Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
Establishing a tenant focused Private Rental System, with tenant led build-to-rent scheme tested in St. Gabriel’s Hall, Rusholme.
May 2024
Alice Kate Allen 18061890
MArch 2 thesis project
May 2024
Research statement: Reimagining the Private Rental Sector
Exploring and producing a strategic framework that outlines how to make essential changes to the private rental sector.
Using this thesis project as a means to educate and spread awareness of the housing crisis and potential solutions.
Proposing retrofit strategies that can be applied to a test-bed site to show how policy changes can be actioned.
Proposing new build strategies that can be applied to a testbed site to show how policy changes can be actioned.
Diagrams presented at the beginning of each chapter are used to show how each section follows on from the other. It provides an overview of the chapter to help navigate the document.
Tenant-led BTR ...
The strategic framework is organised to be as accessible as possible, to people both in and outside of the architectural profession. The LEFT-hand page displays the overarching (strategic) principles that make up a tenant-led build-to-rent scheme. The RIGHT-hand page shows diagrams, images, and annotations as to how these principles have been applied within St. Gabriel’s Hall.
Affordable Housing
Affordable Rents
Assured Tenancies
Build-to-Rent
Decent Homes Standard
Demunicipalisation
Fabric First Approaches
Housing First Policies
Housing MOT
Intergenerational Housing
Kit-of-Parts Housing
Manchester Living Rent
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)
Modular Housing Design
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
The provision of housing for people that would otherwise be unable to afford a home. It covers social rent (non private), affordable rent (discounted private rents), shared ownership properties, and starter homes (up to a value of £450,000).
Rental rates set at a level deemed affordable for low- and moderate- income households, typically around 80% of the local market rate.
A type of tenancy in the UK offering tenants security of tenure, often with longterm agreements and protection from eviction without cause.
Residential real estate development where properties are specifically designed and constructed to be rented out, rather than sold.
A government standard ensuring social housing meets minimum conditions of comfort, safety, warmth, and maintenance.
The process by which public services and businesses are transferred (or bought out) by private ownership. Government use this as a way of reducing public expenditure and deregulation.
Prioritising the retention, maintenance, and enhancement of existing building fabric over demolition.
An approach to homelessness that prioritises providing permanent housing to individuals before addressing other social needs.
A comprehensive assessment of a home’s condition, similar to a vehicle MOT, to ensure it meets safety and quality standards.
Residential developments designed to accommodate multiple generations, promoting interaction and support between age groups.
A building system using pre-designed, interchangeable components that can be assembled in various configurations to create customised homes.
An initiative in Manchester aimed at providing affordable rental housing pegged to local incomes.
Innovative construction techniques that improve efficiency, quality and sustainability in the building processes.
Homes constructed using prefabricated modules that are assembled on-site, allowing for faster and more efficient building processes.
A land-use planning policy in England that sets out the government’s economic, environmental, and social planning policies that apply to the preparation of local and neighbourhood plans and decisions on planning applications.
Participatory Design Processes
Post-Occupancy Evaluation
Private Rental Sector
Rent Control
Retrofit
Retrofit Assessments
Right to Buy Back
Right to Renewal
Section 21
Social Rented Sector
Tenant-led Build-to-Rent
Test-bed Proposal
Involving future residents and stakeholders in the design and planning of housing projects to ensure they meet community needs.
Assessments conducted after a building is occupied to determine if it meets the needs of its residents and performs as it intended.
Residential properties owned by private landlords and rented out to tenants for residential use.
Government-imposed limits on the amount landlords can charge for renting out properties.
The process of upgrading existing buildings with new systems or features to improve energy efficiency and performance.
Evaluations to determine the most effective ways to upgrade buildings for energy efficiency and sustainability.
A policy allowing local authorities to repurchase former social housing that has been sold under Right to Buy.
The legal right of tenants to renew their lease at the end of the tenancy term, often on similar terms.
A legal notice in England and Wales allowing landlords to evict tenants without stating a reason after a fixed-term tenancy ends.
The provision of housing either by the state or from a registered provider e.g. a housing association. It is not to be confused with affordable housing, as although this covers social housing it also includes private rentals and some homeownership options.
Rental developments planning and managed with significant input and control from tenants.
A pilot project or experimental initiative used to test new ideas, technologies, or methods in real-world conditions. In this case, it is the testing of a tenant-led buildto-rent project within a real-world site in Rusholme, Manchester.
Address housing poverty by ...
Providing affordable housing as a mix of housing typologies specific to local need.
Ensuring long-term stability and tenure security for tenants through longer tenancies and rent controls.
Prioritising inclusivity and accessibility in both design and housing allocation.
Reducing running costs by implementing sustainable design choices and building fabric.
Supporting existing and encourages new social networks by creating a sense of place and fostering belonging.
Empowering local people and teaching skill-building through principles of knowledge sharing.
Thick layers of insulation and consistent airtightness membranes increase the thermal performance of the buildings, reducing tenants’ fuel bills (see Chapter 3 - The Kit-of-Parts for more information)
Share balconies between apartments foster relationships between neighbours. We need a wheelchair accessible apartment.
Rental caps:
In a private rental first, rents within St. Gabriel’s Hall are capped at Manchester Living Rent. This is a figure set at or below Local Housing Allowance Level, making the cost of renting within this development below levels central government consider ‘affordable’ (Manchester City Council, no date).
Assured Tenancies (AT):
As standard, properties within St. Gabriel’s Hall will be offered as AT. In opposition to Assured Shorthold Tenancies, which make up the majority of the private rental sector, ATs do not give the landlord (in the case GMTA) the automatic right to regain possession of the property after the initial rental period is over. This provides greater tenancy security for the tenants (Mohammed, no date).
End to Section 21:
Despite central government still refusing to ban Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, these will be effectively banned within St. Gabriel’s Hall.
2B4P intergenerational apartments comply with Approved Document Part M4(3) - wheelchair user dwelling. All other apartments are designed Part M4(2) - accessible + adaptable dwellings.
Address local housing need by ...
Establishing tailored solutions by prioritising local housing need rather than demand.
Engage with local people by ...
Setting up and facilitating a steering group made up of key local stakeholders and residents.
Integrate into existing communities by ...
Prioritising local experience and knowledge through community engagement and participatory design practices.
Providing sustainable and resilient developments that enhance the existing community.
Encourage participation throughout the design process to ensure the development aligns with the needs of the community.
Retrofit existing buildings where possible, rather than demolishing and building new.
Housing demand vs need:
An increasing housing demand and lack of supply is frequently sited as the root cause of the housing crisis, especially in terms of increasing rents and house prices. However, data shows that a lack of supply doesn’t necessarily correlate with this.
Housing demand and housing need are actually two very different things. Demand is shaped by the number of buyers (which includes first-time buyers, but also landlords, and second homes), strength of preference (over location, property size etc), and the purchasing power of the buyer. In order to keep up with demand, it would require extensive building and consequently have disastrous effects environmentally (Stratford, 2024).
Housing need, on the other hand, refers to the number of properties required in order to provide suitable accommodation for the population. It is determined by factors such as overcrowding, homelessness, housing affordability etc, and therefore aligns closely with the key indicators (of housing poverty) mapped across Manchester as part of the site selection process undertaken at St. Gabriel’s Hall.
Internally insulating the existing buildings maintains their external facade whilst increasing their thermal performance. This improves the internal qualities and energy efficiency of the properties and utilising the existing structure.
Key stakeholders and tenants are invited to become members of the steering group, helping to make important decisions throughout the design process and ensure the needs of the local community are met at all levels.
Create a sense of place by ...
Designing buildings with distinctive architectural features that reflect the local character and community identity.
Providing communal gardens and parks that members of the community (outside of residents) can also enjoy.
Activating underutilised and derelict spaces to promote social interaction and create vibrant neighbourhoods.
Maintaining external spaces fostering a sense of ownership and pride.
Enhancing streetscapes and public realm to encourage residents to use external areas.
Engaging with local community to understand local needs and create a shared vision (throughout the design process).
Contemporary bay window arrangements are inspired by existing architectural features.
We need overlooked outdoor space for the girls to play safely.
St. Gabriel’s Hall currently (and has done since 2019) sat empty and abandoned. Development on this site, will enhance the surrounding streetscape. Provision of communal gardens activates the site by encourage local people to visit and spend time there.
Produce homes (not houses) by ...
Prioritising quality design and flexible spaces that can be personalised.
Ensuring designs are in keeping with the existing context of the surrounding area.
Providing individual front doors and both private and communal external space to foster informal interaction between neighbours.
Are inclusive and accessible by ...
Designing beyond compliance with building regulations and space standards.
Maximising natural light and ventilation to improve indoor air quality and comfort.
Ensuring access to homes and spaces is equal for all.
Dual aspect properties, alongside large glazed casement windows, are orientated to maximise natural light and passive ventilation processes.
We need space that is easily adaptable as we get older.
The kit-of-parts:
Using a modular construction and following the kit-of-parts process allows developments to be quickly assembled (and structurally similar) without compromising on aesthetic treatments. St. Gabriel’s Hall implements brick slip choices and patterns chosen to reflect and enhance the existing buildings within the site (see Chapter 3 - The Kit-of-Parts for more information)
Large internal rooms provides flexibility and allows residents to organise the space as they live.
All deck access apartments comply with Part M4(2)accessible + adaptable dwellings.
Front facing front doors are provided to ground floor apartments, with equally sized communal doors provided to vertical circulation cores. Individual front doors to upper storey apartments provided along deck access balconies.
Are sustainable and resilient by ...
Selecting development sites to meet local housing needs with adequate social infrastructure to sustain additional residents.
Prioritising fabric first approaches to development to reduce demolition and waste construction materials.
Are continually improved by ...
Testing and learning from each successive development.
Providing energy efficient designs and renewable energy sources as standard.
Listening to and acting on the opinions, knowledge, and feedback from local people.
Employing post-occupancy evaluations to all residents as a standard practice, with opportunity for improvements to be made.
Increasing complexity of modular designed homes
The kit-of-parts is designed around modular housing principles that can be applied to any site anywhere. This means that this ‘kit-of-parts’ construction technique could be rolled out, alongside the proposed strategic framework, as a development package.
The following pages outline how a series of nonspecific arrangements and typologies can be converted into a fully detailed housing typology. It uses a chronology of construction steps that increase in complexity as required and can be implemented in both its most simple format, or as a more complex design offering opportunities for endless configurations. Likewise, alternative facade treatments means that although internal layouts between developments will be largely the same (based on the same grid etc), no two developments will externally look identical.
This system is designed to be delivered to site a whole components, that can be fixed together. This decreases construction time and waste materials, and therefore provides a sustainable alternative to affordable housing design.
1
2
3
4
Basic modular unit layouts ...
... configured into different apartment layouts.
Additional components added and some internal walls adjusted ...
... to arrange units into blocks of apartments around cores.
COMPLEX construction:
Deck access block
RETROFIT construction: Woodthorpe Hall
SIMPLE construction: Central core block
Simple construction:
Apartments are designed as closed systems that can be stacked vertically and horizontally next to each other. They do not need to interact.
Continuous external cladding possible.
Extensions to unit do not alter the simple construction typology.
Complex construction:
Additional elements, such as balconies, create more complex areas to detail due to changes in level, thermal bridges, and gaps in air-tightness membranes.
Thermal bridges at balconies must be considered.
Units act as closed systems and do not interact with each other.
Level threshold required.
Additional storeys may require structural reinforcement.
Further explained in step 8.
Designedto dimensions ofb
Vertical timber battens with the facade create ventilation gap, allowing air to circulate within the cavity and prevent moisture build-up that may otherwise accumulate. This helps to reduce damp and mould within the apartments.
CONCRETE CORE CAST IN-SITU ON SITE
Construction starts with the concrete core.
PREFABRICATED OFFSITE AND TRANSPORTED TO SITE
STEEL BEAMS ATTACHED TO CORE AT FLOOR LEVELS
min. 12mm projection
min. 2mm projection to allow for timber shrinkage
Plasterboard + finish 25x50mm vertical timber battens (to create ventilation gap) PUR insulation
TIMBER JOISTS NOTCHED AND INSERTED BETWEEN STEEL BEAMS
SIPs ASSEMBLED TO FORM EXTERNAL WALLS
Steel rebars In-situ reinforced concrete core
Steel end plate, bolted to concrete core
Steel I-beam (to engineer specification)
22mm timber flooring
Timber floor joist, fulfilled with insulation
25x50mm plasterboard noggins Plasterboard + finish
Highlighted in yellow (see diagram right), additional floors, deck access balconies, and private balconies create complexity to the structural design.
In order to maintain airtightness and thermal boundaries, SIPs cannot be drilled into haphazardly - the location of drill holes must be carefully planned. The deck access balcony structure has therefore been designed as independent from the SIPs themselves and fixed to the ‘simple’ structure at specific locations. Steel columns within the SIPs, used to increase loading capacity for the additional floors, provide such locations as these can be drilled into without breaching the airtightness membrane.
Timber panel joining spline
45mm timber end closure
38 SIPs screw
39 SIPs external wall panel
40 SIPs internal wall panel
lintel and external sills reused where possible to maintain the original facade
Approved Document Part
Joist hanger
Local education space.
A range of education spaces to teach local practitioners, landlords, and tenants their rights, responsibilities and how to guides:
• Classrooms
• Lectures
• Meeting rooms
• Library
• Archive
• Conferences
Space to train local people in sustainable construction, using the Rusholme site as an exemplar:
• Bricklaying
• Tiling
• Painting
• Plastering
• Gardening
Vibrant place to be.
Intergenerational Ground + upper floor
INTERGENERATIONAL APARTMENT BAY WINDOW WITH VIEWS ONTO SHARED BALCONY. LIVING
SHARED BALCONY AREA BETWEEN INTERGENERATIONAL
Intergenerational Internal views
LIVING SPACE WITH VIEWS ONTO PRIVATE BALCONY IN BACKGROUND. DECK
