What is driving the requirements of new build housing?

From 2025, all new homes in England have to be greener, energy-efficient, and more affordable for people to heat and stay warm. The introduction of the Future Homes Standard will help to cut carbon emissions by 75% to 80% in all new homes built from 2025 and forms a vital step in the UK’s ambition of reaching its 2050 net-zero target.

Not only will new homes have to be built to higher environmental standards and fitted with low-carbon forms of heating, but architects, developers, and builders are also being tasked to ensure all new homes incorporate ‘work from home’ or ‘home office rooms’ as part of their masterplans.

The climate change agenda and pandemic effect has meant that a whole new raft of features will be added to the list of mandatory requirements for a new build home. EV charge points will become the norm, as will alternatives to fossil fuel-based heating and ventilation sources. The pandemic forced millions of us to work from home, with many having to reassess the available space to them in their homes. Over a very short period of time, we have started to adapt to a completely new way of working, whether that’s full-time at home, or hybrid working; how we view our homes is changing at a rapid pace.

For new build homes, the priority is now eco-flexible living that includes a home office area or room. This is for both private and social housing. A good example of this is at Kidbrooke Park Road, Royal Borough of Greenwich, which picked up the ‘Best affordable housing development (more than £20m)’ at November’s 2021 Inside Housing Awards.

Kidbrooke Park Road is a development of 117 council homes, all for social rent. It is one of the most ambitious social housing schemes to be built in Greenwich for decades. One-third of the units are family-sized, 51% are two-bedroom flats and one in 10 is wheelchair accessible. Every unit has either a garden or a generous balcony, and the design took into account families who may have to work from home. The development also provides a nursery, a communal garden and a public park.

Sustainability has been at the centre of this scheme. The properties use air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation, solar panels, and green and blue roofs to achieve a high standard of net-zero carbon development. Facades, along with the orientation of rooms and windows, have been designed to avoid overheating while maximising the amount of sunlight in each property.

This particular scheme sets an exceptionally high standard. It competes with private developments in terms of energy performance, layout, space standards, cycle parking, amenity provision, play space and architectural quality. It has also regenerated a vacant piece of land.​

It’s important future homes adapt to sustainability and working from home demands as the role of new homes continues to change.