Social housing design

8/7/2019 Social housing design

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SOCIAL HOUSING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

1. INTRODUCTION

The principles below are derived from work done by various researchersand architects like Oscar Newman since the 1960s. There is a generalconsensus that an appropriately planned, designed and managedenvironment, will lead to reduced crime. The environment therefore plays asignificant role in influencing perceptions of safety.

The aim is to improve the physical design from a crime prevention andresident empowerment and control viewpoint. Although it relates to crimeprevention, there are also other objectives and sound considerations whichwill be enhanced through the incorporation of these principles. Thisproposal therefore will provide a physical design paradigm that will have tobe complemented by the day-to-day management of the estate to ensurethat a certain standard is achieve and maintained.

Obviously, it is not a complete set of principles relating to design in general.

2. DESIGN PRINCIPLES

These principles are:

2.1 SurveillanceThe extent of visual contact that residents have with space will determinethe extent to which they can intervene. Also the degree whereto people ingeneral are being visible, influence their conduct. This is called passive

surveillance by residents, as opposed to active surveillance which is usuallyundertaken by police and security guards.

The implication therefore is that windows, doors, balconies, entrances andopenings and their positioning, as well as the distances between buildings,size of opens spaces, etc. becomes important devices to ensure continuousand automatic passive surveillance. These become the protective eyes thatkeep a check day and night.

2.2 VisibilityRelating also to the above, surveillance can be improved or made possible

through good visibility. Dark spaces, twisting alleys which createuncertainty, as well as hiding places, will increase the fear of crime andreduce the degree of control by residents. The way which roads andwalkways are designed and lighting is positioned, can obviate manyproblems with surveillance. Also, the purposeful response to and handlingof different levels, low points and heights can improve visibility.


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2.3 TerritorialityThis is about a sense of ownership and control of ones living environment.This is made possible when residents can relate to space and identify withspace, when it is legible to them. In general, association with private space(your garden) will provide an incentive for the strongest degree of ownershipand therefore control. These spaces should be clearly demarcated andboundaries should be very obvious. Another space category is the private-public space such as playgrounds, walkways for residents, etc. Althoughthere is less ownership and a lesser feel for controlling it, it still remains asemi-controlled area. The other space is purely public (main street). Thechallenge is to allocate spaces according to need and clearly mark it whichwill improve ownership and control.

2.4 Human scaleRelating to all the above dimensions is the need to design at a human scaleto which residents and those traveling by feet can associate. For instance,too high buildings will disassociate the top floors with the ground floorleading to dumping of bottles and cigarette buts. Human ergonomics and

bodily capacities determine the confines of human scale, such as distancesthat people can be identified etc.

2.5 Access and escape routesCrime hot spots are frequently those areas that are too easily accessibleand from where it is easy to escape. Properties near opens spaces, vacantsites, dead zones and even main roads will be more susceptible to crime doto the fact that it is easy to move in and out.

2.6 Image and aestheticsThe image that is portrayed by a building, a public space or area, will

influence the conduct of people and criminals. Dilapidated buildings willinvite criminals and thugs, badly maintained parks will invite the dumping ofgarbage, quality areas which are properly lit will keep drug dealers away.By combining low income with middle income families, by design housingprojects to appear more up-market, all these issues will assist in portraying abuilding complex that is not an easy target and that does not only house themost marginal people.

2.7 Identification with areas and spacesWhen entrances are clearly marked and when transition between spacesare obvious, then any would-be criminal will act carefully. These physical

landmarks act as symbolic announcements to the visitor and resident abouttransition into a new space with new rules. The residents on the other handwill also relate to these landmarks but in a positive manner as they will feelat home and safe.

2.8 Target hardeningProperty owners usually fence off their areas through walls which proved asense of safety but which compromise some of the above principles such as


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visibility etc. See-through fences are therefore an improvement as it stillallows surveillance.

2.9 Sense of communityIn reducing anonymity in housing projects, the residents come to know eachother and start to watch over their movements and property. This willenable residents to identify strangers and would-be criminals. If there is asense of community, then there is a sense of belonging and social supportstructures start developing.

In terms of design, it is necessary to have certain socializing spaces in thehousing estate. Whether it be the entrance portal to a block of flats wherethe notice board and post boxes are situated and which force the residentsto mingle, or recreation areas where you need to pass though.

3. SOME IMPLICATIONS

The challenge that face the providers of low income housing projects are thelimited budgets and resources to draw from. Therefore a balance should be

found between keeping within the budget on the one hand and havingcertain additionalities to improve appearance and surveillance, on the otherhand.

But in most of these cases, it only requires another way of designing andpositioning of certain features. All in all, the above additionalities, coupledwith another way of designing and spending the same budget, will lead tomore quality environments that are safer and more appeasing to itsresidents. This aspect can not be easily quantified upfront, but will definitelyimprove the demand for this housing product (less vacancies); it will alsoprotect the market value on housing estate and therefore investment and

reduce vandalism, as opposed to a crime-riddled property that is beingcontinuously down-raided.

In concrete terms, the above principles require a rethink of the following:

Positioning of vehicular and pedestrian entrances and designing ofmaneuvering spaces.

Positioning and design of parking spaces.

Positioning of windows, staircases.

Positioning of and access to soft areas such as playgrounds andcrches.

Sight distances, length of corridors, distance between buildings anddimensions of open spaces and length of walkways.

Height of buildings, height of walls.

Entrance and transition features.

Creation of socializing spaces.

Appearance of buildings and finishes. Two units might be designedto appear as a single unit from the outside.


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Careful use of trees and vegetation, landscaping, surfaces, levels todemarcate different spaces and to avoid hiding spaces.

Allocation of residents on different levels in multi-storey complexes tosuit individual and design/communal requirements.

Attraction of other complimentary activities onto the site (playgrounds,crches, public phones, post points, canteens, storage, clinics).

Provision of private spaces (such as private gardens) and public-private spaces (playgrounds), and how it will be positioned andmarked.

In conclusion, the simultaneous incorporation of these design principlescan prove to be difficult as some principles may work against the others.It therefore requires the skillful and mindful application there-of.

Apart from the above on-site interventions, the surrounding environment,and adjacent properties, access roads and vacant sites, etc. all shouldbe assessed and recommendations made about its maintenance and

improvement in terms of security, image improvement and need for lawenforcement, etc.

Prepared by:Lukas van der MerweDBSA Project ManagerDec 2005

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Social housing design