Six rules for housing design in the city

Abstract

Almost every discussion of housing amongst architects turns to a critique of design priorities in the speculative market – the product of an industry that supplies two-thirds or more of all housing in cities in New Zealand and Australia. These conversations become a litany of complaints about architecture-free house-building in the suburbs with their decoration-only louvres, their south-facing picture windows, their garages in the sunniest spot on the plan, and always the front door embellishments that provide “street appeal”. ... What does design of housing involve for architects? And in what way does higher density housing differ from the suburban paradigm?