One of the major issues facing modern housing is addressing residents’ changing needs and ways of living, and designing solutions to cater for these. As residents grow older, add family members, and family members move out, the design of their house usually cannot adapt to their new lifestyle. Residents move to more suitable accommodation, with their house subdivided in a less than ideal manner that does not maintain the dwelling’s design.

This design uses a series of shifting volumes that vary in size to define the internal spaces and create a series of external terraces. The end result is a dwelling type that can change over time without compromising its design. Each house can begin as a complete unit, with a variety of internal and external spaces, along with a live/work unit on the ground floor. All storeys have their own terrace and naturally lit open plan living space. Sunlight mostly comes from glazing shaded via the shifted volumes above. This means the house is lit naturally, but is not affected by large solar gains.

As the family changes, the house can easily be divided into different sized flats. When this division occurs, the house does not become a series of ill designed flats, but maintains the house’s design - each flat with its own usable terrace, and adjacent, naturally lit open plan living space.

FutureForm’s modular construction system defines the design and is reflected in the volumetric expression of the houses. Each volume width consists of two modules, measuring 3.025m wide by 9.8m long by 3.06m high, joined together to form a storey. These dimensions result in easily deliverable modules. Introducing steelwork into the frame forms open plan arrangements.

The structure of the houses’ shifting volumes is created via a grid down the length of the street. The modules span from one to another, always hitting a connection that comes down to the ground. A one-off house could be built by either introducing steelwork to create cantilevers or discrete columns set back supporting the overhanging volumes.

The houses intertwine to form a network of indoor and outdoor spaces, animating the public realm both at street level and higher above. The houses read as extensions of urban squares and streets, as their terraces mirror the outdoor activities found at street and park level.

The house embraces passive design, such as natural ventilation, green roofs, external shutters, and by using thermal mass and solar gain reducing principles. Alongside this, microrenewable features, such as photovoltaic panel shutters, rainwater and grey water recycling, and ground source heat pumps ensure its future sustainability. The house’s footprint is 62m˛, and it is designed to achieve a level 5 rating under the Code for Sustainable Homes, with a weighted score of 88 per cent. It complies with all points of the Liftetime Homes standard. Because of the house’s design, these ratings will not be comprised if it is divided in the future.

As the UK heats up due to global warming, external spaces will be in greater demand. Lightwells ensure that terraces do not become too dark, and provide a sense of movement and time throughout the day.

Moving the shutters to the outside of the building significantly increases the shutters’ performance in reducing solar gains. Turning these into photovoltaic panels allows the house to start generating a portion of its own energy through microrenewables.

Ground source heat pump pipes buried in the garden extract heat from the ground, further reducing carbon emissions.

Brick is used as the external cladding material not only for its environmental benefits, but also because it reflects the design of the house - a series of interlocking blocks joining together to form a unified whole. Using brick cladding panels, with an integral layer of insulation behind, is an environmentally sound, cost effective and quick method of building that reflects the prefabricated nature of the FutureForm construction system.

Green roofs occur at all levels, increasing the environmental benefits to the houses’ energy performance and enhancing their ecological values. Gulleys on all the roofs capture rainwater from the greater catchment area and lead to a store, along with a grey water tank, under the stair.

Internally, responsibly sourced timber, rubber, recycled plasterboard, and recycled glass worktops are used. Ceilings are lined with concrete panels to increase the house’s thermal mass, helping it maintain a constant temperature throughout the day. Energy efficient lighting and white goods, along with water saving fittings, complete the fit out.

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