High Density Housing

Note: Some of the information in this post is taken from an exhibition I visited a few weeks ago at the Tate Modern called Global Cities. The exhibition examined urban and social issues in ten large cities around the world and was full of fascinating facts.

According to the United Nations (UN), 50% of the world’s population now live in cities compared to just 10% over a century ago. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 75%.

As more people flock to cities, so pressure on housing grows. In the UK, London’s population is on the rise - although growth is modest compared to other cities. According to the UN, London ranks 360th in the list of fastest-growing cities in the world.

Planning authorities in London have decided to contain the growth of London’s population within its existing boundaries rather than let the city expand. What does this means for housing in the Capital? A common perception is that as city populations grow, higher-density housing must take the form of high-rise tower blocks.

Many people in London probably already feel the city is overcrowded, but London is actually a relatively low-rise, low-density city. Almost half (46%) of Greater London consists of open and recreational space. In Los Angeles, only 10% of the city is allocated to green open spaces and in Tokyo, less than 5%.

High-rise living brings with it a set of preconceptions and problems. Many of us aspire to own a detached house and garden even though this is unrealistic - there simply isn’t the land available.

But high-density living doesn’t have to mean high-rise towers - it could mean relatively low-rise blocks of five or six storeys with their own communal space. Communal space can never match the appeal of a garden: one reason why apartment blocks are seen as unattractive to families who want a place for their children to play.

Ground floor flats can be designed to include private outdoor space (and a private entrance), thus mitigating one of the perceived disadvantages of apartment living. Top floor flats too, could have a roof terrace. Flats can also be made into duplex units (i.e. spread over two floors), giving a more house-like feel. But there are still other issues to contend with.

For example, high rise blocks are also associated with high service charges. A lift becomes a necessity once a block has more than four or five floors but that also adds to the maintenance cost of the building. However, even if we limit the number of floors to four and dispense with a lift, a family with young children are unlikely to want a top floor flat (even one with a roof terrace) if they have to climb four flights of stairs.

Shared communal spaces can also present problems. Residents of a block may all have different ideas about how they would like to use the space. A family may want their young children to play. Some residents may want to invite friends for socialising, while others may simply want a quiet outdoor area to relax. With all these competing wants, residents can easily become unhappy with how communal areas are used if it disturbs their own privacy or peace and quiet.

It’s important that all residents of a flat have some private outdoor space, which for most will mean a balcony. Balconies should ideally be hidden from view from neighbouring flats so residents feel they are not being looked upon from above or the side. When balconies jut out in plain view of everyone, they are rarely used for anything but hanging the laundry out (which is still an important and useful function).

Which brings us to our next concern: noise from neighbours and the potential lack of privacy. There’s no reason why new build flats can’t be completely soundproofed. Soundproofing is not rocket science, neither is the cost prohibitive if considered thoroughly at the design stage. I’m fairly certain that touting the soundproof qualities of a flat would be a strong selling point that many potential buyers would find reassuring.

Of course, as soon as you open a window, noise enters from many different directions. Depending on the proximity of neighbouring windows, you may even hear your neighbour’s music/TV/conversations if their windows are open too. This can be minimised to some extent by sufficient spacing of adjacent windows in neighbouring flats and by designing the layout of apartment blocks such that the living room or area of one flat is not adjacent to the living room of a neighbouring flat. Realistically, we have to expect some noise when living in high-density, urban environments, but thoughtless or inconsiderate design can exacerbate noise problems rather than reduce them.

There’s another issue to contend with: just how high should a high-rise be? Many people don’t consider a four or five storey block of flats as high-rise. Perhaps a better term to use is high-density. The word density in relation to tower blocks conjures up images of cramped, overcrowded conditions. But there’s nothing to preclude spacious apartments with natural light and natural ventilation in a high-rise block - it all comes down to the initial design.

In his book, A Pattern Language, architect Christopher Alexander argues that buildings designed for living in, should be limited to a maximum of four storeys.

“In any urban area, no matter how dense, keep the majority of buildings four storeys high or less. It is possible that certain buildings should exceed this limit, but they should never be buildings for human habitation.”

Alexander goes on to argue that high rise living can be socially isolating:

“High rise living takes people away from the ground and away from the casual, everyday society that occurs on the sidewalks and streets and on the grounds and porches. It leaves them alone in their apartments. The decision to go out for some public life becomes formal and awkward; and unless there is some specific task which brings people out in the world, the tendency is to stay home, alone.”

The arguments sound quite convincing, but I’m not sure I agree entirely with the four storey limit. I think there are also cultural and social factors that contribute to whether high-rise living in tall tower blocks are a success or a failure.

In Britain, we tend to associate high-rise living with run-down council tower blocks and it’s easier to recall failures in high-rise housing than it is to think of more positive examples. Tower blocks comprise a very small proportion of Britain’s total housing stock which means that the majority of us are not accustomed to high-rise living. This in itself has important implications for the development of future high-density towers.

The quality of high-density housing varies enormously across the globe. In some countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, high-rise living is a necessity. We can learn a lot about high-density housing, not just from our own success and failures, but the experience of others too.

Source: http://homesdesign.wordpress.com/2007/09/09/high-density-housing/