Space in the 21

st

century home: Apartment standards in Ireland

John Martin Principal Planning Adviser Dept. of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin

Outline of presentation

     Summary of 2007 planning guidelines Rationale for new apartment standards How were the standards derived?

Consumer attitudes in Ireland Likely impact on the housing market RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 2

“Design standards for new apartments” (Sept. 2007)

     Issued by Minister to planning authorities / Appeals Board Part of a suite of policy documents Guidelines only apply to apartments Combination of minimum floor areas + target averages Limitation on numbers of 1-bed units RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 3

Apartment type One bedroom

Main standards

Overall floor area 45 sq m Min. aggregate living/dining/ Kitchen area 23 sq m Min. bedroom area 11.4 sq m Two bedroom 73 sq m 30 sq m 24.4 sq m Three bedroom 90 sq m 34 sq m 31.5 sq m RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 4

Other recommendations

     Floor / storage data to be included in planning applications Min. living and bedroom widths Min. storage areas (3 – 9 sq m) in addition to kitchen / bedroom storage Min. balcony sizes (5 – 9 sq m) Min. 2.7 m floor to ceiling heights RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 5

Designing for children

     All apartments with 2 or more bedrooms should be designed with the needs of children in mind Play needs should be catered for in terms of private, communal and public open space Other guidelines specify provision for child care facilities (approx. 20 spaces per 75 dwellings) 2 nd bedroom should be of sufficient size and shape to be used for study Noise transmission between apartments is a major issue for apartment dwellers RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 6

Rationale for new guidelines

    Population growth + smaller household sizes will continue to drive demand for housing Planning policies promote more compact cities and towns and higher densities – need to provide design guidance to planning authorities Housing policies promote sustainable communities – widespread perception that apartments are not family-friendly Despite trend towards larger apartment sizes, units are still much smaller than houses RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 7

Basis for new standards

    DEHLG commissioned study by Toal O Muiré, past President of the RIAI and designer of recent apartment schemes Desk study of relevant Irish and UK standards Consultation with wide range of stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including the professional bodies Site visits to recently completed developments RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 8

Consumer attitudes

   Significant public concern about 1 units st generation of urban renewal apartment schemes (1986-1995), particularly regarding no. of small one-bedroom 2006 survey of apartment dwellers by Dublin City Council showed continuing high levels of dissatisfaction with smaller units and lack of adequate storage space Majority of respondents indicated intention to move to a house within next 5 years RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 9

Changes in apartment sizes in Dublin

Apartment size 1998 2005 Less than 60 m 2 45% 26% 60 – 80 m 2 80 – 90 m 2 37% 7% 54% 11% RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 10

Likely impact on the housing market in Ireland

    Demographic factors will drive housing demand Apartment share of output likely to increase Housing output has slowed in past year, mainly due to higher ECB interest rates, and price of new housing has fallen after 15 years of prices rising higher than inflation rates DEHLG would have concern about impact on affordability, but considers that guidelines provide mechanism for flexible response to market needs RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 11

Impact on market (2)

   Some agents argue that main source of demand for apartments is from 1 st time buyers, but other developers acknowledge that demand from families will increase, especially in suburban areas served by good public transport Demand-supply relationship is complex; increasing the quality of new apartments is likely to stimulate consumer demand From a public policy viewpoint, there are costs associated with not increasing quality standards, especially if demand for lower density housing results in continuing urban sprawl around Dublin and other major cities and towns RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 12

Copies of apartment guidelines

 Can be downloaded from DEHLG website www.environ.ie

(Planning and development / guidelines)  Or request PDF copy by email to [email protected]

 A PDF copy of the research report by Toal O Muiré is also available RIBA seminar 23 Nov. 2007 13