In
a white paper, Tata Steel announced its revolutionary vision of the UK housing
market, paving the way for a new breed of homes to populate our ‘Neighbourhoods
of the Future’.
The
publication, produced in partnership with the Agile Ageing Alliance, recommends
a fundamental shift in the way housing development is considered in the UK.
Rather
than a series of rungs the consumer must climb, from starter home upwards, and
then back down again in later life, buildings would be capable of adaptation –
of morphing to support a growing family, and then adjusting to accommodate an
ageing one. This vision of a home for life can only be achieved by looking at
the needs of the occupant and how they change over time.
The report comes as the UK finds itself in a housing crisis. According to the findings of a recent year-long cross-party housing
commission launched following the Grenfell Tower disaster, England needs 3.1 million new social homes by 2040, more than were built in the two decades after the end of the Second
World War.
Henrik
Adam, Chief Commercial Officer of Tata Steel Europe, said: “In construction,
housing is seen as a very challenging area. We believe there is an urgent need
for a new approach to home owning throughout our lives. The basis of this
starts in designing a home where a person can live, work and play throughout
their lives.
“Well-designed
spaces coupled with tailored systems are the starting point of a
cradle-to-grave approach to housing design. As the needs of the occupant change
over time, the space can adapt with minimal disruption, thus reducing the need
for a person to move and in turn strengthening the building of and continuity
of the ‘neighbourhood’.
“At
Tata Steel, we regard this not only as a business opportunity, but believe it
is our duty to work on sustainable solutions and play a beneficial role within
the society we operate in. The provision of decent, affordable homes is an
expression of that belief.”
And
he added: “We expect this white paper to serve as a valuable resource for all
housing providers together with government – national, regional and local.
Working collaboratively through the Agile Ageing Alliance our ambition, as a
cross-sector collective, will be to build a prototype Neighbourhood of the
Future, the first of many, to prove the concept.”
Neighbourhoods of the Future sets out to qualify what better actually looks like. Authored by
preeminent cross-sector experts and thought leaders, the report envisages the
development of “smart” intergenerational age-friendly neighbourhoods. These
neighbourhoods would comprise ‘cognitive homes’ which are affordable,
sustainable, easier and more efficient to construct and be connected directly
with the high-tech systems tailored to meet the diverse needs of an ageing
population.
With the acceleration of new digital technologies designed to make
lives easier and more connected, the report proposes a rethink about how the
UK’s housing stock is financed, built and updated.
One of the report’s contributors, Matt Cooper, a specialist in
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) at Arup Group, said: “The creative
pioneers of the new generation of MMC not only have the opportunity to
alleviate our housing shortage, but to change the way housing is delivered. A
house is just a house, but homes are part of communities. Throughout our lives,
the way we use our home changes. With adaptable and agile regeneration
capabilities built in by design, MMC could be the game changer. Within the next
10-20 years, it may not only halt the downward spiral in our housing market,
but act as the catalyst for a new social economy.”
With
clever modular designs, a house can be installed in days and can be replaced,
adapted or reconfigured equally efficiently. Tata Steel is developing housing
systems which could provide quality, adaptable modular designs, allowing
householders to upgrade and customise homes.
Lord
Best, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older
People, said: “With a large, ready-made market that the unimaginative house
building industry is failing to address, there are massive opportunities for
creating homes for everyone. Government, local and central, stands to gain from
incentivising and supporting a major growth in this fledgling sector, not least
in collaboration with housing associations. But the tipping point – when
“rightsizing” becomes the norm for those in their 60s and 70s – will arrive
when a new generation of entrepreneurs take up the challenge. A market that is
worth over £6 billion a year beckons. And with it comes the great prize that
both older and younger generations can live in homes that make their lives
better.”
