Housing design around the world is guided by a range of standards and regulations. These rules ensure that homes are safe, functional, and comfortable, covering aspects such as the provision of space and amenities, overcrowding, functionality and usability, accessibility, structural safety, fire safety, security, material performance, maintenance, environmental comfort, health and safety and environmental performance of dwellings.

Safeguarding minimum standards in subsidised housing is important, as economic pressures often make these standards the maximum target. Consequently, subsidised housing often faces additional or differentiated requirements compared to standard residential construction.

In the six contexts studied, basic health and safety requirements, e.g. structural safety, fire safety, ventilation, sanitation, are covered in regulations, laws and other statutory documents that are mandatory for all housing developments. The additional technical standards for subsidised housing are found in additional documents published by governments, local authorities, professional organisations, not-for-profit organisations, and housing providers. While most of them are, in principle, voluntary, they are often incentivised as part of subsidy programmes, planning agreements, loan requirements and insurance.

The specific standards applied to subsidised housing depend on its function, role and meaning within a particular country or city. In some contexts, subsidised housing policies may focus heavily on maximising the number of units available within a limited budget. In such contexts, subsidised housing standards tend to safeguard only very basic health and safety standards. In others, it may be viewed as a long-term investment in social equity and urban development. In these cases, subsidised housing standards might pave the way for higher quality housing construction.

Space standards are one of the main types of standards that are applied to subsidised housing. 

Minimum dwelling and room sizes are based on the typical functional requirements of a home. Standard furniture sizes and the space needed to use them or move around them as well as general circulation spaces and activity zones are used to calculate the minimum size of rooms or areas with specific functions. Adding them all up determines the minimum functional dwelling size. This taken together is often described as 'space standards'.

Even though functional requirements of dwelling spaces seem universal, they are not. Cultural norms, social expectations, demographics, household compositions, lived experience, and policy inform what is deemed acceptable or not. Therefore, the layout and size of homes, and consequently the space per person greatly differ between the six countries studied, indicating different space expectations and customs. 

Due to cost constraints, subsidised housing is commonly built to just meet minimum standards. In every context, the floor area per person in the affordable housing sector is smaller than in the private sector.

In every context, some plan layouts and unit sizes are more common than others.

Standard Sizes and Space Standards

There is often an overlap between the sizes of these repeating unit types and the minimum standards. For example, the median size of a two-bedroom flat in Santiago is 51m². This is the minimum size in which the functional requirements can be satisfied. The median size of a two-bedroom three-person flat in London is 63m². This is only 2m² above the minimum dwelling size required (61m²) in the Nationally Described Space Standards. 

Standardised Houses in England

The layout and construction of subsidised houses in England continue to be traditional and highly standardised. Housebuilders often use their development standards and standardised layouts, especially for houses, as homes on large development sites can be easily replicated. In contrast, apartment blocks in urban areas face more constraints. While dwelling sizes may vary by tenure, housing market, and local standards – and exteriors may differ – the basic layouts typically remain the same.

Studio Flats in Amsterdam

The most common affordable housing type in Amsterdam is the studio flat. In the Netherlands, social housing rents are capped at €879.66 per month, making it unfeasible for housebuilders to provide larger homes in areas with high land and development costs.

Kitchens and Living Areas

In Chile, due to low space standards, kitchen, dining, living, and circulation areas overlap and cannot be used at the same time (see home studies). In China, kitchens are always in a separate room, while in many other countries kitchen and living spaces are often open-plan as in London. Affordable housing, kitchens, dining areas, and living rooms are increasingly combined to maximise space. However, guidance from some London boroughs suggests that combined kitchen and living spaces may not be suitable for all cultural backgrounds.

Washing and Drying Clothes

In China, buildings commonly provide communal outdoor drying areas. Although homes in Switzerland are larger than elsewhere, cooperatives often include communal laundry rooms. Despite having some of the smallest homes, in Chile, a loggia used as a utility room is the norm.