More could be done to improve the design quality of new homes developments, writes Edel Morgan

With a new breed of clued-in purchaser and with the owner-occupier driving the new homes market, developers are under pressure to raise their game and deliver the next generation of homes.

The design and finish of new apartment and housing has improved but have improvements gone beyond the cosmetic? And will the residential buildings going up today still be habitable in 50 or a 100 years time and beyond?

An Bord Pleanála sent a powerful message to developers before Christmas when it vetoed two high density schemes of luxury apartments at Clonskeagh and Churchtown in south Dublin, citing poor and unsustainable design.

Ireland is on a learning curve when it comes to high density living and the challenge is to avoid repeating past mistakes. Already some of the tax-incentive led inner city apartment blocks of the 1990s look like dinosaurs, their occupants living with poor sound insulation, low ceilings and microscopic living space.

James Pike of architects O'Mahony Pike and the newly elected president of the RIAI (Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland) says one positive recent trend has been the "break in the reluctance" to build large apartments, particularly duplex two-storey units. "There is a big demand for the family-sized apartment although not many are being occupied by families. For that to happen we need the proper infrastructure and more amenities and schools. That's the next step but it has to be done on a comprehensive basis."

With family sizes getting smaller, he believes the real issue is the need to provide "a serious mix" of dwelling types to suit every household size. While this is happening in large scale developments which have a master plan, like Adamstown and the rejuvenated Ballymun, it is less prevalent in smaller suburban and inner city infill developments where space is at a premium.

Take a trip around a few new homes developments and most will have the initial "wow" factor that sucks buyers in. The old days of driving up to a bleak Tarmac forecourt to a building beamed from communist Russia are over. There's now more likely to be landscaped grounds with all the bells and whistles, including pergola and an obligatory water feature. Townhouse developments, particularly in the outer suburbs, often have a neat toytown appearance with plenty of green areas supervised by overlooking units and a good mix of house types to avoid uniformity.

More experienced housebuilders have perfected the light and airy look with floor-to-ceiling windows. Flimsy balustrades masquerading as balconies are less in evidence and double bedrooms with no circulation space are rare. In many developments en suite bathrooms are standard and utility rooms common (but often at the kitchen's expense).

Storage has also improved, says Pike, although the industry still uses the Parker Morris standards on storage as a benchmark, even though it was published over four decades ago in the UK. The Department of the Environment and Local Government is conducting a study into space standards which, Pike says, badly needs updating.

But it appears that after people buy into a shiny new development, they discover that all the glitters is not necessarily gold. The Irish Times asked a number of apartment and new homes dwellers if there were any design flaws in their developments. Among the issues mentioned by apartment dwellers were: refuse areas that can't be accessed by trucks, inadequate storage, no loading bay in inner city schemes for furniture deliveries, blocks too close together and overlooked balconies, a lack of laundry facilities and parking spaces so tight that one respondent had to climb in the boot to get into his car on several occasions.

Housebuyers complained about a lack of shops and amenities within a short walking distance. A townhouse dweller said on wet days that residents have to "trudge through wet grass to get to the pavement from her on-street parking bay". A lack of facilities for management company meetings was another issue.

Pike says there is a need for the local authorities to take a stance on issues like accessible refuse areas and the provision of meeting rooms for management company meetings. "I had a situation myself where we had to meet in a local hotel. The council has no fixed policy on this or on the accessibility of refuse areas. It's more difficult to get the client to agree to some of these issues if there is no requirement on them to do so by the local authority. There needs to be clearer rulings and there should be a standard."

Another trend has been an increasing resistance by planners to gated communities. It's an issue for developments on former institutional land where there is a requirement to provide a public amenity area. Architect and town planner Fergal McCabe believes it makes sense that the public should be able to access these areas. "I'm aware of the unease of residents about outsiders walking around, but it's part of urban life that people can walk around the streets unsupervised."

Shay Fenton of architect and town planning firm Fenton Simons says "on the other side of it people like the security of restricted access when they are at work and, if a member of the public has an accident on the grounds, it can open more problems".

The rule that developments of over 70 units must incorporate a crèche is "ludicrous" says Fenton, with some being left vacant because they cannot find operators. "Just because there's a crèche on the premises there's no guarantee people will use it. There are often too many being built in one area so not all of them are going to be viable."

William Nowlan, a chartered surveyor and town planner, says that by vetoing the Clonskeagh and Churchtown developments An Bord Pleanála was effectively asking builders to look to the long term and consider future changes in family structure.

"The planners by definition also have a responsibility to think long term. What is being built are not consumer products with a 10-year life span. They are the building blocks of our city and we don't want them to be prematurely obsolete."