Housing Types

Introduction

Urban planning deals with the design of urban (city) spaces, and the most fundamental piece of it is housing. This is because the vast majority of land area will be utilized for housing, and is something every single person interacts with at some level (we all need a place to sleep, we don’t all need a place to worship; to work, to workout, etc).

Different Types

Due to this, several different housing typologies have been developed and standardized over time, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. A designer should be generally aware of each. A successful urban area will typically mix and blend the various housing types with other spaces such as parks, communal, civil service, etc. Providing a bunch of different housing typologies will make the area appeal to the widest population demographics. Additionally, various transportation methods should be integrated offering multiple ways for people to get access to work, recreation, etc.

Typologies

Below are listed the major typologies. Note that in the real world, these aren’t strict boxes or compartments for each different structure to fit within, and there is various overlap and gray area between all the various types.

A. Single Family House

The structure is occupied by one household/family and consists of a single detached structure. A “family” can be defined very loosely depending on culture.

Positives

• Provides many sides of exposure on the structure, so it allows lots of natural daylight and space for a garden, playing, and typically space for outside activities/connections.
• Direct access to outside (nature) and street/sidewalks.
• Can be easily screened from view and shielded from noise - the building can be quite a bit detached allowing nature to surround it.
• Typically built at a reasonable cost
• Different styles grouped together create a composition of culture, or similar styles grouped together provide continuity.