Adjustable Housing: a transdisciplinary approach to delivering social, environmental and economically sustainable homes
Lead Research Organisation:
Cullinan Studio
Department Name: Architecture
Abstract
Adjustable Housing is a transdisciplinary approach to the delivery of socially, environmentally and economically sustainable homes. It aims to help people on the edges of owner occupation adapt to changes in their housing needs, without expecting them to buy more space than they need or move house when their needs change. It is built on a desire to help make what has come to be known as co-housing more accessible and mainstream. The applicant's practice-based PhD has given rise to a series of recommendations for the implementation of Adjustable Housing that will be operationalised through this project. The applicant is a partner at Cullinan Studio - a leading UK architecture practice - and will be seconded to the University of Reading's School of the Built Environment for three years. Both Cullinan Studio and the applicant have a strong existing research relationship with the School. The proposed outputs will include a guide for implementing Adjustable Housing, written for an industry audience, and a monograph of Adjustable Housing case studies, written and illustrated for a lay audience. At a time when the government in England is rewriting its planning system, such fresh viewpoints on 'housing need' are urgently required.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Philip Graham (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
| Title | Development of a design game method for testing multi-dwelling housing outcomes (spatial and energy) |
| Description | Development of a design game method for testing and forecasting the consumption of housing space under different circumstances. The method is a contribution to the field of 'agent based modelling' (ABM) and may have applications in a 3D digital environment, as well as the 2D player-based environment in which it is currently being tested. The aim of the game is to enable players - acting as resident households - to co-create a multi-family apartment building in which they must anticipate or respond to changing housing needs without overconsuming housing space and the excess energy and carbon needed for heating, cooling and construction. From the players' perspective, they are trying to continuously 'rightsize' their home, thereby striking a balance between overcrowding (to minimise wellbeing losses) and under-occupation (to minimise material and energy losses). From the observer's point of view, the research interest lies in the spatial, tenure and organisational conditions which affect these outcomes. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | An abstract describing this new method has been accepted for the forthcoming special issue of Buildings and Cities journal on energy sufficiency in buildings. The full paper is expected to be published in April or May 2024. |
| URL | https://www.buildingsandcities.org/calls-for-papers/energy-sufficiency.html |
| Description | Good Homes Alliance - financial innovations steering group |
| Organisation | Good Homes Alliance |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Following a meeting with the GHA leads in December 2023 and earlier attendance at an online conference, we have since built a working group to identify, develop and promote ways of using green finance to change the energy performance of housing. Formalised at the GHA conference on 6.2.24, there have been 2x subsequent steering group meetings to frame the scope of the project. My contribution has been to identify problems with the evaluative metrics currently being used by the Green Mortgage industry and to propose overlooked ways of instead incentivising housing that makes more efficient use of land and housing space, leading to lower energy throughputs and aggregated reductions in embodied and operational carbon over time. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The GHA's position as thought leader in the area of sustainable housing innovation means they have assembled the cross disciplinary panel and working group. Through their profile, they have been able to involve industry partners in development, investment, construction, lending, academic and local authority. The GHA also convene and report on the work through their in-person and published material. |
| Impact | GHA annual conference panel session (6.2.24). |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Twente - collaboration in agent based modelling |
| Organisation | University of Twente |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Building on three of the collaborations listed in this report, we are developing and testing a design game that enables players - acting as resident households - to mediate and occupy adjustable housing space around changing housing needs, as if they were residents in a multi-family apartment building. The game is 2D and tile-based but establishes the variables that will be relevant to hereafter build a 3D digital housing environment. As project lead and lead author, I am developing the game and doing the writing work, then coordinating input from collaborators at the University of Twente, Cambridge University's Building Behaviour and Performance Group and Clarion Housing Association. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My collaborator at Twente - Dr Piroiuz Nourian - brings expertise in design games and agent based modelling (ABM). To date he has advised on the emerging conceptual framework, the machanics and notation of design games, relevant literature and the editing of drafts including the accepted abstract. |
| Impact | My abstract (written with editorial and literature input from Pirouz) was accepted for the forthcoming special issue of Buildings and Cities journal on energy sufficiency in buildings (due for publication from May 2024). |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Building Behaviour and Performance research group (BBP), Cambridge University - visiting fellow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The focus of the BBP research team is on the interrelationships between people and the built environment. As a visiting fellow, I have been participating in group meetings and have presented to the group as a way of peer reviewing a research proposal and of finding collaborators (27.11.23). This has led to the assembly of an international and interdisciplinary collaborative team under my lead, co-authoring a paper on energy sufficiency in buildings for a forthcoming special issue of Buildings and Cities journal (see also 'Collaborations'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/research/the-martin-centre/behaviour-and-building-performance |
| Description | Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research - discussion event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A discussion and dinner event at St Edmund Hall, Cambridge. This was a rare opportunity to establish personal links with the academic lead in CCHPR and sustainable housing from which multiple follow-ups have arisen. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) - network member |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to join the highly regarded CSaP membership. CSaP creates opportunities for public policy professionals and academics to learn from each other through Policy Fellowships, workshops and professional development activities. I have since had two meetings with members, one being with the director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Prof. Michael Kenny (also Ben Earley). I anticipate that hereafter I will be asked to meet visiting delegates in UK or international policy who seek the benefit from research input during study visits to Cambridge. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/philip-graham2/ |
| Description | Cambridge University - sustainable housing teaching (various sessions) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Housing design studio teaching (Y3, Studio 4). Sustainable housing lecture (Y3) as part of the history and theory course on 'Sustainable housing and climate change' (Part 2, paper 1). Associated meetings with Prof. Minna Sunikka-Blanc (Cambridge). We are now discussing ways of expanding this part of curriculum into a whole course or paper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/research/the-martin-centre/sustainable-building/sustainable-building-poli... |
| Description | Clarion Housing Association - talk and workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Leading workshop sessions to explore and identify opportunities for research-led development collaborations, hoping to lead to a pilot project (see also Collaborations'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.clarionhg.com/ |
| Description | Creative Cambridge - short talk at annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | An ideas pitch akin to a Ted Talk in this diverse and wide-ranging event seeking to encourage debate and innovation across arts and AI innovators at Cambridge University and in the surrounding area. The talk led to follow-on meetings e.g. with Cambridge Enterprise, which aims to promote and operationalise new ideas emerging from the University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/events/creative-cambridge-2023/ |
| Description | Cullinan Studio architects - update talks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Periodic feedback sessions with my seconding organisation, to update them on my research progress and to test talks before taking them to industry leaders. Although I am seconded almost fully out of the office, I have found my former colleagues to be incredibly useful as 'critical friends' and carriers of my research recommendations - hopefully into the arms of future developer collaborators. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | http://www.cullinanstudio.com |
| Description | Edge Debate on, 'Housing Adaptability: More than (but essential to) climate issues?' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Edge Debate No.136: In 2022, the refereed journal Buildings & Cities (B&C) published a Special Issue, Housing Adaptability. This joint Edge and B&C event used the Special Issue as the basis for an in-depth examination of the need for housing adaptability and the barriers to its provision. Whilst retrofitting the existing housing stock for climate change mitigation has been well researched, less consideration has been given to the increasingly important issues of the adaptation and flexibility of our homes - especially given the decreasing size of dwellings and changing nature of work and education. The session explored the steps that policy makers, planners, clients, developers and designers can take to make new and existing dwellings more adaptable to meet inevitable life events and changing demographics (ageing population, migration, fluidity of household structures) and their associated disruptions and consequences. The debate explored the climatic /environmental, social and economic perspectives for making housing more adaptable. An emphasis on durability will entail buildings that are adaptable to different user needs, but also able to respond to the changing climate to remain fit for purpose. Can a small additional initial investment in adaptability maximise a building's value throughout its life - if so, what is holding us back and what needs to change? This virtual event will explore these questions in relation to current practice and new initiatives with contributions from an invited panel and afterwards from the audience. Chair John Palmer, Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, UK Introduction: Elanor Warwick, Clarion Housing Group, UK Speakers: Jyrki Tarpio, Tampere University, Finland - on, the value of adaptability to residents Astrid Smitham, Apparata Architects, UK - on, adaptable housing to accommodate life's changes Marta Smektala, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland - on, knowing what inhabitants need Respondents: Philip Graham - Postdoctoral researcher at Cambridge University / architect at Cullinan Studio Kirk Archibald - Director at Think Three Amy Burbidge - Head of master development and design team at Homes England |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://edgedebate.com/edge-events/edge-debate-136-housing-adaptability |
| Description | Good Homes Alliance - panelist & financial innovations working group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Member of the GHA's financial innovations working group, following an earlier invitation to be a panel speaker at their annual conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://goodhomes.org.uk/good-homes-2024 |
| Description | Homerton College, Cambridge - made Bye-fellow and Director of Studies for Architecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | On the back of UKRI/AHRC secondment to Cambridge University, Homerton College (Cambridge) invited me to become their Director of Studies for architecture and therefore a bye-fellow of the College. My role is as an ambassador to the Department of Architecture but also to support the learning of our undergraduates. This enables me to shape the learning environment with insights from both practice and research as well as to participate in the admission process. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.homerton.cam.ac.uk/people/philip-graham |
| Description | Inside Housing - filmed interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A recorded interview made at Homes UK 2023 and recorded by representatives from Inside Housing and Thinkhouse. This was on the back of my earlier win at the Thinkhouse Early Career Researcher Prize 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac2Aa_vk1Xk |
| Description | Inside Housing - magazine article and interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | An interview with IH editor (Martin Hilditch) leading to a leader article online and in print, titled: "Could adjustable housing be the big idea that helps the UK thrive in the 21st century?" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/could-adjustable-housing-be-the-big-idea-that-helps-the-uk-t... |
| Description | Knowledge exchange events: Curiosity Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to share housing research and lead a discussion as a foundation to causal loop diagrams being produced by the Curiosity Society. We have developed versions of these with a version to feed into my book. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | L&Q housing - talk & workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Leading a workshop session with this major housing association and developer, with the aim to exploring and identifying opportunities for research-led development collaborations, perhaps leading to a pilot project (see also collaborations). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.lqgroup.org.uk/ |
| Description | Mole Architects - CPD talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Mole architects were the designers of ne of my case studies and so this session was a chance to feedback on my research findings (as a kickback for their earlier time in interviews). The purpose of such session - being with architectural 'competitors' is not with any expectation of collaboration but to help with ideas dissemination. This is relevant because Mole architects are well regarded designers of socially purposeful housing, and therefore make excellent 'carriers' of my research recommendations into industry and developers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | http://www.molearchitects.co.uk/ |
| Description | Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects (PTEa) - CPD talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lunchtime talk to the whole practice, reporting on research findings and AH proposition, leading to possible collaborations on post occupancy evaluations and case studies. Also, follow-up conversation on deck access case studies with an author of PTEa's book on the subject. PTEa is a well regarded housing-specialist, working on multi-dwelling residential communities in the UK, primarily in the SE of England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.pollardthomasedwards.co.uk/ |
| Description | RE-DWELL - summer school speaker and workshop teacher |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | RE-DWELL is an EU-wide research consortium working to establish a holistic, transdisciplinary framework to reveal the links between social, economic and environmental factors in the provision of affordable and sustainable housing. The summer school was to bring together mostly postgraduate, doctoral researchers from across Europe. My contribution was to speak in a morning panel session and - after Q&A - contribute to the afternoon discussion and workshop sessions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.re-dwell.eu/media/11ef8741596c24fed0fb8892d9ff50bf.pdf |
| Description | Residential Construction Network (RCN) - breakfast talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Speaking on the adjustable housing research and proposition with two others in a breakfast panel event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.theacn.co.uk/resi |
| Description | Savills residential research team - presentation and discussion lead |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Savills residential research is a world renowned go-to for insight into the UK and global property market, as well as futures for industry and consumer demand. I was invited to speak to their senior leadership group in one of their "Drinks and discuss" boardroom sessions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.savills.co.uk/services/research.aspx |
| Description | TOWN (developers) - presentation to development teams |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A research feedback session leading to the adjustable housing proposition and offer to collaborate or support new development planning and design processes with research input. The session has not produced follow-on collaboration directly, except for a second discussion session with TOWN's founding partners. It has, however, indirectly resulted in meetings about other projects and invitations to collaborate in other ways, e.g. the Good Homes Alliance finance working group (mentioned separately) and a separate meeting to consider the combination of adjustable housing and integrated project insurance as a way of managing risk in new housing (possible projects downstream). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.wearetown.co.uk/ |
| Description | The Oxford Institute of Population Ageing - interview participant |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Asked to participate in an interview by research fellow, Dr Anthony Howarth. The interview concerned ways that the relationship between design, place-making, and intergenerational living might enable healthy ageing through improving well-being and tackling loneliness. This was for a project to examine whether, and in what ways, architectural design and intergenerational programs can facilitate beneficial relationships between different generations and, in doing so, enhance their health and quality of life. The aim of the interview was for AH to understand how architects, builders, and planners design and subsequently deliver projects that may be able to respond to the problems we currently face, as well as future difficulties linked to housing an ageing population. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ageing.ox.ac.uk/people/view/515 |
| Description | UK Co-Housing Network - knowledge exchange activities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Ongoing dialogue and engagement activities flowing from my relationship with this national interest group, lobbyist and research body promoting cohousing with support for aspiring groups and projects. Following two meetings with UKCN lead, Owen Jarvis, there is a shift in narrative towards the idea that cohousing could be less radical, co-produced or politically homogenous. Instead, we are discussing ways of top-down / bottom-up, developer-led cohousing akin to my adjustable housing model. Together, we co-delivered a two-part session with Cambridge University undergraduate students (see separate entry) in which to present these challenges as an open question that breaks with the current, more dogmatic and often utopian or anti-capitalist positions on alternative housing models. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://cohousing.org.uk/ |
| Description | University of Reading - MArch masters in architecture course |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Delivering a half-day workshop on my adjustable housing thesis then expanding out to share methods including fieldwork (interview and survey techniques) and thematic analysis. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/2024/architecture-pg/master-of-architecture |
| Description | University of Sheffield - contributing to a doctoral research project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Contributing to a doctoral research project at the University of Sheffield for candidate, Aya Elghandour (part of the RE-DWELL consortium, main supervisor: Prof. Karim Hadjri). The interview focussed on the decisions made before a building construction starts as regards health and wellbeing but also affecting the affordability and sustainability of social housing in the UK and Portugal. RE-DWELL is a EU-wide Research Project on Affordable and Sustainable Housing (funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 956082). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |