A 'new normal' is emerging for the design of dense urban
housing in major projects in London - more as a consequence of following the
rules than as a brainchild of any creative mind.
That state of affairs is not novel or unusual - it is how
many building types emerge. Much of the
way that buildings are shaped has been determined by regulation rather than
design intent, ever since there were regulations. Examples include the New York
'set-back style' for tall buildings - a consequence of that city's Zoning Ordinance of
1916; and London's interwar mansion blocks, many of which are 8-10 storeys high
simply because of the height limit imposed at that time for reasons of
fire safety, with developers 'maxing out' within the rules no less than they do
today.
The building type that is emerging in London is a free
standing apartment building of eight flats per floor, with a linear plan of
four flats each side, with the block's long axis north-south. These characteristics result from the housing
standards now being insisted on by the GLA: no more than eight flats per lift and stair core;
no more than 50% single aspect flats (therefore four corner flats plus four
along the sides); no single aspect north facing flats (therefore oriented with
long sides facing east and west). You
can't join the blocks up into terraces because you lose the corner flats. But
the form can go as high as you want (until the planning authority, structural
engineer or QS stop you for other reasons). Some schemes offer fewer flats per floor, giving you a form that is more tower-like than slab-like when you go tall - but many clients will want to know why they can't have eight flats per core like everyone else.
This plan form can produce decent buildings. The general idea, executed at a high level of
sophistication and cost (and fewer flats per floor), can be seen in Rogers
Stirk Harbour's scheme at Neo Bankside.
But as Le Corbusier's Unités (as seen photographed in sunshine) morphed into
1960s council housing (as seen photographed under storm clouds), we may fear that
imitators will not pull off the model so well.
The form when repeated leads to arrangements of
free standing buildings - rather at odds with today's (revived) urban design precept of
buildings being used to define external space.
The GLA rules don't tell you to build in this way - it is
just where the rules seem to take you. Other housing typologies - deck access,
scissor flats etc - are available, but do not seem to find favour.
The New York Zoning Ordinance was turned into art in the
1920s by the genius of Hugh Ferriss, in his studies of what could be achieved
within the new rules. London's housing today needs an equivalent.
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