Housebuilders have responded with fury to accusations that they are building “shameful shoebox homes”.
A new report from the Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA), based on 80 sites across England, found that the average new three-bedroom home being built by leading firms is 8% smaller than the recommended minimum size.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) said bigger homes would be unaffordable and two of the institute’s own advisory committee, the RIBA housing group, resigned in protest at the report.
“If you increase standards you’re going to increase costs,” said HBF head of planning Andrew Whitaker.
RIBA housing group member David Birkbeck – chief executive of lobby group Design for Homes – told Building he had resigned and described the report as “another stick for the anti-development lobby to beat the housebuilders”. Jane Briginshaw, head of design and sustainability at the Homes and Communities Agency, also resigned.
RIBA’s Case for Space study discovered the average two-storey three-bedroom home for five people was 8 sq m (86 sq ft) too small – a shortfall the same size as a single bedroom. The most common new three-bedroom house was found to be smaller still, with 77% of the recommended minimum space – equivalent to two double bedrooms.
The research was based on the 96 sq m (1033 sq ft) London Plan space standards which have just been introduced in the capital. There are currently no UK-wide standards.
RIBA chief executive Harry Rich said new houses were causing some people to endure a lower quality of life.
“Thousands of cramped houses – shameful shoe box homes – are being churned out all over the country, depriving households of the space they need to live comfortably and cohesively,” he said.
RIBA is calling for floor area to be included in marketing material and for floor plans to include furniture to give a clearer idea of the size of a property.
“Consumers are provided with very poor information when they are buying new homes. In the UK people buy homes based on the number of rooms. In the whole of the rest of Europe pretty much, and certainly North America, you know how many square metres you are buying ,” Rich said.
