8. WHAT IS
BIRMINGHAM HOUSE?

9. MONOCULTURE

10. MULTICULTURE

11. THE BIRMINGHAM HOUSE
challenge the traditional and outmoded thinking

12. THE BIRMINGHAM HOUSE
challenge the traditional and outmoded thinking
explore potential for new lifestyles

13. THE BIRMINGHAM HOUSE
challenge the traditional and outmoded thinking
explore potential for new lifestyles
fresh thinking

14. THE BIRMINGHAM HOUSE
challenge the traditional and outmoded thinking
explore potential for new lifestyles
fresh thinking
push the boundaries & introduce new standards

15. THE BIRMINGHAM HOUSE
challenge the traditional and outmoded thinking
explore potential for new lifestyles
fresh thinking
push the boundaries & introduce new standards
distinct to Birmingham

16. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality

17. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality
diversity

18. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality
diversity
lifestyle

19. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality
diversity
lifestyle
technological innovation

20. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality
diversity
lifestyle
technological innovation
environmental sustainability

21. NEW STANDARDS TO CHALLENGE:
design quality
diversity
lifestyle
technological innovation
environmental sustainability
management

36. HOUSING STANDARDS

40. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?

41. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?
TO diminish THE POTENTIAL FOR :
interpersonal aggression

42. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?
TO diminish THE POTENTIAL FOR :
interpersonal aggression
withdrawal from the family

43. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?
TO diminish THE POTENTIAL FOR :
interpersonal aggression
withdrawal from the family
sexually deviant behaviour

44. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?
TO diminish THE POTENTIAL FOR :
interpersonal aggression
withdrawal from the family
sexually deviant behaviour
psychological distress

45. WHY IS SPACE IMPORTANT?
TO diminish THE POTENTIAL FOR :
interpersonal aggression
withdrawal from the family
sexually deviant behaviour
psychological distress
physical illness

46. Only ENGLAND & WALES have no
minimum space standards for private housing. All
other European countries do.

47. Only ENGLAND & WALES have no
minimum space standards for private housing. All
other European countries do.
Even Scotland does!

48. Housing Manual (1949)

49. The Parker Morris report (1961)

50. Lifetime Homes standards (1991)

51. The Housing Corporation (1993)

53. The smallest average room size

54. The smallest average room size
The smallest newly-built dwellings in Europe.

55. The smallest average room size
The smallest newly-built dwellings in Europe.
Becoming more condensed, with more rooms in the same space.

56. The smallest average room size
The smallest newly-built dwellings in Europe.
Becoming more condensed, with more rooms in the same space.
Old houses roomy enough to adapt to lifestyles

58. Britain, unlike the USA or most of Europe, uses the number of bedrooms, to define the size of a
home.
But…

59. Britain, unlike the USA or most of Europe, uses the number of bedrooms, to define the size of a
home.
But…
more bedrooms does not mean roomier!

60. WHAT ABOUT
BIRMINGHAM?

61. Places For Living (2001)

62. Places For Living (2001)
Few numerical standards:
Bedroom sizes in family accommodation:
12.6 sq.m - first double bedroom
10.26 sq.m - second double bedroom
6.56 sq.m - single bedrooms
Outdoor space sizes
70 sq.m minimum garden size for family accommodation
52 sq.m for 2 bed houses
42 sq.m for 1 bed houses
30 sq.m per unit for flats and other developments providing
communal amenity space.

63. WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

64. SPACE ARRANGEMENT

65. DESIGN VARIETY

66. HOUSING TYPOLOGY/METHODOLOGY

67. SPACE MANAGEMENT

68. PEOPLE

69. LITERATURE for further readings:
Birmingham City Council, 2001, Supplementary Planning Guidance: Places for Living,
Birmingham
HATC, 2006, Housing Space Standards, Greater London Authority, London
Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1991, Life Time Homes Standards found at
http://www.lifetimehomes.org.uk
Neufert, E., 2000, Architects' data, Blackwell Science, Oxford
Parker Morris Report, 1961, Homes for today & tomorrow, H.M.S.O., London