Think about privacy when designing homes for infill sites

In dense areas one of the best options for creating new housing is to develop infill sites. This practice involves building on vacant patches of land in urban areas around existing housing. It can include plots like waste land, old outbuildings, and also large gardens. At Coffey Architects we have been involved in a number of projects like this, making us the best architect London based clients can call on.

What is the impact on privacy?

A potential drawback with infill developments is they can result in the new building overlooking existing ones. Naturally the project will increase the housing density, meaning people are living closer together. Good design is therefore necessary to make sure people have privacy and don’t need to worry about the restriction of lighting and ventilation.

In some cases planning policies call for a specific amount of separation so that neighbours can’t see into properties. This can cause a lot of issues on small infill sites. Again good design is the solution.

Think about layout

One of the most important things is to get the layout of the new property right. For example it is generally acceptable to have windows for kitchens overlooking access routes. Bedrooms on the other hand generally shouldn’t. This is because they require a higher level of visual and acoustic privacy.

The small sites project we took part in for Croydon Council taught us a lot about what is possible. Importantly it showed that designing homes to overlook courtyards and roof terraces is much better than back gardens. That way all residents have privacy. The only downside is this kind of design can result in more external walls and reduce the capacity of the site.

Increase overlooking?

The only other option would be to allow smaller increases in overlooking. This could help to increase how many homes can be built on infill sites. New research is necessary in this area though before policy change is possible.

Coffey Architects is a team you can rely on if you are looking to develop an infill site. We are the best architect London based clients can call on, possessing a wealth of experience and extensive design skills. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a project.