After helpful research by Cabe found that new homes were too small, we may finally be able to re-address the poor design that has been carried out across the UK – and yes, by all of us

These mistakes do not happen at the end of the process, with the architectural design and detailing, but when teams of urban designers, architects and planners put together large housing estates without any regard for the realities of living. The boring stuff like parking and bin storage that take up significant space are more often than not an afterthought.

A “home” is not a home if you cannot live in it or fit your bed through the front door!

The result is tiny “houses” with storage depots on every corner to solve the space problems created throughout poorly prepared and executed projects.

Architects need to be better urban designers and urban designers need to be better architects. Built environment professionals need to start talking and learning from each other about mechanisms to address this status quo. I plead to all designers and developers to stop using “design standards” and instead create future places using your intuition and knowledge.

Perhaps you could look at something brilliant, copy it and add your own twist. No other industry would accept products not fit for purpose, so why should the general public have to put up with this any longer?

We need to be held accountable for this mess and perhaps out of the recession can step a new breed of designers who are ready to take on the challenge of making something work.

Ben Allgood

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