UK new-build apartments feature tiny windows due to elderly women's cleaning guidance
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 29
UK new-build apartments feature tiny windows due to elderly women's cleaning guidance
6 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 29
British Standards guidance recommends windows be cleanable by 95% of women aged 64-75 without stretching, resulting in smaller window designs in new English apartments.
Critics argue this overregulation leads to unattractive buildings and worsens light and ventilation for tenants, especially in less affluent areas where costly workarounds are unaffordable.
Builders often follow such guidance to improve planning approval chances amid record-low housebuilding, while industry experts debate the necessity and impact of these conflicting regulations.
Will new energy efficiency standards finally force an end to these tiny windows?
Is a 'windows apartheid' creating a new class divide in British housing?
Are developers using safety guidance as an excuse to cut costs on new homes?
Could your new apartment's tiny windows be making you sick and depressed?
With modern cleaning tech, why are new homes designed around outdated manual reach?