Would you like to resolve the housing crisis? Part 2; Low-Rise, Medium-Density goes Mainstream…
Last month has seen the publication by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the consultation paper Proposed Policy Approach for Sustainable and Compact Settlements; Guidelines for Planning Authorities. This important guidance has emerged following a major effort from building industry professional bodies, developers, architects, surveyors, cost consultants and from the house building sector, with the same common goal.?Namely, to bring together innumerable sources of research and international best practice, to promote more sustainable, higher-quality and crucially more viable and affordable housing supply in Ireland.
The overarching aim of these proposed changes is to move away from our traditional two-stream focus on suburban, low-density development and alternatively on high-density apartment development and recognise that there is a typology of housing which sits between those two extremes.?It seeks to promote higher densities of between 30 to 80 dwellings per hectare - recognised as the ‘missing middle’ in recent housing development schemes.?With apartment development in most case almost entirely non-viable without significant public sector subsidies or intervention, there is significant commercial focus on a form of housing at a higher density which can replace it.
Increasing density in residential development is a truly positive idea.?Why??Because denser developments result in higher quality, less carbon intensive and more affordable market, social and rental housing.?It responds to the reality of smaller household sizes driving more 1 and 2 bed housing need, which have emerged over the last 30 years in Ireland and are projected to continue to grow.?It promotes the ideals of the 15-minute city and encourages a more community-orientated, connected social infrastructure, supporting local amenities and businesses and relies less on car transportation as the only viable option.?It promotes brownfield development and land use intensification, rather than endless and continuing suburban sprawl.
At Shay Cleary Architects, we have been at the forefront of promoting strategies for Low-Rise, Medium and High-Density residential development, following on from our previous research, publications and under construction projects in a variety of housing sectors.?Since the publication of our original research in 2021, we have been busy implementing these strategies, with projects under construction and under design development.
What has been most exciting is that these strategies are attractive and viable at a number of levels in the market.?We are currently progressing live projects in planning, design development and under construction in the high-value build to rent development sector, in the house-building sector and in the social/ affordable sector, for which we originally developed the ideas.?Whilst our own Low-Rise, High-Density model can be realised under the current planning regulations, these proposed policy changes have the potential to supercharge the development of high quality, low-rise, medium, and higher density development across the country.?
But what exactly is happening with the proposed changes to legislation and more importantly perhaps, what will they mean for the viability of residential schemes for developers, local authorities, approved housing bodies and house builders??What is changing and why?
The key changes are centred around three areas, Density, Housing Standards and Quality Design and Placemaking.
The changes to Density largely centre around updates to further define and increase densities from previous policy to a higher range dependant on location.?The figure of 30-80DPH is specifically identified in a number of locations as being desirable, alongside further flexibility to allow proposals to respond to context in the case of rural towns and villages.?It also makes the presumption against very high densities of 300+DPH, which may only be permissible as part of a plan-based approach.
To facilitate these improvements to densities, Housing Standards are proposed to be changed in four key areas.?
Quality Design and Placemaking are further emphasized as a final proposed amendment, but in our view, further emphasis on the criteria for quality public realm and the adoption of DMURS standards would be of greater assistance in the final documentation.
Taken together and applied judiciously, these proposed changes have the potential to revolutionise innovative new typologies of housing design and allow for better viability, affordability, and choice.
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Let’s illustrate the differences that these changes can make to a typical residential development on an inner or outer suburban site of about 2 hectares.
Under the current rules, a density of approximately 30 dwellings per hectare is achievable, using standard semi-detached typologies. This density is largely limited by the 22m separation distance between windows above first floor level, which limit overlooking through distance and the potential for planting.?The result is a fairly familiar low density suburban landscape of Tallaght, Dundrum or Castleknock.
How do the new rules influence these conditions for the better??Firstly, the reduction in back-to-back distances between windows at first floor level, reduces by 6m the space required for each housing block (or 3m to each garden).?This is combined with an overall reduction in the area to each garden – smaller than the traditional low density long and narrow garden space of 60sq.m, but vastly larger when compared to the minimal standards for balconies of high-density apartments.?By utilizing a more innovative and cost-effective townhouse typology over three floors, it's possible to have quality amenity space by means of a smaller traditional rear garden and a very high-quality landscape (including car parking to the front) and public realm, which can reach 50 dwellings per hectare.
Where even higher densities are desired, or perhaps to replace the apartment units which have traditionally been utilized to achieve more efficient use of the zoned land, we utilize our Low-Rise, High-Density models, in a format of 1, 2 and 3 bed configurations.?Using a blended arrangement of innovative high amenity maisonettes and townhouses, it's possible to push the density even higher to 65 dwellings per hectare and in some cases depending on mix, up to 100 dwellings per hectare.?This can be achieved without loss of units and at a much more viable cost, when compared to traditional apartments, all achieved through own-door housing.
These rules have the potential to unleash a new national movement in residential design and development. ?An opportunity for enhanced creativity in the redevelopment of new typologies, it brings potential for a renaissance of own-door high density homes, set within animated city streets, squares and public spaces inspired by the best examples of the traditional city, whilst answering the key challenges of sustainability, flexibility, and affordability. ?Taken as a whole, the proposed changes could comprise a powerful new set of tools at the disposal of architects, councils, housing bodies and house-builders, in the race to resolve housing crisis in Ireland.
Shay Cleary Architects will be making a submission to the department to emphasize the opportunity for further innovation and flexibility, which will drive more sustainable, more viable, and more affordable housing of this kind, in a low-rise, medium, and high-density format.
We urge our professional colleagues and the wider industry to engage in the process and to respond before the deadline of the 27th of April, to achieve the widest possible range of feedback to these innovative proposals.
If you have a project, which does not support apartment development, but needs to achieve high densities in quality residential development, why not get in contact and we can show you what we have learned?