Housing

What needs should a quality home fulfill?

A good home should embrace diversity and be flexible. Life has many phases and eras, and a good home should be able to accommodate them all. It does not make sense that you necessarily have to move when the kids leave home or when you become a member less of the household. That's why the rooms in the good home should be versatile and not fixed in their design.

How do we create the most sustainable homes?

The materials must be of good quality and patinate gracefully. Both inside and out. It is not sustainable to develop homes and buildings where parts or assemblies need to be replaced after a few years. If we develop houses/apartments correctly from the start with robust materials, they can last for hundreds of years. That's sustainable. It's also very important for biodiversity, the environment and Human well-being to remember outdoor spaces and landscaping. Garden spaces and courtyards are meeting places to ensure biodiversity, and the landscape should be incorporated into the design of the building from the start.

Housing for all. How can you as an architect help to support this?

Today, there's not much difference between the social housing and owner-occupied homes we develop in terms of design. There may be some details, such as bathrooms and kitchens, where the materials may vary in price range, but it's basically the same principles. Good natural light so that rooms and windows follow the path of the sun across the sky, multifunctional spaces and robust materials - but both are good homes for everyday life.