Terraced Housing Print

​Different forms of terraced housing 

 

Key characteristics of terraced housing include:
  • two shared (party) walls except for end-of-terrace house units
  • individual front doors and pedestrian access to dwellings, either directly off the street or from shared driveways or accessways
  • typically one to four storeys
  • they can be converted into flats or remain as individual houses
  • car parking is accommodated within the house (integral garage), in-curtilage (within shared access) or on street
  • a private rear garden or patio and a front entrance area
  • consistency in front façade design, building line and skyline
  • clearly defined fronts and backs with fronts addressing public streets, spaces or accessways. Backs are contained to the rear, and are usually back-to-back in a perimeter block arrangement.

 

Typical layouts

 

Advantages of terraced housing
  • Terraced houses are thermally efficient due to a reduced external wall area.
  • The dual-aspect form provides good cross-flow ventilation and natural light.
  • Terraces can be configured into urban (perimeter) blocks defining streets, open spaces or Mews-style courtyards or lanes.
  • Terraces work well in urban settings that are closer to amenities than outer suburban locations.
  • Car parking can be accommodated in different configurations. Care is needed to handle the car and its location.
  • Houses can be easily personalised if they contain a front entrance area.
  • Level changes across sites can be accommodated.
  • Two or two and a half storey terraced houses are a good transitional form between suburban and inner urban settings. This can include utilising the roof space as an upper level study or bedroom.

 

Disadvantages of terraced housing
  • On larger sites, monotonous repetition of terraced housing can appear unattractive and inappropriate to the characteristics of a site.
  • Long rows of terraced houses on rear infill sites, or that are perpendicular to the street on long and narrow sites, contribute little to the character and activity of a street.
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