last updated 26th January 06
by 4 ecotips.com

Results of the Project:LIFE research initiative

Together, but apart. Space seems to be the key ingredient for harmony in the home according to the findings of Project:LIFE, a major research project undertaken by UK house builder, David Wilson Homes, in conjunction with the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester. The project also revealed the territorial hierarchy of the bathroom and why some teenagers prefer to do homework on the sofa.

In order to investigate how a family uses different rooms and to explore the effect of house design on people, the Parnell family, chosen from 70 volunteer families, has spent six months 'test driving' a research house in Sheffield designed with an unusual four storey layout and equipped with the latest technology.

David Wilson Homes wanted to evaluate usage of rooms and assess whether or not new technology in the home would actually be used and with what success. Manufacturers volunteered their leading edge equipment and technological and environmental elements were included for the family to assess their value and test them under real life conditions, from self-cleaning windows to automatic shirt ironer to energy-saving ventilation.

The research project benefited from collaboration with the University of Nottingham and University of Leicester to provide not only a statistical analysis but also a behavioural interpretation.

The findings from the unique Project:LIFE have been immensely valuable and are already benefiting David Wilson Homes' designs which will roll out this year and elements of the research house will be found even in much smaller homes.

Nicknamed the Tardis, the house's four storey design, using a split-level construction, allowed unusual floor layouts and features. The open-plan ground floor layout, the dramatic high ceiling lounge and the light flooding into the rear of the house, hall and stairs through extensive glazing, all contributed to the spacious feeling. And the windows are self-cleaning too.

IMPORTANT HUB
An important hub for the family was the kitchen living room, where they met for meals before dispersing to their own private spaces. It was fitted with the latest equipment and the family quickly got the hang of the technology.

The more unusual features that tested successfully included the boot room entrance; the basement den and the laundry, linked to floors above via a laundry chute.

The secluded den in the basement had its own plasma screen and was home to the family computer, Nick Parnell's guitars and 14 year-old Hazel's drum kit.

A major talking point was the glass floor on the landing, which dramatically allowed light to cascade through all three upper floors down into the entrance hall below. Equally impressive were the remote control windows for passive ventilation which automatically close when it rains.

Equally appreciated were the many balconies and terraces bringing the garden into the home and the home into the garden and the balcony outside the kitchen was popular for summer meals and a favourite quiet space for Sue Parnell.

The family and dog owning visitors were enthusiastic about the effective underfloor heating, made even more cost-efficient by linking with an external heat exchanger. Mood lighting to change the look of rooms was popular, as was the multi-room sound and TV system.

FAVOURITE ROOM
Sue's favourite room was her en-suite bathroom with a television set into the wall at the foot of the sunken bath. Her tag revealed a high usage and she confesses to using it at all times of the day.

On the IT front, the house benefited from wireless connection, which sometimes led to discovering the lap-top tucked under Hazel's bed. In the kitchen the drop-down TV and computer screen fitted to a cupboard door was especially useful for easy internet browsing, watching the news and checking the CCTV for unexpected visitors whilst cooking.

The spa steam shower, with built-in massage jets and radio, was popular with most members of the family and was the prime reason for Hazel claiming the family bathroom as her territory. Surprisingly, the hot tub was not used much by the daughters but Nick Parnell was enthusiastic: "I would use it a couple of times a week in the good weather and although you can use it when it's cold, it's less appealing when it's wet and windy in Yorkshire!"

As anticipated, some things worked less well. The single bedroom on the first floor, fitted as a study with a drop-down bed in a wardrobe, was hardly used. The electronics for the multi-room sound system were located here and were too noisy for bedroom use.

Initially the researchers were concerned that the family structure had been fragmented by the sheer size of the house. It appeared that many living rooms were being used by only one person at a time. The reality was somewhat different as the open-plan design of the ground floor allows people in separate rooms to be within talking distance of each other. "We call it 'living together but apart'," said James Wilson.

Only in the den in the basement, a floor away from the main living floor, would the lone occupant find a truly secluded space.

USING THE SPACE
How the family used space when they were alone is interesting. A member of the family would choose to be in either a 'secluded' or 'in-touch' space, depending on why they wanted to be alone - for leisure or work. For example, the secluded den was regularly used alone for leisure not only by Nick Parnell to watch late night TV but also by Hazel for MSN chatting with friends or playing music.

Conversely, when there was the need to buckle down to work such as school homework or marking of school work, everyone eventually ignored the den, the study, the option room, even a study bedroom, and ended up either working on the sofa in the lounge or on the dining table in the kitchen living room.

Whilst recognizing that this research is a sample of one family, nonetheless there have been valuable learnings for all the research parties. Already David Wilson Homes is starting to incorporate successful elements from Project:LIFE into their design philosophy and these are influencing designs which will emerge soon across the country.

The Project:LIFE house has even more to reveal in terms of environmental performance and household waste management and these findings will be published early in 2006. In addition, the University of Nottingham will undertake further research, based on its original findings, with a survey across a wider audience, details of which will be made available on www.projectlife.info.

The house will go on sale sometime this year.