London Housing Design Guide
Date: 2007-2010
“These guidelines will raise the standard of living for thousands of Londoners, ensuring brighter and more spacious living conditions, particularly for the growing number of larger families." (Boris Johnson, Mayor of London)
Mæ was commissioned by the GLA to write the London Housing Design Guide, a set of standards for all new housing in London.
"The London Mayor's London Housing Design Guide has arguably been the single most influential piece of design for housing in the capital so far this century." (Finn Williams Regeneration Area Manager GLA)
The guide is structured around 6 themes, covering urban design and place-making as well as internal dwelling standards covering space, daylight and private open space.
We subsequently worked with the Mayor of London developing it as London Plan Housing SPG.
It [the London Housing Design Guide] is quietly radical. It demonstrates that it is still possible for public authorities to direct city building for the better. (Rowan Moore, Slow Burn City)
The London Festival of Architecture 2020 asked 30 leading architects, designers, curators, writers, journalists and leading thinkers to nominate 'objects' representing power and architecture.
Paul Monaghan, Director of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, selected The London Housing Design Guide 2010.
'In particular it was its chapters on space standards that were welcomed. [...] overnight all housing developers used it as a bible for getting planning and creating good developments. [...] Few would argue that it has not improved housing design over the last 10 years. It therefore shows how one document can harness the power of good architecture.'
Listen to the full nomination here.