Single Aspect Blog

UPDATE: This project started on site in March 2013

Carlton have submitted revised plans for a 200 new homes development on the Alfa Laval site in Brentford.

Former Alfa Laval Site Great West Road Brentford LONDON TW8 9BU

Date Recd 19-Apr-2011 Decision In Progress

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UPDATE: See also 100_Whitechapel_Road_final_decision.pdf heard through @euanmills in the pdfs folder

While trawling the web today for North facing single aspect flats I was delighted to find that at least one planning application has been refused in the recent past for containing North facing flats.

The image above taken from the planning document shows the paragraph in question and the rest of the document is here (source) or click the image above.

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A single aspect flat is a dwelling that has windows only on one side, that faces one way, that forces its inhabitants to live with the consequences of its orientation for ever and a day without having the choice of moving to a room that benefits from more or less sunlight, depending on their wants and needs, or quite simply a different view.

A back to back house has the entrance door on the same side as the windows, whereas single aspect flats tend to have the entrance door on a corridor running the length of a rectangular block, with the only windows opposite the door, leading to internal kitchens and bathrooms and a lack of ventilation, with the consequent problems of temperature control, especially overheating.

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A dual aspect flat is an apartment that has windows on two or more sides. Most commonly these days they make an appearance as the corner flats in a block of single aspect flats, and have a view in two direction at 90° to each other.  The flat may be ventilated by opening the furthest windows on each side but is in my view inferior to a flat having windows on opposite sides of the dwelling allowing full ventilation of the space when needed and a view in two opposite directions, allowing full use of the sunlight throughout the day.

For example in a block of flats orientated North or South with the windows facing East or West, containing only dual aspect flats one has the choice of morning sun in the bedrooms and setting in the living room or vice versa.  With a corner dual aspect flat one is more limited and during a hot summer can less easily move to a cooler room.

From the Interim London Housing Design Guide:-

5.2 Dual aspect

Providing a home with two aspects can have many benefits: better daylight, cross ventilation, a choice of views, access to a quiet side of the building, and greater flexibility in the use of rooms and the potential for future adaptability to re-arrange rooms within the home. Dual aspect design should be the default.

A dual aspect dwelling is defined as one with openable windows on two external walls, which may be opposite or adjacent around a corner. One aspect may be towards an external access deck, courtyard, or ventilated atrium.

Single aspect flats are difficult to naturally ventilate and more likely to overheat, an increasing concern for homes in London due to anticipated temperature increases from climate change coupled with the urban heat island effect where London is inherently warmer than its surrounding areas. Single aspect flats will only be permitted where the design is shown to allow adequate daylight and ventilation to all habitable rooms.

Intermim London Housing Design Guide text only.rtf

Further reading:-

Zeilenbau orientation and Heliotropic housing

Dublin downgrades its housing standards

Fun with Nick and Kate
Both the Independent on Sunday and the Daily Mail featured the erstwhile director of housing for Hammersmith, Nick Johnson, and his partner, Kate Davies, this week. Good investigative journalism but slightly missing the point, which is why are they paid so much out of public funds to promote private housing?

The same day I saw these stories I got notice of a planning application from Notting Hill Housing (prop. Kate Davies). It is to build 41 properties on the former VW garage site in King Street.  Four of these will be five-bedroomed town houses in St Peter’s Square, each retailing for about £3million on the open market – which is what all 41 will be doing. Apparently, there is insufficient equity in the site for this housing association – whose only purpose for existing and paying its chief executive is to house people on low incomes – to build a single affordable home.

https://www.andyslaughter.co.uk/?p=4736 or if that fails then locally here -> Fun with Nick and Kate