Why are most houses so badly designed?

Fuengi

It's mainly down to the big house builders who have held the design power since the 90's.

I have worked on several large developments for decent sized architecture practices (50+ staff) for Taylor Wimpy / Barratts / Redrow / Lindens and more, you would not believe the shit we have to do.

The design standards are based around no of bedrooms and no of occupants only and that determines price. So you might have a 2 bed / 3 person unit, or a 3 bed 5 person unit. As long as you can fit all the associated furniture for each into the unit (in whatever configuration) it will pass minimum standard.

I felt like I was doing a jigsaw puzzle, not designing a house. The architect and the developer frankly couldn't give shit as long as you churned out the right number of units per week.

After this process of setting out maybe 400 houses the cost cutting would begin. Any detail would be stripped away from the design. There would no longer be any room for a chimney breast due to the space issues so they put prefabricated plastic chimneys on the roof to adhere to planning drawings. And the architect swallowed all this because the developer pays the bills. Unbelievable. 

Ironically, I now run my own practice and earn a living converting badly designed houses for clients amongst other things. 

TheBigDipper

Less hate for the architects, people. They design according to the customers brief. Their customer is the property developer.  The current housing situation means they can sell small pokey boxes. The government should protect us (our standards are much smaller than Holland, for example) but they don't. Having shares in property companies, being ‘ paid advisers' to help with planning or owning a portfolio of properties available for rent have nothing to do with it. Oh, no. 

Fuengi

I'll need to be careful with this as its an ongoing project....

There is a small developer who has acquired an option on a site in a very desirable village in the South Downs.

He's been working closely with his architect and planning consultant to produce two arts and crafts style detached houses with parking and gardens. 

The site is currently tired industrial, but has been earmarked for residential with a new industrial centre out-of town also allocated.

The design has been produced - the local estate agents love it - and pre-application submitted to local authority.

The reply comes back that it ticks all the boxes and looks great, but that particular site is not yet ready to be classified residential.

The planning consultant looks as the detail and spots that under Permitted Development the developer can convert the existing building in to 9 separate flats without parking or gardens. No need to get planning approval. 

So the option the LPA have given the developer is this:
1. Walk away and lose your option fee.
2. Build out 9 crappy flats and make half a million.

What he really wanted to do was: 
3. Build 2 quality houses that will benefit the town and that he can be proud of and make a decent profit. 

Octafish

Fuengi said:

It's mainly down to the big house builders who have held the design power since the 90's.

I have worked on several large developments for decent sized architecture practices (50+ staff) for Taylor Wimpy / Barratts / Redrow / Lindens and more, you would not believe the shit we have to do.

The design standards are based around no of bedrooms and no of occupants only and that determines price. So you might have a 2 bed / 3 person unit, or a 3 bed 5 person unit. As long as you can fit all the associated furniture for each into the unit (in whatever configuration) it will pass minimum standard.

I felt like I was doing a jigsaw puzzle, not designing a house. The architect and the developer frankly couldn't give shit as long as you churned out the right number of units per week.

After this process of setting out maybe 400 houses the cost cutting would begin. Any detail would be stripped away from the design. There would no longer be any room for a chimney breast due to the space issues so they put prefabricated plastic chimneys on the roof to adhere to planning drawings. And the architect swallowed all this because the developer pays the bills. Unbelievable. 

Ironically, I now run my own practice and earn a living converting badly designed houses for clients amongst other things. 

So true. Persimmon threw up a load of their generic crap near me some years ago. The show home had what appeared to be 7/8 sized furniture in it to make everything look bigger . I also saw a truck turn up with the pre-fabed chimney breasts on it ready to be plonked on top. If there's no real flu/chimney/fireplace why bother other than for naff faux-Victoriana requirements?

The other issue is building detached houses so close together that maintenance becomes impossible without having extensive scaffold. Some years ago I was asked to replace some rotting facia board on one of the Persimmon houses, less than ten years old, but crappy low grade wood toshed over with one coat of paint. The customer was happy with £200 for doing the work, but not so eager once I explained I could not a get a ladder in and would need scaff which would be another £350. Needless to say they've never had the work done.

Octafish

TheBigDipper said:

Less hate for the architects, people. They design according to the customers brief. Their customer is the property developer.  The current housing situation means they can sell small pokey boxes. The government should protect us (our standards are much smaller than Holland, for example) but they don't. Having shares in property companies, being ‘ paid advisers' to help with planning or owning a portfolio of properties available for rent have nothing to do with it. Oh, no. 

The Tories have no intention of ever regulating such things. They think it stiffles the market , but the reality is, as you say, they're all dodgy fuckers with their hands in the till. Labour aren't much better either.

Ro_S

i don't like toilets in tiny rooms.    i want to do my business with some space to sit and ponder.

Phil_aka_Pip

Ro_S said:

i don't like toilets in tiny rooms.    i want to do my business with some space to sit and ponder.

I don't mind, but you'd probably like my upstairs bathroom as it has everything in it. The downstairs lav has enough room for the white throne, the cat's litter tray, and a small washbasin. I've never been one for keeping magazines or papers in the lav. IMO at least one place in the house that contains a lav - or just washing equipment - MUST have a suitable place for a cat litter tray.

Also, a house that has no convenient place to keep the bowls the cat eats and drinks from is no good to me. You'd be surprised at the number of places that don't.

Ro_S

i hate tiny sinks

i also dislike those dumb sinks that are like bowls placed on a table top.

i just want a nice sized, white sink on a pedestal.

Octafish

Some more examples of the high standards of our wonderful house builders....

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/dec/09/bovis-homebuyers-class-action-lawsuit-property-defects

Phil_aka_Pip

Octafish said:

Some more examples of the high standards of our wonderful house builders....

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/dec/09/bovis-homebuyers-class-action-lawsuit-property-defects

Thanks. Next time I move I won't be buying one of theirs.

Ro_S

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Ro_S said:

i don't like toilets in tiny rooms.    i want to do my business with some space to sit and ponder.

I don't mind, but you'd probably like my upstairs bathroom as it has everything in it. 

thanks, i'll bear that in mind if i'm ever near yours and in need of a nice dump.

Garthy

Bucket said:

As far as I'm concerned, most new houses are badly designed from the exterior because they look like characterless boxes that make no attempt to do anything different or daring. I want to see houses being built again that look like this.

http://www.wowhaus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/o1-2.jpg

http://www.wowhaus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/mary1-1.jpg

And from the inside, why can't we see big windows, feature staircases and wood panelled ceilings again?

http://www.wowhaus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/s15.jpg

http://www.wowhaus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/mary4.jpg

Spiral stair cases take up enormous amounts of space.

Regarding enormous windows, the downsides:

Unless you're a single dwelling in the middle of nowhere you will have no privacy at all, it's like living in a goldfish bowl (I speak from experience) and the cost of replacement units is mega. Reglazing that second house would be eye watering. The top house looks like a 1950s concrete office block.

Ro_S

I like rooms that are bright and light.   My current home is quite good for that.  Apparently it's build in a 'Scandinavian style' - not sure what that means.

Rocker

@Bucket, any staircase, especially a spiral staircase, that has no handrail is an accident waiting to happen. Very poor design.

Phil_aka_Pip

Rocker said:

@Bucket, any staircase, especially a spiral staircase, that has no handrail is an accident waiting to happen. Very poor design.

That rules out most castles, then.

I'd quite like a castle ...

TTony

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I'd quite like a castle ...

Every man's home is his castle.

Phil_aka_Pip

TTony said:

Every man's home is his castle.

Until he doesn't pay the council tax on it

Fretwired

TTony said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I'd quite like a castle ...

Every man's home is his castle.

In that case replace Council Tax with Castle Tax in England ... sounds classier ..

Fuengi

Ro_S said:

i hate tiny sinks

i also dislike those dumb sinks that are like bowls placed on a table top.

i just want a nice sized, white sink on a pedestal.

Kitchens have sinks.

Bathrooms have basins. 

Ro_S

Fuengi said:

Ro_S said:

i hate tiny sinks

i also dislike those dumb sinks that are like bowls placed on a table top.

i just want a nice sized, white sink on a pedestal.

Kitchens have sinks.

Bathrooms have basins. 

whatever.   i know what to p*ss in, and know what to wash my hands in.   that's the important distinction.   

'never had a bideu (spelling), so no complication there.