Our nation's housing shortage is never far from our minds, nor away from the political agenda. However, there is an undeniable focus on first-time buyers…and a lack of focus on the shortage of suitable housing for older people. The fact is that there are countless older and elderly people stuck in homes that are unsuitable for their requirements, for whatever reason, and unable to find better, more affordable and more suitable accommodation. So what exactly is preventing an increase in the supply of the type of housing older people want and need - and deserve? Is it because many developers are not interested in this type of project? Or is it because the construction costs for homes of this type perceived to be too high?

With all of this in mind, NaCSBA held an ideas scheme this year to encourage designers from the UK and further afield to create some budget, flat pack housing that is suitable for retirees in all manner of ways. The designs can be erected singularly in a back garden, or built together as a community of homes. The Appleyard was picked as the best design from the many entrants by an expert team of housing heroes including George Clarke, Piers Taylor, Charlie Luxford, Ted Stevens OBE, all backed by Kevin McCloud. 

The housing crisis is at the forefront of our minds…but when we think of this, we automatically think of first time buyers who are struggling to get on the ladder. Although this is a real issue for the young, there is a huge issue for a much older generation, too - there is a huge shortage of suitable housing for more elderly people. Over the next decade, the post-war baby boomers will reach retirement age, meaning the number of people in the UK over the age of 65 is set to soar. 

We know that everybody needs a decent, secure and affordable home to live in – but at various stages in our lives, our needs change. Older people want, not to mention deserve, comfortable and attractive housing that helps them to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Yet, the truth is that many people find themselves without this; in poor or inaccessible homes.

We know that getting housing right for older people could have immense benefits for society and the economy overall. With this in mind, the National Custom and Self Build Association, in conjunction with many housing heroes - including George Clarke, Charlie Luxton and Piers Taylor, with the backing of supporter Kevin McCloud, challenged designers across the UK and further afield to create an affordable flatpack solution for older peoples housing needs - and the details of the group's favourite entry are now available. 

An innovative flatpack home design solution – called 'The Apple Yard' - has been announced as the winner of Self Build on a Shoestring 2017 by Grand Design's Kevin McCloud, and provides a high quality, energy efficient home for just  £39,942. The design can be dropped into the typical suburban garden to provide an annexe that can lawfully be occupied by any member or dependent of the main household under the rules of permitted development (planningportal.co.uk). 

Designers of the scheme, London architect Inglis Badrashi Loddo (who were given a cheque for £5,000 by Kevin McCloud to develop further ideas), also created a community scheme that arranged homes around the perimeter, with communal facilities, allotments, greenhouses and an orchard in the centre. Each open-plan home has a pyramid shaped roof with one wall that is fully glazed, overlooking a small private garden area. The standard 42 sq m 'granny annexe' would cost just £39,942 to build, and the entire retirement community of 30 homes, including all the shared communal facilities is estimated to cost £1,493,000.

 

Speaking about the design, Charlie Luxton said: “For many older people loneliness is a real issue, and it can have a huge impact on someone's quality of life. The Apple Yard design overcomes this by positively encouraging interaction between the residents – in the communal garden and orchard, the greenhouses and allotments and at the communal facilities where there is a shared laundry, shared guest bedrooms and a generous community room.”

Piers Taylor said: “The winning design is incredibly cost effective – in lots of clever ways. For example, the architects opted for exposed timber studs internally, which saves costs, look great and they are also very easy to adapt to create shelving. The open-plan layout means you don't have to build so many internal partitions, so that also saves costs. And the design also lends itself to pre-fabrication; there are eight standard frames (four roof panels and four walls panels), and a factory-made bathroom pod. If the homes were mass produced the one-off price tag of just under £40,000 will come down much further.”

Sponsored by the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) the ideas scheme was run to encourage architects and designers to produce concepts for affordable, flexible and sustainable homes that can be built using mass customisation techniques - so each house is unique, yet benefits from the speed and cost efficiency of modern manufacturing techniques. "An older couple could downsize to an annexe in their garden, covering up to half the original garden area, allowing the next generation to move into the family home," says Michael Holmes, Chair of NaCSBA. "Alternatively an older couple could sell or rent their family home to boost their retirement income, and move into a self build annexe in the garden of one of their children."

The technique could also be used to pass on the family home, or the sales proceeds, to the next generation as a potential exempt transfer, reducing inheritance tax liability to 0% after 7 years.

• A largely open-plan layout to maximize the useable space.  Each 'granny annexe' is 7m x 6m. The standard layout has minimal internal walls (just a slim sliding screen between the sleeping and living areas), but it feels very generously proportioned. The tall top-lit pyramidal roof also creates an impression of space. Alternative internal layout options are available too.

• Very cost effective pre-fabricated construction. The homes have three very simple, standard external walls – so the design is well suited to mass pre-fabrication. The identical bathroom 'pods' would also be built in a factory and then dropped into place. The roof – a stress-skinned pyramid structure - provides a clear span across each home. The fourth wall is largely triple-glazed. Much of the timber 'structure' is left exposed internally; this saves money and adds character. 

• The external appearance of the homes can be adjusted – they can be clad in timber, fibre cement board, rendered or hung with tiles. 

• The cost would reduce further if mass produced – if more than 1,000 of the homes were being built each year the team from Inglis Badrashi Loddo estimate that each home would cost around £34,350 to build.