The legacy of little decisions

insight: louise billingham

I live in a high-density development in South London. Reflecting on a year spent in my apartment for much longer than I ever anticipated, today I look to my observations about the legacy of very small design decisions which actually make big impacts.

Bring back the back to benches

The great outdoors. Gardens and public amenity have rightly been brought to the forefront of the built environment agenda, fast tracking the consciousness that being in green and open landscapes is good for the soul. My first observation is then to please return backs to benches.

I am lucky to have the use of a private communal garden area where under some silver birch trees the landscape designers have placed a series of benches for pause and thought whilst gazing across the river.

The only problem is they are just grossly uncomfortable. With no backs, and bottoms of slatted wood, whilst aesthetically pleasing, they are not so pleasing for the gluteus maximus. During the hot days of summer I resorted to taking my own kitchen chair down the 4 flights of stairs into the gardens so I could sit and look the view comfortably for more than 30 seconds.

I have been told numerous times by secure by design officers that backs to benches encourage rough sleeping. Unfortunately, I do not see this as a strong enough argument for spending money on furniture that is not fit for purpose. I struggle to see how someone with mobility problems or back issues is expected to enjoy and use these pieces of outdoor furniture. We should be supplying the public realm and communal amenity spaces with furniture people can use, encouraging those who might not normally to venture out, to walk that bit further as they know there is a place to stop that won’t cripple them.

So please, landscape designers and friends, bring back the back to benches so we can actually pause and enjoy the outdoors!

Big windows = big curtains

As architects we love big windows. So much light. So airy. So much opportunity to populate the façade with active frontages and exciting reveals.

However, while I do enjoy my large floor to ceiling living room window, I have noticed that no one makes off the shelf curtains or blinds to match the size of this vast expanse of glass. Not even John Lewis. Made to measure is your only way.

When we moved in to our flat the previous owners had never bothered with curtains in the main room. Now I know why. They are expensive. I also have a 2.6m floor to ceiling height which is wonderful for a couple who are above average height, but either way, that is a lot of curtain fabric.

I wonder therefore as we campaign for affordable housing maybe we should also think about affordable fit out. That means a joined-up approach making sure that we create spaces and homes that can be easily maintained, decorated and operated. Where, as soon as you move into a home, it will be easy to inhabit without forking out an arm and leg for curtains.

Children will throw stones

One of the dramatic highlights of 2020 was watching how a cunning 2 year child on the floor beneath us managed to single-handedly threaten life with their ability to squeeze their hands through small gaps.

Here I bring your attention to a balcony arrangement where on the other side of a glazed panel at the second floor, there is a trough of pebbles and stones providing a decorative perimeter to the building. What health and safety risk assessments missed is the perilous gap between the balcony glass edge to edge of the apartment wall on this level. This gap, although in line with regulations and no greater than 100mm so a child’s head will not get stuck, is still big enough for a child’s hand to reach through.

What we witnessed was a sly, unattended toddler on the balcony reaching through this gap, grabbing the attractive stones to joyously lob them from the second floor to the foot path below. It was at this point in 2020 I knew my neighbours greatest danger right now was not Covid-19 but death from falling rock along their own street.

Hurriedly, I ran down to the offending apartment and knocked on the door intending to alert the parents of the near fatal incident about to occur. I assume because of Covid-19 restrictions, they did not answer. So instead, a (relatively) polite letter was slipped under their door and I rang concierge to try and get control of the matter.

You will be pleased to the learn the child has not offended again. However, it goes to show that even with the tightest of risk assessments and regulation, if given the opportunity, children will throw stones. Something to look out for, designers.