Mapping space standards for the home - graph of gross internal area - GIA (m)

A graphical comparison of significant recent housing space standards set for England and Ireland over the last 60 years. It indicates where standards have been
applied to public and/or private sector housing, where they were derived from, and illustrates the variation in area prescribed by various organisations and for
particular dwelling sizes and occupancy levels.

Summary of standards
120 Homes and Communities Agency (2010): Space standards proposed by the Homes and Communities
Agency and currently out for consultation.
110
GLA Housing Design Standards (2010): These dimensions are derived from an inventory of required furniture
100 HCA Mar-10 as well as space needed for activities, access around furniture and Lifetime Homes Standards. Although
applicable only to publically funded housing at this point, the intention is for these standards to become
requirements for private housing also.
90 GLA (Housing Design Guide)
2010
English Partnerships (Nov 2007): These standards were set for all housing delivered on English Partnerships
GIA in square metres

80 English Partnerships Nov-07

land. They were intended to produce units that appealed to all segments of the population, from single
individuals to large families. The standards were also to ensure that the units were adaptable to changes in both
70 Housing Corporation Standards
(HQI) minimum Apr-07
residents' needs and the housing market in the long run.

60 Housing Corporation Standards

(HQI) maximum Apr-07
Irish Standards 2007
50
Sunderland Housing Group:
40 Swing a Cat minimum 2007
Sunderland Housing Group:
30 Swing a Cat min. 2007
Parker Morris 1961
20
1949 standard mean
10
0 the general public. These demonstrate an extremely wide band between minimum and maximum (an average
1b2p
Housing Corporation (April 2007): Derived from the Scheme Development standards (SDS) and linked to the
Housing Quality Index (HQI), these standards set out minimum and maximum space requirements for publicly
funded housing. The range of acceptable area sizes was defined in order to ensure public money was being
used to deliver the optimum number of units, which were neither too small to be liveable nor too big enough to
reduce the number of units that could be delivered on site. These demonstrate an tight band between minimum
and maximum (an average difference of 8 sq m).
Irish Standards (2007): These are the standards put forward in the Irish government's Quality Housing for
Sustainable Communities published by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. They
set out the minimum floor areas for living, bedroom and storage areas likely to be required to satisfy the
requirements of normal living. The standards apply to both public and private housing.
Sunderland Housing Group Report - Room to swing a cat website (2007): Housing standards derived from
the GLA standards and published on the http://www.swingacat.info/index.php website as advisory guidance to

2b3p

2b4p

3b4p

3b5p

3b6p

4b5p

4b6p

2b3p

2b4p

3b4p

3b5p

4b5p

4b6p

3b5p

4b5p

4b6p
difference of 26 sq m).

Dwellings by type: Flats, 2 storey Houses, 3 storey Houses GLA safety net standards (2006): These standards were intended to be an absolute minimum for habitable
developments rather than a best practice benchmark. They were intended to apply to private and public
housing.

Parker Morris (1961): These standards were developed in response to a need to improve social housing in the
Gross Housing Sunderland
UK. They were based on an assessment of the amount of space required for normal household activities, as
Internal GLA (Housing Corporation Housing
well as what types of furniture, and the space needed in each room to move around it. They also include
Area Design Guide): English Standards Irish Group: Swing Parker 1949
minimum internal storage space standards. Note figures for this standard are often reported to include the
Categories (GIA) m HCA 2010 Partnerships (HQI) Standards a Cat Morris standard
requirement for external storage space also (1.9m).
min. max. min. max. mean
Date Mar-10 2010 Nov-07 Apr-07 2007 2007 1961 1949
1949 Housing Standards: Mean dwelling area including storage, however occupancy categories vary from
current usage ( e.g. 1b1p and other occupancy levels expected from different living conditions). This standard
1b1p 27.9 provided guidance to local authorities on housing and called for a greater variety of dwelling types.
1b2p 48 50 51 30 35 45 40 57 43
2b1p 32.5
2b2p 46.5
2b3p 61 61 66 45 50 63 57 80 58
2b4p 70 70 77 45 50 73 57 80 71
3b4p 74 57 67 76 65 90 65.1
3b5p 86 86 93 57 67 86 65 90 80 General comments and comparisons
3b6p 95 57 67 94 65 90 Some of the standards shown here are standards that differentiate between occupancy levels in 3B flats and
4b5p 90 67 75 72 102 79 houses, and those that do not - such as the Housing Corporation and Sunderland Housing Group/ Swing a
Flats 4b6p 99 99 106 67 75 72 102 87 83.6 cat standards.
2b3p 71 66 45 50 70 57 80
2b4p 80 83 77 45 50 80 57 80 77 72 The Housing Corporation and Sunderland Housing Group/ Swing a cat standards also do not differentiate
3b4p 87 57 67 83 65 90
between flats and houses in that the space standards are compiled around the number of occupants and so
the same standard for 2B flats applies for a 2B house, the same space standard for 3B flats as for a 3B
3b5p 96 96 93 57 67 92 65 90 85.6
house and so on.
2 storey 4b5p 100 67 75 72 102
house 4b6p 109 107 106 67 75 72 102 95 97.1
The GLA (HDG), English Partnerships and Irish standards all follow a similar gradient of increase, within a
3b5p 101 102 93 102 65 90 96 95.3 tight band of difference and with only minor variations ( for example the English Partnerships areas are
3 storey 4b5p 106 72 102 slightly more generous for flats, but less so for houses than the other two).
house 4b6p 114 113 106 72 102 100 106.4