Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has announced six finalists in a competition to design the homes of the future.
The Home of 2030 competition has encouraged the best and brightest talents of the housing industry to design environmentally friendly homes that support people in leading independent, fulfilling lives as our society ages.
The 6 finalists and their designs are:
- The Positive Collective (changebuilding Perpendicular Architecture & humblebee) with ECOSystems Technologies, COCIS and Arup: Homes that seek to reduce carbon emissions and encourage social interaction, including through food grown in communal spaces and areas such as ponds to promote biodiversity.
- HLM Architects with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Green Build: Homes built using interchangeable parts with other homes, creating a circular economy in which little is wasted.
- Igloo Regeneration with Useful Projects, Expedition Engineers and Mawson Kerr Architects: Homes with simple frame structures and standardised components set amidst walkable, vibrant neighbourhoods.
- Openstudio Architects Ltd: Three building elements (a standardised housing module, an open ‘Loft’ and a circulation, storage and shared module) are used in combination with 3 landscape elements (communal green space, small private gardens or upper level balconies and terraces, and front gardens) to create combinations of sustainable, age-friendly spaces.
- Outpost Architects and team: Janus, a home constructed from 98% organic biomass material (primarily timber and straw).
- Studio OPEN: Promoting community and caring for others through a central garden shared between 4 homes that are built with locally sourced materials and timber construction methods to reduce environmental impact.
A winner will be chosen and together with other selected finalists will be introduced to Homes England development partners to explore the possibility of developing bids for a series of homes on Homes England land. The 6 finalists have each received £40,000 of funding to help them develop detailed plans.
The announcements follow last week’s launch of Planning for the future – the government’s overhaul of the planning system to deliver more high-quality, sustainable homes.
The reforms include our commitment to making tree-lined streets the norm and an ambition that new ‘zero carbon ready’ homes delivered under the new system will not require any future retrofitting.
Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said: “This competition demonstrates the best of British design being brought to bear on a key issue for today, and future generations: delivering homes that are good for the planet and that promote healthy, independent living for older generations.
“The winner of this competition will set the standard for the homes of the future and all 6 finalists have already made an exciting contribution to the designs we will need in the UK and around the world.”
Alan Jones, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, said the UK urgently needs a broad mix of affordable, age-friendly and sustainable housing – and these shortlisted proposals provide exactly that.
“Through the clever configuration of private and public space, natural light and ventilation, intelligent use of materials and technologies – these cost-effective, low carbon homes show what’s possible when architects collaborate,” he added.
The winning Home of 2030 entry will be announced this autumn.
Home of 2030 applicants had to submit an outline design for homes that are:
- Age-friendly and inclusive – appealing to a variety of age groups and adaptable to how needs will change as people become older.
- Have low environmental impact – applying technology and construction techniques to deliver net zero carbon emissions.
- Promote healthy living – promoting better health and wellbeing, such as through access to green spaces and communal areas.
- Deliverable and scalable – homes that can be rolled-out across the country.
Separately, in a boost for the manufacture of low-carbon homes, today the government announces that warranty providers have agreed to work towards a shared standard for assessing homes built using modern methods of construction (MMC).
Once delivered, the new standard will boost the MMC industry by making it simpler to secure a warranty for these homes. Industry research suggests these homes have the potential to be more environmentally sustainable, reducing heating bills by up to 70%.
Last year the United Kingdom became the first major economy in the world to sign a commitment to net-zero emissions into law, leading the way in tackling climate change. Homes are responsible for 25% of carbon emissions in the United Kingdom, and the new competition will place energy efficiency at the forefront of new home design.
As part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, the government is committed to ensuring that people can enjoy at least 5 extra years of healthy independent living by 2035. More than 10 million people in the UK today can expect to see their 100th birthday, compared to 15,000 current centenarians.
