Town and Terraced Housing

Book excerpt: Recent societal changes have brought about renewed interest from architects, town planners, housing officials and the public in terraces and townhouses. The small footprint that this style of house occupies allows a sustainable high density approach to habitation, slowing sprawl and creating energy-efficient affordable living. Townhouses have been used for hundreds of years, and their evolution is covered from their inception right up to the present day. With the changing demographics of buyers in mind, Avi Friedman details how the design of these houses can be adapted to keep-up with contemporary needs. Friedman uses a systematic approach to cover the many facets of townhouses from interior design and construction methods, to urban planning issues like adjusting to the site’s natural conditions, street configurations and open spaces. This approach creates a book which will be a valuable resource for those involved in the planning, design and creation of terraced and town houses. Over 150 detailed diagrams and plans, and eighty photos, illustrate the essential elements of this style of housing. In the final chapter, lessons learnt throughout the book are draw together in ten broad ranging case study projects, showing how the various aspects can be put into practice.