accommodation; located no more than three-quarters of an hour door to door from a workplace, ideally

along the route of affordable, reliable and safe public transport; self-contained: predominantly studios, one and two bedroom flats; and well-managed for people at work during working hours, and positioned to reflect the

key workers circumstances within the housing cycle.KLW also argued that employers should contribute towards making housing moreaffordable for workers, either immediately in the form of land or rental guarantees, or asthe effects of a lower turnover of staff create savings. The report recommended a numberof strategies, including providing access to discounted land or property; equity interest inthe property; loans to workers; rent subsidies; interest free loans or nominationagreements.KLW does not advocate the diversion of housing related resources away from people inacute need, such as homeless people, and those living in temporary accommodation orovercrowded conditions. Rather it argues that support for key workers should be inaddition to social housing, not act as a replacement for it.

The Starter Home InitiativeIn 2001, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister launched the Starter Home Initiative, a250 million program that aimed to assist 10,000 key workers, (primarily nurses, teachersand police), into home ownership in London and the south east of England where highhousing prices were seen to be undermining recruitment and retention of staff.In 2002, the scheme was extended to assist social workers, care workers, fire fighters,transport workers, occupational therapists, and in July 2003, prison and probation staffwere added to the list of eligible occupations.The program was administered by the Housing Commission, which allocated funds to

housing associations for distribution to eligible key workers. Assistance was in the form ofequity loans, interest free loans and shared ownership arrangements, and the type andvalue of assistance varied according to which housing association administered thescheme, which was administered according to workplace location.The Peabody Trusts SHI scheme was an equity loan program called First Step, forworkers in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Haringey, Kensington and Chelsea andNewham. According to the schemes manager, Lucy Chitty, the Trust has receivedenquiries from 2,000 applicants, and assisted in the purchase of 238 units by October2004, with five months of the left to run. By October, the Trust had allocated 7.6 million inequity loans: 5.7 m granted by the Housing Corporation and 1.8m from its own funds.

When the loans are repaid, the funds will be returned to Peabodys recycled capital grantfund for three years, before being moved back to general revenue if they are not reused.


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Initially the Peabody targeted 100 health workers, in collaboration with the National HealthServices housing office. That quota was quickly fulfilled, and the Trust applied for morefunding for NHS admin staff and junior doctors, and then for teachers, fire fighters andpolice, as the ODPMs criteria expanded.

Applicants had to demonstrate that they were unable to buy a home without SHIassistance, and that they were capable of sustaining home ownership. The equity loan isissued as a proportion of the property price, and is repaid to Peabody Trust when theproperty is sold, with capital gains. Initially, Peabody set its loan limits as a percentage ofthe purchase price (with a maximum of 35%), but as property prices increased over thecourse of the programme, it became clear that the Trust would not meet its target numberof applicants if that level continued, so a cap of 50,000 was imposed for each application.Chitty said that initially the Trust ran marketing campaigns to alert the target groups to theopportunity of the First Step scheme, including running opening days at hospitals, insertingnotes in payslip notes, and advertising in local and trade publications. Once an applicant

came forward, their situation, savings and aspirations were reviewed. Some applicantshad 2,000-5,000 in savings, and some had loans from parents or other relatives of a fewthousand pounds, others had no savings at all.In most cases, Chitty said, the Trust was able to assist single people into one bedroomflats, and couples or single parents into two bedroom flats. However, she said that indetermining the mortgage, and therefore equity loan amount, the both the applicant andthe Trust needed to be flexible in terms of the preferred unit size and location. We neededto ensure that we gave them sufficient funding to live near their mother in law, or for kids toget to school, where those things applied, she said.Some people have criticised the Starter Home Initiative as a scheme that addresses thesupply side of the housing shortage, rather than the demand side. The GLAs Chris Jarvissaid that housing solutions in London needed to increase supply, not fuel demand. Hebelieves that the SHI gives money to a lucky few [key workers] to go out and bid and push[housing] prices higherChitty countered this view, and said that in some cases, the fact that applicants wererecipients of a government grant did not work in their favour. Also, the market is so high atthe moment, that most people are just about scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms ofthe properties they can afford, even with First Steps, she said. They are tending to buy

flats in the cheaper boroughs, or places that need work to be comfortable,As part of its First Steps programme, the Trust offered to put its applicants in touch withrespected and economical solicitors and financial advisors, to ensure that people weremaking commitments they could afford and were comfortable with.Chitty said that one downside of the scheme was that it was only open to British orEuropean Union residents, but that the NHS employed a significant number of African staffand foreign nurses who could not be assisted.According to Gillian Verrall, from the ODPM, the scheme will not be continued in its

present form after the cut-off date in March 2004. She said that lessons included the factthat there were too many parties administering the scheme, making it difficult for KeyWorkers to access information and navigate the rules.


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She also spoke of the risk that the Starter Home Initiative would inflate property prices byenabling people to buy homes in the open market.Key Worker definitions had also been contentious, with the ODPM adding new categoriesto the initial three professions in response to criticism from excluded groups. Ms Verrall

said that the ODPM had not yet determined the professions that would be included in anyfuture scheme, although it was likely that the list would include any health worker, stateschool teachers, police and police administrators, with a focus on London, the South Eastand the London to Cambridge corridor.Ms Verrall said that a further problem of the first SHI scheme was the fact that it addressedissues of recruitment but didnt tackle staff retention issues as well, because it was aimedat first home buyers, not potential family home buyers.Any future scheme should therefore enable people to trade up and purchase familyhomes, she said. Also, we need to look at provisions for social rental at an Intermediate

level, because not all Key Workers want to buy homes. For example, we might assistoverseas nurses on a four year contract with rental housing.Ms Verrall added that the ODPM was consulting with public sector employers via othergovernment departments, such as the department of health, the Home Office for lawenforcement employees, and the department of education and skills, in an attempt toobtain their financial contribution to future schemes.Modular construction for affordable housing projectsThe UKs largest builder of portable and prefabricated buildings has made a successfultransition into the affordable housing market in recent years, with projects in London, Yorkand Manchester. Yorkon now boasts a dedicated production line for residential projects atits 60 acre factory facility in York, where it also prefabricates buildings for supermarkets,restaurants, hotels and temporary office accommodation.The companys first room modules, which consisted of two rooms on either side of a 1.2mwide corridor, were developed for hotel clients such as Jarvis, Forte and Hilton.Yorkons Commercial Team Manager, Peter Browne, said that the company aimed tocomplete as much construction as possible in the factory. That way we can control thecost, quality and the program in York, he said, leaving only the site connection and

cladding to onsite contractors.The steel framed modules, with columns on each corner and two or three intermediatecolumns on the longer sides, are built to a tolerance of 3.5mm, and can be stacked up tosix floors high. Under the floor, they feature elastomeric bearing blocks to transfer the loadand reduce vibrations between units. Internally, every flat is fully finished at the factory,from the plumbing and fixtures and fittings, to floor coverings, painting and decorating.The completed units are stacked in the factory yard prior to being transported to theirintended location on a trailer, and then lifted onto the site by a crane. Services to eachroom are connected by Yorkon tradespeople via a service riser panel situated in the

central hallway, thereby negating the need to re-enter the rooms themselves. Prior totransport, the modules are clad with aluminium, so that final facades can be fitted onsiteaccording to the client or designers specification.


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Mr Browne said that it was rare for the units to be damaged in transit. There is nomovement at all in the fixed frame, he explained. Occasionally we get a hairline crackbetween the wall and the ceiling in some modules, but that only happens in 2% of cases,and it can be decorated on the site.

At its headquarters in York, the company employs nearly 900 people, including qualifiedtradespeople such as electricians, M&E specialists and decorators, and non skilledlabourers, who work across the Portakabin and Yorkon business. Office based employeeswork in design, engineering, sales, marketing and administration roles. Only a few finishingtrades, such as tiling and floorcoverings, are carried out by local subcontractors.Once the individual components are completed and internally fitted out at the factory, theyare stored in the yard prior to delivery. The main contractor prepares the site and buildsthe access decks, before up to nine completed modules are landed at the site each day. Ateam of Yorkon employees then joins the modules together, weatherproofs the buildings,

connects the services, and clads the modules before occupation. Depending on the size ofthe job, the whole process can take less than six months.According to Mr Browne, the company has no problems attracting and retaining staff,particularly tradespeople who appreciate the relative comfort of working in a factory asopposed to working on outdoor building sites.We also train apprentices here: weve taken on six in the last year, mainly in joinery andMechanical and Engineering positions, he said. Its very easy to attract people to workhere, not just in the factory line but also in the office: when we advertise a vacancy its ajob to sort through them.The company is currently working on a 102 unit proposal for a Manchester-based housingassociation, where each module measures 9.3 x 4m and comprises a separate flat.Mr Browne is confident that the commissions will continue to roll in, particularly followingthe success of Murray Grove in Londons Hackney.We are working with partners, and we know what schemes they have on the drawingboard at the moment, and they know which ones they plan to go modular with, he said.We have direct contacts with both housing associations and architects, and dont tend todo any direct marketing. We actually have more enquiries than we could cope with

building, but the difficulty is in translating the right types of enquiries.The buildings comply with local building codes throughout the country via the companyspartnership with the York Building Commission, and certification from the national code co-ordinator, LANTAC (Local Authority National Type Approval Confederation).Mr Browne said that the major benefit of building in the factory was the ability to repeat,repeat, repeat.Thats not to say that we cant do a few different modules in one schedule, he said. Forexample, at Raines Dairy, we produced 61 flats, and there were 24 flat types, including

one, two and three bedroom units, all with different permutations according to party wallsand external walls.


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Case StudiesProject: Greenwich PeninsulaLocation: Greenwich, East LondonClient: English PartnershipsDeveloper: Meridian Delta Limited (jv partners Lend Lease and Quintain

Estates)Architect: Masterplan by Richard Rogers Partnership

Individual parcels to be undertaken byBuilder: subject to public tenderCost: 4.5 billion total investmentCommencement date: 1997 Infrastructure

2004 or 2005 Residential and commercial developmentCompletion date: 2020Financing type: Private investment and Housing AssociationNo of units: n/aUnit type/s: 6 20 floor apartment towers and townhouses

Potential occupants: Owner occupiers, private rental tenants, shared ownership forkey workers, public rental tenants

Construction method: tbaWhat makes this project interesting?Greenwich Peninsula is Europes largest urban renewal project: it aims to provide asustainable community for 20,000 residents and 24,000 workers by 2020.

Figure 1 - The Richard Rogers' Masterplan for the Greenwich Peninsula blends homes, roads,

services, shops, transport and leisure facilities into a coherent, ecologically friendly whole.

For more than 150 years until the early 1990s, 70% of the Peninsula was occupied by agasworks, earning the site the unfortunate title of the most contaminated site in Europe.In 1997, the government agency responsible for regeneration, English Partnerships, paidBritish Gas 20 million for 300 acres (121 hectares), before spending 180 million onremediation and the provision of infrastructure, services and landscaping. The governmentannounced plans to extend the Jubilee Underground Line from Waterloo to Stratford priorto development plans being finalised, and construction commenced in 1995. As a result,

the Peninsula boasts a state-of-the-art Tube and Bus interchange, designed by Will Alsopwith additions by Foster and Partners, providing a 20 minute connection to the city andwest end.


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English Partnerships commissioned architect Sir Richard Rogers to prepare the masterplan for the Greenwich Peninsula, and outline planning proposal documents weresubmitted to the London Borough of Greenwich for approval in 1997. In 1998, thegovernment convened an Urban Taskforce, chaired by Sir Richard Rogers, to identify thecauses of urban decline in England, and offer practical recommendations to draw people

back into cities, towns and urban neighbourhoods. From this process, Rogers produced areport, Towards and Urban Renaissance, which championed the redevelopment ofbrownfield sites with an emphasis on design excellences, social well being andenvironmental responsibility.Rogers Greenwich Peninsula master plan aimed to integrate homes, roads, services,shops, transport and leisure facilities into a coherent, ecologically friendly whole, whileproducing a showcase for British urban regeneration. In 1999, the first land parcels wereoffered to private developers. Partners Countrywide Properties and Taylor Woodrowacquired the site of the Greenwich Millennium Village (see case study below), whereresidents have moved into stage one, and construction is continuing on stage two, while

stages three and four are in the final planning phase. On the south western part of the site,a new hotel sits alongside the countrys most environmentally advanced supermarket, amultiplex cinema and several home and lifestyle stores.The largest, and most contentious, portion of the site was sold in December 2001, whenMeridian Delta Limited (MDL, a joint venture partnership between Lend Lease Europe andQuintain Estates & Development) acquired 190 acres at the northern end. MDL obtainedapproval from both Greenwich council and the Mayor of London for its developmentproposals in 2003.What lessons can be learned from this project?Although MDL has not yet finalised its housing designs, it does intend to match thepublicly announced standards of Greenwich Millennium Village and has committed toachieving BREEAMs Excellent rating, according to MDLs Community DevelopmentManager, Susie Wilson. So we are currently developing environmental building codes forour third party developers, she explained. So far, we have defined the overall envelopefor each building and resolved worse case scenarios in terms of shadowing, orientationand cross ventilation.Within the MDL development, buildings along the river front will reach a maximum of 24storeys, with six to eight floors the average height for interior structures. The delivery of

affordable housing within the MDL scheme will exceed GMVs, following the decision bythe Mayor to impose a minimum of 38% on the project. Anna Ladyman, MDLs real estatesolutions expert, said that most of that would be offered as social rental housing to housingbenefit recipients.There will also be a smaller proportion offered as intermediate housing [as defined bysalary and job type in the Draft London Plan] for residents who are economically active,but are struggling to get onto the housing ladder, she said. Further options will includediscounted for sale homes, set at roughly 70% of market value, and other communityhousing, such as for students, or sheltered or nursing home accommodation.Prior to MDL acquiring its development parcel, English Partnerships enforced stringent

development briefs for the private sector addressing economic, social and environmentalconcerns, according to EPs Greenwich Peninsula Marketing Manager, Catherine Snow.


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These include minimising private car use in favour of public transport, providing localemployment, ensuring good quality, strong design and encouraging innovation inconstruction. she said.The focus on sustainability is a key aspect of MDL's approach too. According to Susie

Wilson, MDLs Community Development Manager, the company is addressing social andeconomic factors by working with local businesses and Greenwich council to ensureemployment for local people, thereby improving the skills base for sustainable careers.We are working with local colleges, such as Greenwich University, two Beacon [adulteducation] colleges and the London Leisure College, to provide training to help localpeople get jobs on the Peninsula, Ms Wilson added. In addition, we are working withlocal business owners in Greenwich, most of whom employ less than 10 people, tofacilitate their expansion to the Peninsula as development occurs.The focus on transport is expected to meet both environmental and social objectives.Millennium celebrations at the Dome set the tone for minimal car access: most visitors

arrived by Tube or coach, with onsite parking reserved for disabled users. MDL ischallenging the role of the car, and is attempting to manage car use to the point where youwont need one anymore, said Lawrence Robertson, chief architect with the project.Also, throughout the project, we have incorporated low emission zones, where entry willbe controlled according to the age of each vehicle and the type of fuel it uses, as well ascontrolled parking zones and low car parking ratios, that will probably reduce over timefrom the current level of .7 spaces per residence, Mr Robertson explained.While the new public transport interchange provides good links to central London andsome neighbouring areas, connections to other parts of the borough are still problematic.Even though it only takes 20 minutes to get here from Eltham by car, it takes 1 hoursby bus, Ms Wilson said. So we are working on improvements to accessibility across theborough through new and modified bus routes, were addressing signalling and frequencyissues on the Jubilee Line extension in conjunction with Transport for London, and werecollaborating on the provision of a new bridge across the river by 2016, Mr Robertsonadded.Other environmental concerns have resulted in significant conservation and remediation,in addition to the initial rehabilitation. In 1997, communications services and utilities wereinstalled in separate troughs at the edges of the new roads to prevent future disturbanceand disruption for maintenance and repair. EP also worked with the Environment Agency

to conserve 2km of riverside parkland, and a further project restored fendering and saltmarsh terraces alongside the Thames, for improved flood defences. Combined with a newfoot and cycle path, these measures have resulted in improved wildlife habitats andincreased public accessibility to the river.


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Figure 2 English Partnerships worked with the Environment Agency to conserve 2km of riversideparkland, and restore fendering and salt marsh terraces alongside the Thames, for improved flood

defences.

Sustainability extends to the Peninsulas new Sainburys supermarket, which opened in2001, and has already demonstrated energy savings of 50% over a traditionalsupermarket design. Factors that contribute to energy savings include natural lighting viaroof windows, passive ventilation which is operational 90% of the time, the use ofearthbanks for insulation, and the installation of energy efficient appliances and low levellighting.

The store also collects rainwater and recycles grey water for irrigation, and boasts bothphotovoltaic cells and a wind turbine, which generate power for all of its exterior signage. Itshares one car park with the neighbouring 12-screen cinema complex and non-foodretailer, and Sainsburys is applying the lessons learned at new store developments acrossthe country.

Figure 3 - Sainsburys' Greenwich Peninsula store has already demonstrated energy savings of 50%over traditional supermarket design.


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Project: Greenwich Millennium VillageLocation: Greenwich, East LondonClient: Greenwich Millennium Village LimitedDeveloper: Greenwich Millennium Village LimitedArchitect: Masterplan and Design by Erskine & Tovatt,

Stage 1 in association with EPR Architects,Stage 2 in association with Proctor and Matthews,

Builder: Countryside Properties and Taylor WoodrowCost: n/aCommencement date: 1999Completion date: 2007Financing type: Private investors and Housing AssociationNo of units: 1,600Unit type/s: One to four bedroom units in multistorey apartments and

townhouses.Potential occupants: Owner occupiers, and market rate and public housing rental

tenants.Construction method: Some onsite prefabrication combined with some traditional

constructionWhat makes this project interesting?

Figure 4 - Ralph Erksine's Masterplan for the Greenwich Millennium Village situated apartments andtownhouses around a series of traditional London squares, which are grouped around a central

village green and man-made lake.

Greenwich Millennium Village is the countrys largest green housing development, and hasset new benchmarks for environmental building across the country. Architect RalphErskine conceived the master plan and designed the first stage of housing for the 13hectare site. Each section is set around an updated version of the traditional Londonsquare, and then grouped around a central village green and man-made lake, with greencorridors connecting the river and the rest of the Peninsula.


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Figure 5 - Each of GMVs four sections is set around an updated version of the traditional Londonsquare, and then grouped around a central village green and man-made lake, with green corridors

connecting the river and the rest of the Peninsula.

Erskines housing designs emphasise energy efficiency and mixed tenure communities:the entire development will provides nearly 1,600 dwellings in the form of units andtownhouses. Of these, about 20% will be offered as social housing and a further 12% asmarket rate rental accommodation. As well as maximising the advantages of solarorientation and cross ventilation, the development aims to reduce energy consumptionthrough the use of low-embodied energy materials and low energy appliances, and willgenerate power onsite for central heating, hot water and electricity for all residents, using aCombined Heat and Power (CHP) system.

Figure 6 Greenwich Millennium Village minimises car use and creates opportunities for communityinteraction in compact and character-filled streets.

The project uses innovative construction techniques, such as modular bathroom andkitchen pods, and prefabricated cladding and window solutions which are assembled in


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onsite factories prior to installation, resulting in lower costs, better quality finishes, and lessconstruction waste.

Figure 7 - GMV uses innovative construction techniques, such as modular bathroom and kitchenpods, and prefabricated cladding and window solutions, which are assembled in onsite factories

prior to installation.

Although the project is not yet half finished: the first residential stage is complete andoccupied, while the second stage was nearing completion around the time of my visit,several community facilities, including a primary school and health centre, have alreadyopened. Public transport, including buses and underground trains are also operational,with further services to be added as the population on the peninsula increases. Local jobsare available at retail outlets, a Royal Mail sorting office and the remaining industries onthe western side of the peninsula.

Figure 8 - The new Millennium Primary School is already open. After hours, the school is used as acommunity meeting place for local events.

What lessons can be learned from this project?

According to EPR Architect Brendan Phelan, Greenwich Millennium Village tries to strikea balance between ecological objectives, such as water and energy saving devices, andcommercial realities. At the same time, the project has been built using new constructiontechniques that reduce both time and cost, result in fewer defects, and virtually eliminateconstruction waste (which accounts for 40% of the countrys landfill).Mr Phelan said that GMVs achievements to date, including achieving an Excellent ratingusing the BREEAM system for eco-homes, had performed an educational role. Ratherthan just meeting existing targets, GMV raises the bar in terms of what other developerscould do, and it helps to educate the market in that respect, he said. Since completing thefirst stage, development partner Taylor Woodrow has committed to meeting the same

ecological standards for all its new homes nationwide, thereby exceeding existing coderequirements.


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Mr Phelan also said that in most cases, socially deprived sectors were living in thepoorest quality housing [in England], so they are being doubly deprived. He suggestedthat providing ecologically sensitive homes would save those residents money by reducingtheir utility bills, and therefore contribute to their ability to eventually move out of the socialhousing sector.

Mr Phelan said that while modularised and prefabricated construction was currently moreexpensive than traditional forms of building (by between 20 and 30%), and needed at least100 units to be viable, it offered significant advantages in terms of defects and wasteminimisation. For bathrooms and kitchens, for example, theres a lot of tradesconcentrated in one area, and it becomes technically difficult to co-ordinate, he said.Tiles get chipped, things get stolen, and they are the areas with the most defects, soprefab is great for those rooms.Mr Phelan also said that the density of the GMV would be an important factor in itssuccess. In the UK, suburban sprawl means about 26 or 27 houses per hectare, and the

knock on effect of that is that you dont have enough houses for a local shop or to supportfrequent and reliable public transport, he said. Therefore 50 units per hectare is seen asideal, and GMV should equate to about 170 units per hectare, compared to a maximumdensity in London of about 800 units per hectare. We think the density at this project willprovide an optimum level for the residents without the disadvantages of overcrowding.Proctor and Matthews architect Stephen Proctor said GMV provided a good example ofplanning for sustainable communities. We are interested in creating sustainableneighbourhoods, not through photo voltaics and wind turbines, but by making peopleresponsible for their environment in different ways, he said. We want to avoid first homebuyer ghettos, or socially deprived ghettos, and build proper communities by designinstead. So at GMV, like other mixed income housing projects, we dont seek todifferentiate between private and affordable homes: there shouldnt be a distinction.Project: BedZED, the Beddington Zero Energy DevelopmentLocation: Sutton, SurreyClient: Peabody TrustDeveloper: Peabody Trust and BioRegional (an environmental organisation

that aims to bring local sustainability into mainstream businessand industry)

Architect: Bill Dunster Architects

Builder: not knownCost: not knownCommencement date: 1999Completion date: 2000Financing type: not known No of units: 82Unit type/s: 1, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom flats and houses for private and public sale

and rentPotential occupants: Singles, families and couples eligible for housing association

accommodation.Construction method: not known


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What makes this project interesting?BedZED is an environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient mix of housing and work spaces,and was the first in the UK to incorporate up-to-the minute thinking on sustainabledevelopment into every aspect of the scheme. The development only uses energy fromrenewable sources generated onsite, making it the countrys first large-scale carbon

neutral community. It aims to show that it is possible to meet demand for new housingwithout destroying the countryside, and to demonstrate that an eco-friendly lifestyle can beeasy, affordable and attractive.

Figure 9 BedZED only uses energy from renewable sources generated onsite, making it the UKsfirst large-scale carbon neutral community.

Where possible, building materials were selected from natural, renewable or recycledsources, and purchased within a 35-mile radius of the site. The houses were designed tobe energy-efficient, and are all south facing so as to most of the heat from the sun, withexcellent insulation and triple-glazed windows. Rubbish bins in each home are divided into

`four compartments, for paper and card, and glass and tin recycling, as well as green andgeneral waste, while each kitchen features electricity and water meters, so that residentscan monitor their own consumption regularly.

Figure 10 - Recycle bins and water and electricity meters in every kitchen make it easy for BedZED'sresidents to reduce waste to landfill and monitor resource consumption.

A site wide water strategy, including installing water saving appliances and making themost of rain and recycled water, reduces mains consumption by one third, while a greentransport plan reduces reliance on cars by cutting the need for travel (through internetshopping links and on-site facilities) and providing alternatives to driving such as a carpool. Residents can hire electric cars for local journeys, and the nearest major shopping

area in Sutton provides car recharging points.


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Residents can reduce their total energy demand by up to 60%, with a 90% reduction inheat demand, compared to a typical suburban home.What lessons can be learned from this project?According to interviews and research carried out by the projects designers and managers,

BedZEDs residents are very happy with the philosophy behind their homes and thepracticalities of the scheme. Architect Bill Dunster claims that the project provides answerto many of the problems facing planners and politicians as they try to meet the demand forhousing in the 21st century: The site is an good example of creative use of brownfield land (the site was formerly a

sewage treatment plant); The mix of living and work space cuts down on commuting and helps boost the local

economy; and The mix of homes: for sale and rent on affordable and market terms, attracts people

with high and low incomes, creating a diverse and inclusive community.

The development generates and uses heat and energy produced onsite by a combinedheat and power unit (CHP), which eliminates the use of fossil fuels and avoids carbonemissions. The CHP is fuelled by waste timber from local tree surgery, which wouldnormally go to landfill. The CHP unit generates electricity and distributes hot water aroundthe site via insulated pipes. These deliver heat to domestic hot water cylinders positionedcentrally in every home and office, doubling up as heat emitters in cold spells. Excesselectricity is exported to the National Grid, to be retrieved at times of site peak electricaldemand to supplement the CHP generation.The buildings have been designed to conserve energy: heat loss is drastically reduced by

an overcoat of super-insulation to the roofs, walls and floors, so that heat from sunshine,lights, appliances, hot water, and everyday activities such as cooking, keep the housescosy and warm. (The thick walls of the building prevent overheating in summer and storewarmth in the winter to be released slowly during cooler periods such as night and onovercast days.)

Figure 11 - Every home has a private garden, even on the upper floors, as well as a cosy sunroomthat is well sealed to prevent heat loss.

The windows are triple-glazed, while their timber frames further reduce heat loss. Well-sealed windows and doors, and the concrete construction stop the heat leaking out. A heatexchanger in the wind-driven ventilation system recovers between 50% and 70% of thewarmth from the outgoing stale air. Also, the houses face south and are fitted withphotovoltaic solar panels, which generate power for recharging points for electric vehicles.At the time of completion, kitchens were installed with the latest energy-saving appliances,


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while low-energy lighting means that even if a family has a light on in every room, the totaluse will still only be 120 watts.Water saving measures include the installation of water-efficient appliances, such aswashing machines, using lower-volume baths and fitting taps with water-saving flow

restrictors, installing dual flush toilets, and collecting rainwater and recycled water which isstored in large tanks in the foundations for reuse. Outside, the developments car parkingspaces were laid with porous block paving over gravel to minimise surface run off, andrunoff from sky gardens, roads and pavements is drained to the front of the developmentwhere a dry ditch has been enhanced into a water feature specially designed to attractwild-life. BedZEDs wastewater is treated on site by a small-scale sewage treatmentsystem known as the Living Machine. It extracts nutrients for plant food, and treats thewater so that it can be recycled back to the underground water tanks to supplementrainwater for flushing the toilet.

Figure 12 BedZED features water efficient appliances, low flow taps and low volume baths, as wellas energy efficient kitchen and laundry appliances.

Project: Murray GroveLocation: Stoke Newington, North LondonClient: Peabody TrustDeveloper: Peabody TrustArchitect: Cartwright Pickard ArchitectsBuilder: YorkonCost: 2.315 millionCommencement date: Competition held 1998, construction commenced February

1999Completion date: September 1999

Financing type: Public funding through Housing Association No of units: 30 Unit type/s: One- and two-bedroom apartmentsPotential occupants: 50% of units are rented at subsidised rates to key workers who

meet eligibility criteria, 50% are rented at full market rates.Construction method: Factory built modules installed, connected and clad onsite


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Figure 13 - Murray Grove was the UK's first modular, multi-storey, affordable housing project.

What makes this project interesting?Yorkons first residential project was Murray Grove, an affordable housing developmentcommissioned by the Peabody Trust, for a corner site in Stoke Newington, North London.Peabody held a design competition for the project, which consists of 30 one- and two-

bedroom apartments, and specified offsite forms of construction.Half of the units are rented at subsidised rates to key workers, such as teachers andnurses, who have stable incomes but are often unable to meet the rising costs of privaterents in London, while the other half are rented at full market rates.According to James Cartwright, architect and partner at Cartwright Pickard Architects, thefact that he had worked in Sweden for two years, where he became familiar with flatpacked timber construction methods, helped his six month old architecture firm to win thecompetition in 1998. The firms unique approach to design and construction was also acontributing factor, Mr Cartwright said. The architecture profession has lost sight of whothey are designing for, he asserted. They are too focussed on design for designs sake,and are not solving problems, or arriving at buildings that will be great places to live andwork for 100 years.We dont see construction technology as an end in itself: the end result of our work is abeautiful and functional building that works, and will last a long time and age well.The firms design for Murray Grove took advantage of the corner site by placing two wingsalong Murray Grove and Shepherdess Walk, off a central tower that contains a secureentry lobby at ground level, and lift and stair access to the upper floors.

Figure 14 - Murray Grove is situated on a corner site, with a leafy south facing internal courtyard.


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The one-bedroom apartments consist of two 8m x 3.2m modules, while the two-bedroomunits comprise three modules. All bedrooms and living rooms have interior dimensions of5.15m x 3m, and there are no internal corridors.Apartments are accessed via 1.5 metre wide external corridors positioned on the street

elevation, while individual balconies, large enough to accommodate a table and fourchairs, overlook a central south-facing courtyard. The balconies and access ways wereassembled onsite from precast concrete and steel-rod cross bracing. The roof elementsand circular entrance tower that contains the lift and stairwell were also delivered asmodular elements.

Figure 15 The street frontage features access balconies, while private balconies overlook theinternal courtyard.

Inside each unit, the front door gives immediate access to the bathroom and kitchen,which are positioned on the street side to provide a buffer from external noise, whilebedrooms and living spaces overlook the quieter courtyard. The courtyard elevation wasdry clad with red cedar, while the street elevations feature clip-on terracotta panels, with

the modular margins clearly expressed.

Figure 16 - The front door opens onto the kitchen and bathroom, eliminating the need for corridors.

The entire project cost 2.315 million and took just 32 weeks to complete. Pile foundationswere installed in February 1999, the first 35 apartment modules were landed in three daysat the end of March, and the final 39 modules were erected in mid-April. The lift and stairtower erection was next, followed by the access deck and roof, with final completion andhandover taking place in September 1999.


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Figure 17 - The entire project took just 32 weeks from commencement to completion, with moduleslanded onsite in just than ten days.

All photos of Murray Grove courtesy of Cartwright Pickard Architects and Yorkon.The project has since won ten design awards, including a 2000 Housing Design Award,and was short listed for the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) Stirling Prize for

architecture, alongside projects such as the London Eye and Canary Wharf Station, in thesame year.In 2001, Cartwright Pickard Architects won a second modular Yorkon project, from clientsYork Housing and the City of York, who commissioned the Sixth Avenue affordablehousing scheme. The firm used a similar plan to Murray Grove, with six floors ofapartments placed around a private, landscaped courtyard. The 2m project featured 24one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, constructed from 48 modules, and wascompleted in April 2002.

Figure 18 - The Sixth Avenue project in York features terracotta cladding on the ground floor andwestern red cedar above (left). The stair and lift tower gives way to access balconies that overlook

the courtyard (right).What lessons can be learned from this project?Architect James Cartwright said that lessons learnt and improved efficiencies meant thatthe Sixth Avenue project cost 20% less in real terms than its predecessor, Murray Grove.The firm is now working on a third modular affordable housing project, also for PeabodyTrust, featuring more than 200 units.Since working with Yorkon on modular schemes, Cartwright Pickard Architects developeda modular system for housing construction in the USA, with a developer based in Chicago,and has also designed a flat packed timber housing system for distribution in the UK,starting this year

We believe that our primary market for the timber frame product will be low rise familytype dwellings and apartments up to five or six stories, Cartwright said. Well be using the


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latest Swedish technologies, and well be able to undercut traditional forms of constructionon cost, and the product will be watertight just two days after starting construction.Mr Cartwright said another benefit of the new system was that bathrooms and kitchenswould be manufactured in pods offsite, improving quality and speed of installation.

Once you own one of these homes and you want to renovate the bathroom or kitchen,you can select your new design from the catalogue, order it from the factory, and thenchange it out in a day, instead of living through renovations for weeks on end, with nocertain completion date, he said.Essentially, the whole house is a kit of parts: customers will be able to design acustomised house designed by an architect, he continued. Then it can be clad accordingto the clients choice, so volume house builders could buy our kits and clad them inGeorgian brick if they want to.

The main advantages, Mr Cartwright said, were quality control at the site, predictability interms of program and cost, and the fact that buildings should be almost defect free. Kitswill be erected onsite by semi-skilled labourers, but Mr Cartwright said that the companyaimed to the housing equivalent of Volkswagen Golfs, not Ladas.We know that our timber framing partner is currently building 2,000 homes a year, and weexpect that figure will double in two the three years, and then again in three years afterthat.Mr Cartwright said that complete offsite manufacture, like that done by Yorkon, was not assuited to housing as other building types. The supply is still limited, and theirmanufacturing capacity is not what it could be, he claimed. That means that [thosebuilders] are more likely to go for building types with higher return, such as hospitals andhotels, than housing. Thats part of the reason weve established our new product: wedont want to compete with steel frame companies, though.Mr Cartwright asserted that Murray Grove had made affordable housing sexy. The vastmajority of big name architecture firms didnt want to touch affordable housing before,because the fees are not high, and its not glamorous work, he said. Also, you have toreally deal with clients and their needs, so other firms have tended to produce lots of bigoffice buildings, but they are turning to affordable architecture now that the office market is

declining.It helps that the Housing Association is becoming more enlightened, he added. Thegovernment has encouraged them to employ good architects, and theres anacknowledgement now that the quality of affordable housing is very important.


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Project: Raines DairyLocation: Hackney, North East LondonClient: Peabody TrustDeveloper: Peabody TrustArchitect: Allford, Hall, Monaghan and Morris

Builder: YorkonCost: 4.9 millionCommencement date: 2001Completion date: 2002Financing type: Public funding through Housing AssociationNo of units: 61Unit type/s: Two- and three-bedroom apartments (x 53) for subsidised rent

and shared ownership and Live/Work units (x 8) for market salePotential occupants: Subsidised units forresidents with incomes of up to 25,000

and market rate purchasers.Construction method: Factory built modules installed, connected and clad onsite

Figure 19 - Raines Dairy is the first Yorkon modular project to offer homes for sale.

What makes this project interesting?The success of Murray Grove prompted another affordable housing development inLondon in 2001. Raines Dairy was also commissioned by the Peabody Trust, andconstructed with modules manufactured by Yorkon.Architect Simon Allford said that the process of designing modular units helped tomaximise internal space efficiencies, partly because circulation space is virtuallyeliminated. You can improve the efficiency of units, in terms of the shape, layout and

access, he said. I think the key to good design is to stop measuring homes in terms ofsquared feet, and to start thinking in terms of squared feet of useable space.We included balconies at Raines Dairy, and used lower quality finishes, becauseresidents can upgrade the finishes down the track, but they cant add a balcony later.


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Figure 20 - The modules at Raines Dairy incorporate balconies for each apartment (left) and itfeatures an impressive, secure lobby.

The project used 127 modules ranging in length from 9.6 to 11.6 metres, with an increasedwidth to 3.8m, which helped to reduce installation and transport costs. The live/work unitsare located on the ground floor of the T-shaped plan, with five floors of two-bedroom

apartments above, and the three-bedroom units in a separate wing at the rear.The entire project was completed in just 50 weeks, a saving of 40% compared totraditional onsite building. The main faade was clad with shiplap profiled zinc panels, withzinc cover strips to mask the modular joints, and painted cladding in the balcony recessesto define each unit. The other elevations were finished in larch timber cladding.The triangular site was bordered by a railway line cutting, a clearway arterial road andexisting housing, making it an ideal candidate for prefabricated construction. However,according to Mr Allford, while modular construction offers one solution to Londons housingaffordability problems and tight sights, it should not be seen as the only option.

Figure 21 - The triangular site's location, bordered by a railway cutting, a busy arterial road andexisting housing, made it a prime candidate for offsite construction.

Prefab produces boxes, not flats, he said. You still need the same trades in the factoryas you would need for construction from scratch onsite, but you do improve worksiteconditions, so its easier to encourage people to work in a trade. While the lead times canbe longer for prefabrication, the process is better for the surrounding areas than traditionalconstruction.AAHM is now working on a project called MoMo, short for Mobile Modular, which usesoffice technologies and is designed to be moved to different sites every five years or so as

land uses change.What lessons can be learned from this project?


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Architect Simon Allford said that the use of prefabricated modules called into questionfundamental architectural issues about land and place, and that architects and clientsneeded to be attentive to avoid producing housing solutions that were not site specific.He also added that there was too much emphasis on construction time and cost when

assessing the practicality of modular construction. Theres too many glib comments abouton time, and on budget, he said, arguing that modular housing offered other benefits thatwere not so easily quantified, such as internal space planning efficiencies and suitabilityfor difficult infill sites.Mr Allford also argued that the Mayor of Londons 50% affordable housing target for newconstruction was killing off schemes. We are currently looking at a [mixed tenure]scheme with 60 private and 25 affordable units, and on top of that, the planners want thedeveloper to deliver 1 m in landscape improvements, he said.Housing for key workers would be one of the biggest challenges in the future in London,

Mr Allford said, wondering which agency or level of government would acceptresponsibility for providing it. You really need subsidised land to make it viable, he said.We need to rethink land use, and work to renew existing land in the inner city. If there wasa clear and straightforward system for calculating land tax, that would make developmenteasier: at the moment planning requirements differ from site to site, and the greatestuncertainty is not the build cost but the development cost.Project: Microflat prototypeClient: not yet securedDeveloper: not yet securedArchitect: Piercy Conner ArchitectsBuilder: The Microflat CompanyCost: for sale at less than 100,000 per unitCommencement date: prototype designed in 2002Completion date: n/aFinancing type: Seeking public financing solutions to ensure eligibility criteria

are in place and affordability is maintained over timeNo of units: Multiples of 18Unit type/s: One bedroom unitsPotential occupants: Key workers who meet eligibility criteriaConstruction method: Modularised steel framed construction

What makes this project interesting?Architects Stuart Piercy and Richard Conner came up with the Microflat prototype as asolution to their own affordable housing problem in London they were unable to findsuitable housing in inner London that they and their friends could afford to buy. TheMicroflat is a compact but space-efficient flat that they hoped to develop on a small butcentral site. When they realised the potential of the design to address Londons shortageof housing for key workers and young professionals, the pair decided to streamline theconstruction process to produce a modular product, before securing a construction anddevelopment partner, with a view to developing sites across the capital.

The architects are partners at Piercy Conner, which they established in 1999. The firmnow has about 16 staff, and according to architect Leonard Milford, is primarily interestedin exploring housing solutions to address sustainability and affordability issues, while


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taking into account changing demographics and market forces. The firm has entered manyhousing competitions, and developed several new housing types, including the FlexibleLiving Opportunities (FLO) project, based on Victorian townhouses and the Microflat.While the latter began life as a private project, the firm has worked tirelessly to promote its

ability to deal with a shortage of affordable housing for key workers in London. The onebedroom Microflat measures just 32.5m2, about two-thirds of the size of an average one-bedroom flat in London. Taking inspiration from yacht design, the architects made use ofevery available inch of space, incorporating a small double bedroom, a pod containing ashower and toilet, storage space, and a kitchen / living area that provides access to asmall balcony. Ceilings are 2.8 metres high to provide an enhanced feeling of space andmaximise natural light from floor to ceiling windows, the walls are heavily insulated to keepnoise at bay, and the interiors are attractively fitted out with laminated floors, architecturalironmongery and kitchen fittings from market leaders such as Neff.

Figure 22 - The Microflat measures just 32.5m2, but includes a small double bedroom, kitchen and

bathroom pod, and a living area with a small balcony.

Prospective developments might include up to 40 units, sited for solar orientation andpassive ventilation. The proposed developments would also include facilities for residentssuch as gardens, barbecues and tennis courts, to foster interaction and provide outdoorleisure space.


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Figure 23 - Microflats could be stacked on top of each other, for privacy and optimum solarorientation, on small central sites, with community facilities on the roof.

To demonstrate the feasibility of the Microflat, a prototype was installed in a store window

at Selfridges, a department store on Londons Oxford Street, in January 2002. Two single24 year old professionals, a male bank worker and a female market researcher, spent aweek each living in the unit, in full view of passers by.

study of sustainable and affordable housing

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