Sustainable Housing Design Guide 2021:
The Sustainable Housing Design Guide 2021 provides a summary of the council’s expectations for Sustainable design and placemaking for council homes.
The Sustainable Housing Design Guide 2021 will guide the strategic brief for the project manager and design team and will form an integral part of any new designer’s or developer’s appointment. Integral to this Design Guide is the Buro Happold Four Steps to Zero Carbon, which establishes our roadmap to Net Zero Carbon, the 2018 Local Plan and relevant SPDs, and our Standard Employer’s Requirements (ER) which provide more detailed technical guidance and specification.
From 2021 designs for all council homes must target Passivhaus certification and the sustainability targets outlined in the Four Steps to Zero Carbon report. From 2030 all council homes will be expected to target Net Zero Carbon.
It is vital we create places that are positively integrated into their communities and that engender “pride of place”. Working with the MHCLG National Design Guide’s ten characteristics of a well-designed place, this document draws together the many positive placemaking outcomes of sustainable design. Our text highlights how sustainable design and a spirit of good placemaking can work hand in hand to give us great places to live.
Delivering sustainable design is a rewarding but also challenging and layered process, requiring equal combinations of efficient technical performance and creative place-led design. While not a standalone document, the Sustainable Housing Design Guide 2021 is intended as a useful, design and place-focused, primer – drawing together the varied tiers of standards and guidance that must be considered to create our housing projects.
The pyramid below illustrates how three tiers of standards work together and build upon each other. It establishes a hierarchy of design challenges, from a baseline of statutory standards through best practice benchmark guidance which must be followed, and ultimately the two stages of Passivhaus certification, the technical specifications of our ERs, and the principles of BSRIA’s Soft Landings Framework.
The Sustainable Housing Design Guide 2021 (SHDG) should be read as a whole, alongside the further documents it refers to. Headline design and development guidance found within this document include the following project requirements:
Context
The design process must begin by demonstrating an understanding of the site, its context, and the opportunities and constraints it presents for providing sustainable development.
Identity Developments must convey “pride of place” by showing consideration to the quality of the built environment, coherent architecture, high-quality landscaping, and open space and generate a positive sense of belonging for residents which encourages a contribution to the upkeep of places in the long term.
Built form
Proposals must make good use of land and resources. Compact forms of development must be used and must show how they support communities and services, and promote walking and social connections.
Movement
Proposals must promote walking, cycling, and public transport and reduce car dependency, with a target parking ratio of 0.5 spaces per home. Cycle parking must meet the Local Plan 2018. Local streets, public spaces and other routes must form convenient networks that are people, walking, and cycling focused.
Nature
All developments must provide a 20% biodiversity uplift on existing site conditions. Biodiverse SuDS should be incorporated into green landscapes to provide habitat and give access to nature alongside play, activities, and movement.
Public spaces
The quality of the spaces between buildings must be considered from the start of a project, and landscapes treated as important as the buildings themselves, meeting biodiversity targets, and promoting walking and cycling. Public spaces within developments must be well-sited, accessible, safe, secure, tenure-blind, and inclusive areas that promote social interaction. Developments must be safe and secure, meeting the SBD Gold Standard Certification.
Uses
Developments must be socially inclusive, diverse, and cohesive, with a mix of homes reflecting the needs of people of different ages and abilities and the council’s housing requirements. Proposals should aim to reinforce existing neighborhoods by enhancing local transport, facilities, and community services and maximizing their potential use.