Get Sust! Issue 32

Hot off the presses — three new titles to start 2008 as we should mean to go on...

Flexible Housing, published in the summer by Architectural Press, has recently won its authors the 2007 RIBA President's Award for Research in the category ‘Outstanding university-located research’.

Written by Professor Jeremy Till and Dr Tatjana Schneider of the University of Sheffield, Flexible Housing investigates ways of planning housing that can adapt to different uses and technologies over time.

The book endeared itself to me immediately because the introduction focuses on the nonsense that is Sheffield city centre housing (my home town!). From the author’s university office they can see the infamous Park Hill and Kelvin flats — great mistakes of the 1960s — but it seems that no one has learnt their lesson. Below the University’s Arts Tower developers are throwing up ‘traditional’ semis which are, say Till and Schneider “fiddly little cavity-wall buildings with load-bearing internal partitions and pitched roofs stuffed full with timber trusses, all denying the scope for extension or change”.

The team collected over 150 historical examples for their research that demonstrate the economic, environmental and social benefits of flexible housing. These are presented as case studies which make up Chapter 4: “placed centrally in the book because we think they are central to the argument”. Each case features specially drawn scale plans for easy comparison. They range in scope from a traditional Japanese house built in 1850, through French apartment blocks of the 1970s, to the Next Home concept developed in Canada in 1996.

Other chapters in the book investigate the “whys” — why flexible housing is important from the point of view of sustainability; and the “hows” — designing and building for flexibility; with timely analysis of framed structures and prefabrication.

The final section of the book is titled “A manual for flexible housing”, addressing the physical planning in order to promote flexibility, and offering guidance of choice of construction methods and services schemes to make sure future changes are possible.

The RIBA judges’ citation said: “An exemplary body of architecturally relevant research... offering comparative design plans, well-researched historical referencing, a new classification system and a practical manual/tool kit. An innovative and brave approach...”

All I can add is “Here, here”.

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Sustainable living: the role of whole life costs and values

by Nalanie Mithraratne, Brenda Vale and Robert Vale

Anyone who is anyone in the sustainable construction world will have heard of the Vales. Their ‘Autonomous house’ is probably the most referred-to project in the industry’s literature. So a new title bearing their name promises great things.

This is a slim volume by some standards, and its focus on case studies and data from New Zealand is potentially off-putting. On the other hand, there are very few books that delve into the art of whole life costings in such detail, so this is sure to be of interest to others who are researching the topic. Equally, the early chapters which explain the principles of life cycle analysis and the life cycle energy of houses provide a useful introduction to the topic - which is sure to gain prominence as Building Regulations and building codes strive ever harder to cut housing-related emissions.

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Environment and children

by Christopher Day

Last but definitely not least in this round-up of new titles is Christopher Day’s new book, sub-titled “Passive lessons for the everyday environment”.

As with Day’s previous title (Places of the Soul; see Get Sust LINK), he makes the crucial link between the quality of a designed space and the human sense of well-being. This is of particular relevance for young children, who are stepping out for the first time, alone, from the safe and familiar world of home, into the unknown and often hostile school environment.

Day assesses the factors that impact on a child’s perception of their school — how light and shade can feel alternately delightful or sinister — and uses accessible line drawings throughout to illustrate his point.

A quick look at the chapter headings sums up Day’s ethos: Our senses: meeting the world; Light and darkness: age and situation; What places teach: silent lessons; Welcoming arrival; and Making nature’s cycles visible.

All in all, essential reading for anyone involved in school design — and perhaps also an inspiring gift for any teachers on your Christmas shopping list.

Learn more:

	•	Flexible Housing, by Tatjana Schneider and Jeremy Till, Architectural Press, Price: £34.99, ISBN: 978-0-7506-8202-2 www.architecturalpress.com/.
	•	Sustainable living: the role of whole life costs and values, by Nalanie Mithraratne, Brenda Vale and Robert Vale, Butterworth-Heinemann, £29.99, ISBN: 978-0-7506-8063-9 http://books.elsevier.com
	•	Environment and Children, by Christopher Day, Architectural Press, ISBN: 978-0-7506-8344-9, www.architecturalpress.com.