Property development needs to adapt to the post-Covid world. Now is the time to embrace sustainability.

Throughout history many seismic events have been catalysts for major change and we are in the middle of such period of flux now. Covid 19 has dramatically changed how the human world operates. The way we live, work and travel has had to evolve. Unsustainable business travel has been replaced by smart technology, home offices and virtual meetings. New ideas can and should also be applied to housing and development. Our homes have become much more to use than they used to be. Much more of a family hub and in particular now functioning as offices as well. As the World moves into the post-Covid era, now is the perfect opportunity to revolutionise house building. Not just for our own changed needs and the way we live, but for the good of the planet.

I know that I am not a lone voice when I say that I feel utterly depressed when I drive past some new housing developments. Cramped, poorly constructed dwellings with virtually no gardens. Built solely with profit in mind and not a care for design nor the wellbeing and happiness of the occupants. Most importantly there isn’t a thought for the health of the planet; during construction these places look like bomb sites! As the world moves into this new era, now is the time to take the bull by the horns and change the way we build in line with the way we live. We also need to be kinder to the planet and its resources.

For example, I am a real fan of modular and pre-fabricated houses. They are much quicker and cheaper to build, more environmentally friendly, and often are much more aesthetically pleasing. Take a look at a company such as UK based nHouse who build fantastic contemporary modular houses which can be put up in a matter of weeks. There is no reason that these sort of dwellings can’t be applied to larger scale development. Reduction in construction costs could be used to lower the density of developments creating larger gardens and actually planting them rather than leaving the usual bare soil. Thoughtful and diverse planting will create so much more more habitat for wildlife.

Of course, for many years there have been pioneers who are already actively pushing sustainable development such as HRH The Prince of Wales with Poundbury in Dorset, a sustainable, integrated mixed-use extension of Dorchester. Even on the news today I heard that the National Trust are planning a spectacular planting scheme of flowering cherry trees across UK towns and cities to emulate the beautiful Japanese concept of ‘Hanami’ which celebrates the blossoming of these beautiful trees and the coming of spring. The shift is starting to happen, let’s hope it really accelerates now.