The Code for Sustainable Homes : what are the innovation implications for the social housing development sector?

Barlow, C

Abstract

The research considers the capacity of the social housing development sector to generate or accelerate innovation to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes, the national standard detailing targets for the sustainability of new housing, within project and organisational resource constraints. Innovation in response to the Code needs to be appropriate within the context of multiple organisations acting together to design and deliver housing developments that are timely and cost-effective.

The literature review synthesises the themes of innovation, regulation and projects in the context of housing development. The review finds that research into the generation of innovation across the range of organisations involved in early housing design projects to meet these multiple regulatory requirements is found to be both recent and limited in quantity.

The research approach for addressing the research questions is justified as a single exploratory case study, and techniques for data collection include semi-structured interviews, workshops and document review. Analysis of data generates a detailed review of the dynamic process of the design of a social housing development by project partners involved in innovative ways of working to meet Code requirements in a landscape of significant and multiple new and established site-specific, local, regional and national regulations.

The research finds that the impact of the Code at the design stage is one of negotiation around existing building techniques and recent technologies to reduce CO2 emissions within business finance models and physical site limitations affecting orientation and placement of homes. The Code operates within a range of design requirements defined by project partners at this early stage, and innovation to meet these requirements is predominantly incremental, within a process of iteration, negotiation, compromise and solution.

The research outcome makes a contribution to knowledge by extending construction management theory on the relationship between housing construction project innovation and regulation in the context of improving housing sustainability. It achieves this by exploring and illuminating the complex nature of a compelling contemporary, real world situation of a national sector responding to the urgent global imperative to address carbon reduction whilst delivering sustainable social housing.

Citation

Barlow, C. The Code for Sustainable Homes : what are the innovation implications for the social housing development sector?. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Nov 7, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 5, 2016
• Keywords: Innovation, regulation, sustainability, housing design, Code for Sustainable Homes
• Additional Information: Funders : Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2012