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Training for Housing Association Design Review Panels

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

We were recently commissioned by First Wessex Housing Association in Southampton to deliver a two-day training course for members of three design review panels.

Some of the group (a mixture of staff and residents) had just joined the panels and others had been involved for years.  I worked closely with our Glass-House Enabler Matt Lally to develop a programme which would give this group of mixed experience the knowledge and tools needed to undertake design reviews.

During the course we explored ‘What makes a great neighbourhood?’ and helped the group to understand the basic principles of neighbourhood design.

To help the group better understand how to assess plans for proposed schemes, we gave them drawings of Chapel Road - a completed housing scheme in the locality and asked them to identify various features. This exercise was much more difficult than expected and really demonstrated the challenges of reading plans.

We then visited the scheme and assessed it according to the Building For Life Criteria. The group had very different impressions of the development after visiting it; it brought the plans to life, whilst highlighting the things you just can’t tell from a drawing such as the atmosphere of a place.

By the end of the two-day course, all of the members of the design panels had:

• Learned how to read and analyse a variety of architectural plans
• Grasped the key principles that make up good neighbourhood design and gained practical tools to help them during future design reviews
• Explored the difficulties of home design and the challenges in creating internal spaces that are practical
• Gained confidence in their own ability to make a really positive and meaningful contribution to the design of new homes and neighbourhoods
• Become awa re of the various criteria and standards that relate to home and neighbourhood design
• Been inspired by visiting two housing schemes that are up and running
• Gained a full appreciation of the need to consider the wider context of a scheme in order to assess it accurately

Some of the residents now feel that they need to be much more demanding and be more involved at an earlier stage so that they can have greater say in the design of future First Wessex schemes. It was fantastic to see participants’ confidence grow over the two days and see staff and residents learning together.

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Better Places National Awards: Nominate a project now!

Submitted by Louise Dredge

Putting local people at the heart of improving the places and spaces around them is what we do (and promote) at The Glass-House. So we’re delighted to see that New Start - the magazine for making better places - has announced the launch of the Better Places National Awards. 

The Awards will celebrate and reward inspiring initiatives and the people behind them, that are making a difference to local quality of life in cities, towns and villages across the UK.

New Start are looking for organisations and projects that are innovative, work in economically and socially inclusive ways, contribute towards resilience in their locality and that have overcome significant challenges.

Examples of this are:

• The way in which your local authority engages businesses or promotes and nurtures social enterprise

• A community organisation helping the most vulnerable take a step closer to the labour market

• A partnership project that has enabled different organisations to pool their resources to fulfil a joint goal

Do you know a project or group that deserves to be rewarded for their efforts in improving your local area?

To find out how to nominate a project click here. Closing date for entries is Friday 18 May 2012.

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Exploring the Neighbourhoods of Stroud and Bristol

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

Last Thursday we led a group of local community members and support workers on a Neighbourhoods Study Tour around Stroud and Bristol.

The aim of the day was for groups to witness first hand how local people have made a positive and lasting impact on their neighbourhoods: physically, socially, environmentally and economically.

We visited two  co-housing schemes, Springhill and Ashley Vale, and learnt about the work of Stroud Common Wealth (SCW), a social enterprise group who are gradually regenerating parts of Stroud by revitalising old buildings and setting up Community Land Trusts.

At each site, we were guided by a community member who had been involved in the project. We heard about the challenges encountered by groups and how they were overcome. It was so inspiring to meet people who have designed and built their own homes, and to find out how an unconventional approach has had such a positive impact on the lives of people living in these neighbourhoods.

The groups who came along on the tour left feeling motivated and inspired by our hosts and by each other!

We have three more Study Tours coming up before the end of March 2012 (see www.theglasshouse.org.uk/training-and-events for more info). The Glass-House can also create a tailored tour to suit your groups’ needs.

Get in touch if you’re interested.

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The Secret Life of Buildings

Submitted by Sophia de Sousa

The Glass-House was really pleased to be a part of the first episode of The Secret Life of Buildings last night. It was fantastic to see Tom Dyckhoff looking at how our buildings and spaces affect us and challenging us all to be more demanding about the environments in which we live. Design does matter, and though there will always be a strong element of subjectivity about what we like and don’t like, we must work harder and more collaboratively to create places where people feel happy, safe, confident and inspired. We look forward to watching the next episode.

If you missed last night's episode, watch it on 4OD  

We’re keen to hear more about how your home is affecting your quality of life. Send us your comments.

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Eco-Homes Study Tour, West Midlands

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

Last week we organised an inspirational study tour of eco-housing developments in the West Midlands for 4 community groups passionate about developing their own projects. The groups had different priorities for the day but all also a shared interest in creating energy efficient housing and learning more about how to lead their project. We also invited along Rob Annable of Axis Design, Birmingham, to help answer questions about more technical aspects of the refurbishments and building for a sustainable future.

The big message from the day was the importance of creating places where people love living in order make them more vibrant and sustainable. The groups who came along were also struck by the importance of careful management and maintenance of eco-features, and the need to adopt a long-term approach.

We started the day at Summerfield Eco Village in Birmingham. Here, three streets of Victorian terraces have been given a new lease of life through environmental improvements. The project was carried out by Family Housing Association between 2006 and 2008 in collaboration with other local partners.

Summerfield Eco Village - Each house in the scheme has had eco features installed (including solar panels, photovoltaic tiles, insulation and waste water recycling) to suit the specific property and the patterns of the people living there.

One of the most interesting parts of the story for us is how the project began – in this instance a group of residents raised their concerns with the housing association. Summerfield residents had noticed an increasingly transient population in their area. The streets were run down and dangerous because short-term tenants lacked a sense of pride and community spirit.  The environmental improvements were made to try to tackle these problems and now, fuel bills in Summerfield have been reduced and residents can afford to remain living in the area so the turnover rate is much lower.

Now that residents feel more pride and ownership in the area and have been able to have an influence on the changes made, it's an attractive place to live.  Residents have also gained a much greater appreciation of environmental issues, which shows how crucial it is to empower and collaborate with local people on the design process.

Our second visit was to Cross Street South in Wolverhampton - a new build development created in 2008 by The Bromford Group. Here, we saw the extent to which attention to detail in design can create a highly attractive and low energy development.

Cross Street South - The added extras which make this scheme special include on site allotments, a wetland area which is supplied by surface water and a wood chip boiler providing cheap heating and hot water.

The fantastic thing about visiting Summerfield and Cross Street South was seeing the effects of successful environmental initiatives for local communities. The ideas behind these initiatives have now become part of mainstream thinking in the UK, even if there is still some way to go in their application.

We're on the look out for self-build housing projects next year... any ideas?

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