Residential specialist, Hope Architects, has launched an innovative system for designing homes that encourages customisable layout creation, maximises land value and offers complete flexibility of appearance.
Effective for small and volume schemes alike, ‘Skeleton House’ has been created by practice founder, Phil Cooper, who called on his 20 years’ of experience working with residential developers and national house builders to design the system.
Comprising a suite of room components all compliant with regulations and standards out of the box, designs can be created around a service and stair core. By focussing from the beginning on efficiency and commonality, Skeleton House offers the benefits of standardisation but without its constraints.
When used on any site, developers can optimise designs by using consistent elements to control costs andmaximise land value alongside retaining a compliant product.
Phil Cooper, RIBA Chartered Architect and founder of Hope Architects, said: “Skeleton House has been created to overcome the need for developers to maintain a standard house type range, which is costly and can be a problematic approach with Local Planning Authorities. By using a system like Skeleton House, developers will have all the benefits of commonality and standardisation, but with the complete flexibility of a bespoke approach.
“Having designed schemes small and large throughout the country, totalling tens of thousands of houses, I’ve identified ways in which the process can be rationalised, making optimum use of space and materials.
“Put simply, if we as an industry are ever going to hit our national housebuilding targets, we need to start thinking differently, and we need to make it easier for SME builders to begin developing again. We’re pleased to have created a system that will deliver efficiencies and help reduce project budgets, so that we can enable many exciting new developments throughout the UK.”
More information on Skeleton House is available at www.skeletonhouse.co.uk