Designing homes that last

Here are five key focus areas to consider when aiming to deliver truly responsible housing.

Start with the people who will live there

• Define the target demographic early – families, singles, seniors, mixed generations –and design for their real, long-term needs.
• Consider how residents will use shared and private spaces, and how housing can adapt as lives and households change.
• See housing not just as units, but as part of a community fabric that can foster well-being and social connection.

Build for longevity

• Design buildings to be beautiful and durable enough that people will want to preserve them for decades.
• Ensure structures can be adapted to different uses – for example, with generous ceiling heights or flexible layouts that allow a building to shift from residential to commercial use.
• Think beyond minimum standards – what will still feel relevant, comfortable, and desirable in 50 or 100 years?

Choose materials with a future

• Prioritize low carbon, recycled, and responsibly sourced materials.
• Remember that the largest CO₂ impact often comes from raw material production – using less is often more impactful.
• Design for easy maintenance and repair rather than full replacement, extending the building’s life cycle.

Right-size the space

• Resist the pressure to build ever-larger dwellings.
• Compact, well-designed homes use fewer resources, cost less to run, and leave space for shared amenities that add quality of life.
• Co-living models and shared facilities – such as gardens, hobby spaces, or communal kitchens – can make smaller private homes feel richer and more connected.

Take responsibility for the bigger picture

• Acknowledge that every housing project is part of solving (or worsening) wider societal challenges: urban density, climate change, and social isolation.
• Create places that attract people and encourage them to engage with neighbors and the local area.
• Build with biodiversity, healthy indoor climates, and low-complexity systems that avoid unnecessary technology where simpler solutions will do.

Responsible housing means designing for both human and planetary health – using resources wisely, building for change, and creating homes and communities that people value enough to care for over time.