Download Space Exploration: How to optimise internal

Space Exploration: How to optimise internal layouts in
new-build developments
primeresi.com /space-exploration-how-to-optimise-internal-layouts-in-new-build-developments/101179/
By
PrimeResi
5/30/2017
With London’s resi developers under the cosh from rising construction costs, labour issues,
labyrinthine planning processes and market-altering tax changes, there is now zero room for error;
the wrong call on either design, layout, marketing strategy or amenities can prove disastrous for sales. Fear not
though – while understanding what buyers want remains far from a science, there are some pretty well-defined
principles…
A new report by Knight Frank has called on the design muscle of MSMR Architects to demonstrate this by
showing how to optimise internal layouts – allowing developers to achieve the holy grail of adding significant
value and saleability without necessarily increasing cost.
“Critical to the design process is the relationship between spaces”, advises the team. “This includes circulation
areas, the shape and dimensions of rooms, window and door positioning, kitchen layouts, storage, and what
architects and designers refer to as ‘the flow’ of apartments. Ceiling heights are also likely to play a role here. A
balance is needed to ensure there is no friction between design, structure, services integration, grid and
habitability. Finding the right balance between these components is a prerequisite to ensuring product quality, as
well as adding to the desirability of an apartment to prospective purchasers.”
They’ve helpfully sketched out some layouts from actual one and two-bedroom flats and redrawn them to show
how a “relatively simple” redesign can materially improve the quality of the accommodation. First thing to note is
how they’ve opened up the entrance lobbies to optimise natural light and maximise the all-important main living
area…
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Amenity space is “equally important”, says the firm, which has also shown some ways to boost usability in highrises whilst meeting the guidelines set out in the London Housing Design Guide (which require that at least 5
square metres of private outdoor space is provided for 1-2 person dwellings with an extra square metre for each
additional occupant).
Weighing up whether to go with open-air balconies or enclosed winter gardens is not a straightforward choice –
there’s a number of considerations including the user experience, the planning process, the visual appearance
of the building and costs – but above all, MSMR advises setting out the approach early on in the project lifecycle.
Here’s how the options compare – in both look and cost…
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Download the 2017 Development Design Study here
knightfrank.com
msmrarchitects.co.uk
corefive.co.uk
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ISSN 2059-5573. Copyright 2017 PrimeResi / Property Publishing Group
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