Housing Standardisation

What does a typical home in England look like? How does it compare to housing in other countries? How are these homes designed? And, what is it like to live in them?

Based on a three-year study of recently built affordable and subsidised housing in England, Chile, China, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, this exhibition explores these questions through 37 in-depth case studies that document typical homes and the lived experiences of their residents.

The intimate studies of homes are contextualised by a comparison of housing systems and standards that explains how housing design regulations, regulatory cultures, housing markets, and socio-spatial norms define the governance of housing design and impact everyday housing routines and experiences.

The exhibition looks at the role of regulations and standards, with a particularly focus space standards as a measure of housing design quality. It investigates why these standards are often contextual and subjective rather than universal, and how they inform design decisions. The exhibition also questions the effectiveness and underlying motivations of these standards, asking whether they improve or simply standardise the way we live.

With affordable housing frequently built at scale using standardised dwelling types and construction methods, it is often more ‘designed’ by regulations and standards than by architects. As a result, it commonly relies on established house types favoured by volume housebuilders and housing associations.

The exhibition Housing Standardisation: Who Designs our Homes and How Do We Live? explores what ‘well-designed’, ‘housing quality’, and ‘affordable housing’ mean to various housing stakeholders, especially residents – highlighting how these definitions and perceptions are deeply contextual.