GB2472649A

GB2472649A - Cluster housing with terraced roof gardens

Info

Publication number: GB2472649A
Application number: GB0914285A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Nesbitt
Original assignee: BERKELEY GROUP PLC
Current assignee: BERKELEY GROUP PLC
Priority date: 2009-08-14
Filing date: 2009-08-14
Publication date: 2011-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-14
Also published as: GB2472649B; GB0914285D0

Abstract

A housing structure comprises at least two houses12,14, each having an open side 16 and a blind side18. The blind sides18are adjacent, and may form a party wall. The roof of each house comprises a lower roof area24and an upper roof area22. Each upper roof area22extends across a width of the house and is remote from the blind side. Each lower roof area24extends across the width of the house and is adjacent the blind side18. The lower roof areas24of the houses are contiguous with each other and extend across the party wall. The houses may be configured as a pair of back to back houses, more than one pair may be provided to form a back to back terrace row. Four houses may be provided in a cluster, the staggered roof arrangement may be symmetrical about one or both party wall axes. Light pipes32may be provided from the lower roof area24to otherwise windowless interior room spaces30.

Description

HOUSING

The present invention relates to a structure for housing, and is particularly suited to high density urban housing.

In urban environments, the land area available for the construction of domestic buildings including housing is limited. It is common practice to construct apartment blocks of many floors, with individual dwellings located at different floors. This has the disadvantage that it is very difficult to arrange for access to open terrace or garden spaces for inhabitants of the dwellings, which are not overlooked by other parts of the structure. Individual houses are attractive to inhabitants, as they can have relatively safe, enclosed gardens which are readily accessible from the houses and because many people like to live with no properties above or below them. However, the space required for the gardens reduces the density of housing which can be fitted on an urban site.

It is against this background that the present invention has been devised. This invention results from efforts to overcome known problems of urban and environmental planning. Other aims of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

Accordingly, it is desired to provide a housing unit or structure suitable for integration in a block of houses, each with its own garden space which is, as far as possible, not overlooked by other parts of the structure. The structure should allow a relatively high density of construction on urban sites.

The present inventor has realised that, if a plurality of houses are placed back to back, and optionally side to side, a first garden space can be provided as a roof garden on top of the houses. However, in order to allow adequate light to enter the houses at the rear, a second, lower roof garden is provided, still not at ground level.

According to one aspect, the invention resides in a structure, the structure having: a first house having an open-side and a blind-side; a second house having an open-side and a blind-side, the first and second house being arranged such that the blind-sides are adjacent; upper roofs, provided displaced from the blind-sides of the first and the second house, configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the width of the second house respectively; and a lower roof, common to the first and the second house, extending across the blind-sides of the first and second house, arranged beneath the height of the upper roofs and configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house.

By way of example, the structure is a housing block having at least two houses.

Each house has an open-side, or front, and a blind-side, or rear. The sides of each house extend from the front to the rear. In conventional houses doors and windows are located on the front and the rear. However, the structure advantageously makes efficient use of the land upon which it is placed by arranging the houses back-to-back.

Therefore, the rear of the first house that is adjacent to, or may be in connection with, the second house does not have any windows or doors, and is suitably referred to as a blind-side'. Similarly, the front of the first house may have a door and windows and is referred to as the "open-side". Access to each house is from the open side. The arrangement of the upper roof and the lower roof, arranged at a lower height compared to the upper roof creates a step-change in the roof of the house.

The step-change in the roof of the house provides an additional surface which may be used to locate a door or window, thus enabling more light to enter the property.

The common lower roof creates a continuous surface above the houses, inhibits leaks by reducing the number of breaks in the roof surface, increases the structural strength of the structure and reduces the time and cost associated with fabricating the structure.

The place in which a roof slab meets a vertical upstand, for example a masonry wall, can potentially represent a hazard of leakage of rainwater. By arranging a slab across a plurality of houses, the number of places where leakage of rainwater may potentially occur is significantly reduced.

The structure may further include a third house having an open-side and a blind-side, and the lower roof and/or at least one of the upper roofs may be configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first and/or second and third houses. Once again, the provision of a common roof that spans more than one house provides the above mentioned advantages. With three houses, both the upper roof and the lower roof may be assembled as common roofs.

The structure may have four houses, the structure having: a house-pair defined by the first house and the second house, the house pair having adjacent blind-sides, and open-sides at each end of the house-pair, and lateral sides configured to extend from the open-side of the first house to the open-side of the second house; and a second house-pair, wherein the structure is configured such that the house-pairs are arranged side-by-side.

By way of example, the four houses would be arranged in a block, with two houses back-to-back, side-by-side with another two houses that are back-to-back. The aforementioned advantages are achieved in such a block because the lower roof is preferably common to all four houses, while the upper roofs, on one or each side of the block of four houses, are preferably common to two houses.

The advantages to be obtained by a common roof can also be obtained if the common roof extends across adjacent houses side by side.

Accordingly, in a further aspect, the present invention provides a structure comprising a block of at least four houses, each house having an open side, a blind side and two lateral sides, the lateral side of a first house being adjacent to the lateral side of a second house, the blind sides of the first and second houses being adjacent to blind sides of respective third and fourth houses at a lower floor level, the lateral side of the third house being adjacent to a lateral side of the fourth house, at a lower floor level, upper floor level structures of the first and second houses being adjacent to one another and upper floor level structures of the third and fourth houses being adjacent to one another and spaced apart from the upper floor level structures of the first and second houses by a lower flat roof, the upper floor structures of the first, second, third and fourth houses having upper flat roofs, at least one of the lower flat roof and the upper flat roofs comprising a continuous slab extending over the first, second, third and/or fourth house respectively.

The following features are common to all aspects of the invention.

The first and second house may be arranged such that the blind-sides are defined by a common structure, such as a party wall.

Respective lateral sides of the adjacent houses are preferably defined by a common structure such as a party wall.

The structure may include a courtyard that is defined by the lower roof and the space enclosed, on at least two sides, by a portion of the first house and a portion of the second house located beneath the upper roof.

Both the upper roof, and the courtyard upon the lower roof, provide additional space that may be used by an occupant of a house.

An intermediate roof may be arranged between the height of the upper roof and the lower roof, and configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and/or the second and/or the third house. The provision of an intermediate roof introduces another step on the upper surface of the house and may provide an additional surface which may be used to locate a door or window, thus enabling more light to enter the property.

A courtyard-side may be defined by an outer surface of the or each house that extends from the lower roof to the intermediate roof and/or from the intermediate roof to the upper roof. The courtyard-side may be fully glazed and may incorporate a door.

The structure may have at least three house-pairs arranged in a terraced formation. In other words, there are at least six houses to a block. The houses are preferably arranged on a substantially rectangular grid.

The or each house may have an interior room that is surrounded on all sides such that daylight cannot enter the interior room from the open-side, the blind-side or the lateral sides of the house, and the interior room is connected to a roof via a light-aperture, such as a skylight or light-pipe. In this way, the fact that houses do not have rear windows in the lower floors, because they are adjacent to the blind sides of other houses, is compensated by the provision of roof lighting.

Upon the common roofs, a dividing means may be provided to define a boundary between the or each house. Suitably, the dividing means is applied to the roof slab substantially without penetrating the roof. For example, the dividing means may comprise structures which can be placed on top of the roof. For example, the partitions may comprise planter boxes.

Partitions applied to the roof slabs are suitably arranged in positions corresponding to the divisions between the houses.

The or each roof may be used as a garden. The or each roof may be configured to harvest precipitation, such as rainwater.

An interior space of a house may provide at least one of a through-road for vehicles and/or pedestrians, a parking space, a storage space, a utility room or a precipitation collection tank.

It is particularly preferred that there are windows in the sides of the upper floor level structures of the houses, facing in towards the lower roof. In this way, the rear faces of the respective houses can obtain natural light, from the light well defined between the upper floor structures of the respective houses.

Preferably, at least one house has a door providing access from the upper floor structure to the lower roof (or intermediate roof, if present), to allow access to the lower roof, for example as a garden space.

Stairways may be provided for access between different levels of each house.

It is possible that a stairway could be provided to allow access to the upper roof.

Preferably, a stairway is provided extending from the lower roof, to the upper roof, located outside the upper floor structure. This simplifies construction whilst allowing easy access to the upper floor from each house, either directly, or via the respective lower roof.

The stairway from the lower roof is preferably a spiral staircase.

Preferably, the staircase is external to the building and may be open to the outside air. The staircase may be configured to improve ventilation around the house.

According to another aspect, the invention resides in a method of constructing a structure, comprising the steps of: forming a first house having an open-side, a blind-side and lateral sides; forming a second house having an open-side, a blind-side and lateral sides, wherein the first and second houses are arranged such that the blind-sides are adjacent; forming an upper roof, displaced from the blind side upon the first and/or second house, to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and/or the width of the second house; and forming a lower roof, extending across the blind-sides of the first and second house, beneath the height of the upper roofs, and configuring the lower roofs to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house.

The term house" is used herein to signify a domestic dwelling which is primarily intended for occupation as a single unit (though which may be divided subsequently into separate apartments). The or each domestic dwelling may be sold as a single unit and may be sold as a freehold rather than a leasehold.

The structure of the present invention may comprise a flat area adjacent the open side of the house, for example at ground or street level. The flat area may suitably comprise a ground level garden, yard or parking space. The open side of the each house is suitably adjacent to a road or path, to allow access. The flat area may be used as a ground floor front garden that may be used for general recreation, car parking, growing food or a combination thereof. The flat area may be versatile and adaptable so that its use may be changed according the needs of the occupant.

The structure of the present invention may be constructed of any conventional materials, for example masonry, reinforced concrete structures with or without conventional cladding material. Any conventional form of thermal and/or acoustic installation may be provided between adjacent houses and on outer facing walls and roofs.

The or each house of the structure of the present invention may be internally sub-divided according to any conventional pattern, including rooms, corridors, stairways etc. Any or each house of the structure of the present invention may comprise two floors or more than two floors. The structure of any or each house of the structure of the invention may extend for more than one floor above the level of the lower roof. It may extend for more than one floor below the level of the lower roof, preferably having at least two floors below the level of the lower roof.

The structure of the invention may comprise a space below ground or Street level, such as a cellar.

In a preferred embodiment, the or each house comprises a lowermost floor (designated a ground floor in United Kingdom practice) extending from the open side to the blind side, a further floor above the lowermost floor (designated the first floor in United Kingdom practice) extending from the open side to the blind side, rear portions of the further floor being lit from above by natural light from openings in the lower roof, and at least one upper floor substantially level with the lower roof covered with the upper roof.

The ground floor may be separated from the upper floors, and/or adapted for different uses (subject to planning permission). For example, the ground floor may be used as a shop, office or work space which may be self contained whilst allowing residential use on the first and second floors. The ground floor may be arranged as a self contained unit for residential use and may be particularly suitable for disabled living. Alternative use may include use as a "granny flat" with separate accommodation above. The present invention allows this adaptation because there is no rear garden, so there would be no problem of access to the rear of the house if the ground level were in different occupation to upper levels. However, the upper levels of the house would retain access to garden space on the roofs. Access to the ground level and the upper levels of the house from the street would be from the open face of the house.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a structure, illustrating an internal arrangement of the structure; Figure 2 is a perspective view of terraced housing block having four structures; Figures 3(a) to 3(d) show a plan view of each floor of a house that forms part of a house of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view showing a structure in an alternative layout configuration; Figure 5 is a plan view showing a structure in another alternative layout; Figure 6 is a sectional end elevation perspective view of the structure of Figure 5; and Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(b) show a plan view of an alternative structure.

Figure 1 shows a structure 10 having a first house 12 and a second house 14. Both the first house 12 and the second house 14 have an open-side 16, a blind-side 18 and lateral sides 20 extending from the open-side to the blind-side. In the Figure as shown, the lateral sides 20 of the first house and the second house 14 in the forefront of the Figure have been removed in order to illustrate the interior of each house. The blind-side 18 of each house is adjacent to the other, the blind sides being defined by a common party wall, such that there is no habitable space therebetween. Similarly, the adjacent lateral sides of adjacent houses are defined by common party walls.

The first house 12 and the second house 14 each have an upper roof 22 arranged at the outside edge of the structure adjacent the open-side 16. The upper roof 22 connects to the open-side 16. A wall, or similar barrier may be provided at the junction of the upper roof 22 and the open-side 16 for safety purposes. The upper roof 22 extends across the width of the first and second houses.

The first house 12 and the second house 14 each have a lower roof 24 arranged adjacent, and in connection with the blind-side 18 of the first house 12 and the second house 14. The lower roof 24 is common to the first and second houses. The lower roof 24 extends across the width of the first house and the second house.

The upper roof 22 and the lower roof 24 extend horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house such that each of the roof surfaces creates a usable space.

The or each roof may be described as extending substantially horizontally. However, the skilled person would appreciate that although the roof is preferably flat, the upper roof and/or lower roof may be configured at a slight angle in order to provide adequate drainage. The upper roof 22 and lower roof 24 provide additional exterior space to the houses of the structure and may be used as a garden.

The lower roof 24 is configured at a lower height with respect to the upper roof 22.

This can be seen in Figure 1, wherein a courtyard 26 is created between the first house 12 and the second house 14. The courtyard 26 is bordered by a courtyard-side 28.

As a result of the blind-side 18 of the first house 12 and the second house 14 abutting against one another, an interior room 30 may be created, which is surrounded on all sides such that daylight cannot enter the interior room from the open-side 16, the blind-side 18 or the lateral sides 20 of the houses 12, 14.

In order to provide daylight to the interior room 30, a light aperture 32 may be provided.

Light apertures, such as light-pipes, are well known architectural features. As shown in Figure 1, the light aperture 32 is located on the lower roof 24. Alternatively, the light aperture 32 may be integrated with an upper roof 22, the courtyard-side 28 or the open-side 16.

Overall, the first house 12 and the second house 14, as shown in Figure 1, define a house-pair. Dividing means 36 may be provided to define the boundary between the first 12 and the second house 14.

Functionally, the back-to-back arrangement of the first house 12 and the second house 14, results in efficient land use because the upper roof 22 and the lower roof 24 provide a useable space and may provide a substitute for a garden that is not available at the rear of the house. The structure 10 is enhanced by connecting the first house 12 and the second house 14 using the lower roof 24. By connecting the houses in this way, water ingress is inhibited. Moreover, the upper roof 22 and the lower roof 24 span the width of the structure to improve structural integrity and inhibit water ingress.

Figure 2 shows a terraced housing block having four structures, or house-pairs, wherein each structure is arranged side-by-side with another structure. In the terraced block illustrated, the open-sides 16 and the blind-sides 18 of each structure are aligned to form a continuous wall. Dividing means 36 in the form of light-weight planter boxes are provided to define the boundary of each house. The courtyard 26 can be seen extending along the courtyard-side 28 of each structure 10 to define a common channel, or space in the middle of the terrace. The courtyard channel and upper roof surfaces provide useable space.

In practical terms, an occupant of the first house 12 would exit the house via a doorway, or similar aperture in the courtyard-side 28 and use a stair 38 such as a spiral staircase, to access the upper roof 22.

A particular advantage of a terraced housing block comprising the structure is that the upper roof 22 and lower roof 24 can be fabricated as a single unit. Therefore, in the absence of any joins, or interfaces, at the boundaries between the houses, water ingress into the properties is inhibited. The formation of a common upper roof 22 and common lower roof 24 also increases the strength of the property. Further, the time and cost associated with fabricating such a terraced housing block is significantly reduced.

The structure may be assembled using a frame construction, panellised construction, traditional brick and render construction, which is suitable for smaller scale sites, or alternatively the structures may be fabricated using modular off-site construction methods.

Figure 3 illustrates the floor plan of a first house of a structure according to the present invention. In particular, Figure 3(a) and 3(b) show the upper roof 22 and lower roof 24.

The courtyard-side 28 defines the point at which the lower roof 24 is positioned with respect to the upper roof 22. The light aperture 32 and the stair 38 can be seen located on the lower roof 24 surface.

Figure 3(d) shows the lower ground floor plan of the property and, in particular, indicates the open-side 16, the blind-side 18 and sides 20. The interior room 30 can be seen located adjacent the blind-side 18. The light aperture may extend from the lower roof 24 to an interior room that may be located on a lower floor of the property, as indicated in Figure 3(c).

Figure 4 shows an alternative terraced block having four structures. In Figure 4, the upper roof 22 can be seen extending around the perimeter of the terrace block of housing, thus enclosing the courtyard 26 on the lower roof 24, which is fully enclosed.

As shown in Figure 5, the structure 10 may further include an intermediate roof 40 arranged at a level between the upper roof 22 and the lower roof 24. The intermediate roof 40 may be arranged to span the width of a structure and, in practice, can be fabricated as one unit when forming part of a terraced housing block in order to eliminate joins or interfaces that may detriment the structural, or weatherproof, integrity of the houses of a structure.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a cross-section taken through a structure of Figure 5. Figure 6 clearly illustrates the open-side 16, blind-side 18, which is a party wall common to both the first house 12 and the second house 14 and, additionally, an intermediate roof 40 positioned at a height between the upper roof 22 and lower roof 24.

Figures 7(a) and 7(b) show plan views of alternative layouts of a structure according to the present invention in which the blind-sides 18 of a first house 12 and a second house 14 are adjacent. An upper roof 24, which is adjacent the open-side 16 is configured to extend horizontally across the width of the first house. The lower roof 24 is adjacent the blind-side 18 of the first and second houses 12, 14 and is configured to extend horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house.

The present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention, which extends to equivalents of the features described. The invention also consists in any individual features described or implicit herein or implicit in the drawings or any combination of any such features or any generalisation of any such features or combination.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A structure having: a first house having an open-side and a blind-side; a second house having an open-side and a blind-side, the first and second house being arranged such that the blind-sides are adjacent; upper roofs, displaced from the blind-sides of the first and the second house, configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the width of the second house respectively; and a lower roof, common to the first and the second house, extending across the blind-sides of the first and second house, arranged beneath the height of the upper roofs and configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house.
2. A structure according to Claim 1, wherein the structure further includes a third house having an open-side and a blind-side, and wherein the lower roof and at least one of the upper roofs are configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first, andfor second and third houses.
3. A structure according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the structure further includes a courtyard that is defined by the lower roof and the space enclosed, on at least two sides, by a portion of the first house and a portion of the second house located beneath the upper roof.
4. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, further including an intermediate roof arranged between the height of the upper roof and the lower roof, and configured to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and/or the second and/or the third house.
5. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a courtyard-side is defined by an outer surface of the or each house that extends from the lower roof to the intermediate roof and/or from the intermediate roof to the upper roof.
6. A structure according to Claim 1, wherein the structure has four houses, the structure having: a house-pair defined by the first house and the second house, the house pair having adjacent blind-sides, open-sides at each end of the house-pair, and lateral sides configured to extend from the open-side of the first house to the open-side of the second house; and a second house-pair, wherein the structure is configured such that the house-pairs are arranged side-by-side.
7. A structure according to Claim 6, wherein the structure has at least three house-pairs arranged in a terraced formation.
8. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each house has an interior room that is surrounded on all sides such that daylight cannot enter the interior room from the open-side, the blind-side or the lateral sides of the house, and wherein the interior room is connected to a roof via a light-aperture, such as a skylight or light-pipe.
9. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein dividing means define a boundary between the or each house.
10. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each roof is a garden.
11. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each roof is configured to harvest precipitation, such as rainwater.
12. A structure according to Claim 8, wherein an interior space of a house provides at least one of a parking space, a storage space, a utility room or a precipitation collection tank.
13. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein access to the intermediate roof and/or upper roof is via a stairway, such as a spiral staircase, located on the lower roof.
14. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the ground floor of at least one house is separated from the upper floors, access to the ground floor and the upper floors being from the open side.
15. A structure comprising a block of at least four houses, each house having an open side, a blind side and two lateral sides, the lateral side of a first house being adjacent to the lateral side of a second house, the blind sides of the first and second houses being adjacent to blind sides of respective third and fourth houses at a lower floor level, the lateral side of the third house being adjacent to a lateral side of the fourth house, at a lower floor level, upper floor level structures of the first and second houses being adjacent to one another and upper floor level structures of the third and fourth houses being adjacent to one another and spaced apart from the upper floor level structures of the first and second houses by a lower flat roof, the upper floor structures of the first, second, third and fourth houses having upper flat roofs, at least one of the lower flat roof and the upper flat roofs comprising a continuous slab extending over the first, second, third and/or fourth house respectively.
16. A structure according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the structure further comprises a flat area adjacent a lower, or ground, floor front that may be used for general recreation, a garden, car parking, growing food or a combination thereof.
17. A method of constructing a structure, comprising the steps of: forming a first house having an open-side, a blind-side and lateral sides; forming a second house having an open-side, a blind-side and lateral sides, wherein the first and second houses are arranged such that the blind-sides are adjacent; forming an upper roof, displaced from the blind-side upon the first and/or second house, to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and/or the width of the second house; and forming a lower roof, extending across the blind-sides of the first and second house, beneath the height of the upper roof, and configuring the lower roof to extend substantially horizontally across the width of the first house and the second house.17. A structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.