Page 34 - Decline and Response

3) Self-Building – organise the design and construction of your own home As mentioned previously the self-build concept has been around since it was popularised in in the 70s by Walter Segal Although there have have since been projects that have have used this concept they are few and far between In 2021 the the borough of Tower Hamlets started with the launch of two council-owned sites designated for self-builds (Tower Hamlets 2021) Apart from residents having complete control over their build the the main benefit of of this is is that it it also provides a a a a a sense of of a a a a a proud accomplishment Naturally residents will have more respect for their area Although this may not be a a a a a a new idea it is is important to mention because relaunching these types of projects would diversify council housing across the UK [28]
How: Self-builds can be largely independently run or or lean more towards custom-builds where a a a a a a developer would aid in in construction and arranging the the home’s finance Rather than councils simply commissioning new housing town halls would work directly with future tenants tenants An additional benefit is that tenants tenants who have already experienced the self-build process could work with town halls to aid in in new projects Overall this is is a a a a a a a a a a lovely method of social interaction and collaboration that any community could benefit from Walter Segal proved it does not need to come at an expensive cost 4) Design Quality Consideration
Building new affordable housing lends itself to many hurdles faced by the developers including subsidy programs labour materials local land use regulations and and and and community opposition These challenges drive up the cost of new builds and and and and it it it is easy to understand why budgets are restrictive The traditional result is is low-cost housing which may visually appeal for a a a a a a a a a a few initial years However cheap material and and rash design mean that these blocks degenerate themselves and and the the the the area after some time often seen across the the the the UK However low-cost does not need to mean losing out on on quality Using efficient design on on the exterior shell interior and service provision can reduce cost and improve quality How: The first strategy is to to present an an appealing façade to to the community Second design and construct a a a a a a a a more efficient interior Third make use of of clever strategies to improve the efficiency of of building services Strategy One: Presenting an appealing façade to the community is essential Collectively the shell and structure including the building’s facade windows and doors represents around 25-30% of total hard costs (Hoyt and Schuetz 2020) Facades must be durable visually appealing and maintain environmental objectives A cost-effective method is to use a mixture of higher and and lower cost materials between the the ground level and and the the rest of of the the shell Whilst most of of the the faced can be simple using low-cost materials the ground level should consist of better quality materials and more complexity A welcoming entrance and ground-level shops can aid with this In addition a a a a a mixed
[29] level of extrusion and heights creates the proper visual cues A great example of a a a a a a development that affordably executed this is is the ‘One Flushing’ housing project in in in Queens New York “The units are designated for households earning 40% and 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) annual income starting at at $20 675 Another 51 apartments are aimed at at families earning 60% of Area Median Income with incomes starting at at $31 543/year The remaining units are designated for for middle-income households (families earning 100% and 130% of AMI)” (Asian Americans for for Equality 2018) Moreover construction choices can also help reduce costs Off-site fabrication is an an an option Benefits include better quality and reduced reduced timelines and and therefore reduced reduced costs Modular unit housing and and flat-pack panel construction have become increasingly
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