Beds in sheds go legal
October 25th, 2012
UPDATE: Landlords solution to housing shortage live in a garage
Click photo for article (subscription required)
“Temporary structures that add low-cost housing to existing east London estates judged top in Building Trust International competition. Levitt Bernstein has defeated an 85-strong short list in the international contest to design low-cost, single-occupancy housing for urban areas. The studio’s winning proposal uses temporary structures to occupy redundant garages on housing estates in east London.”
Dezeen have more or less published the whole article here with illustrations, subscription free.
http://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/25/pop-up-housing-in-garages-by-levitt-bernstein/
Levitt Bernstein have long been fond of single aspect housing so this comes as no surprise and is perhaps to be commended as an example of them putting their expertise in this area to good use. I hope however that unlike the wartime examples which lasted 60 years instead of 10 that these don’t become the default housing of those with nowhere else to live, although having said that I’d rather this than in shop doorways and under bridges.
See also this article from Building Magazine from August 2009:-
More room: the demise of the ultra small flat
[ . . . ]
Levitt Bernstein has also been looking at housebuilders’ designs for the communities department to see how Lifetime Homes could be applied.
[ . . . ]
Some of the designs coming forward from housebuilders also aim for greater densities. One idea is to pack more homes on to the site by building three-storey single-aspect, back-to-back terraces so the houses don’t have back gardens and are tall and narrow. Some second-floor rooms at the back of the houses in the centre of the terrace do not have windows and so get light and ventilation through lightwells. These designs, though they allow more houses per hectare than occurs with traditional designs, necessitate some compromises, says Park. “It might not be for suitable for teenagers spending all their time in their bedrooms, but for a couple with an office and a spare room it is fine.” [my emphasis – Ed.]
[ . . . ]
Beds in sheds links:-
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/2208160
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19800791
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/343128/Crackdown-on-beds-in-sheds-landlords
Opinion
I find it quite depressing that we’ve come to this. A renovated tower block flat with a concierge in place and 24hr security would be far preferable to living in a converted garage. It’s third world. It’s desperate. It’s the lack of housing provision. It’s the result of 30 years of building far too few council houses and residualising the sector. It’s a disgrace.
Levitt Bernstein have read this article – 2/11/12 – their ip 109.239.86.10