Designing Spaces, Making Sustainable Homes: The Design Industry, the Data Gap, and Design Innovation

'Designing Spaces, Making Sustainable Homes: The Design Industry, the Data Gap and Design', is focused on revolutionising housing practices.

The project fosters collaboration across borders, blending UK and Indian expertise to reimagine what sustainable living can look like. It will reframe how housing can be better designed for communities, uncovering practical ways to make homes more sustainable, community-centred, and environmentally friendly – providing new insights that could transform how homes are designed and built.

This project considers the housing crisis and studies the challenges presented by the ‘data gap’ across India’s and the UK's design industry about the informal housing sector. It records sustainable and community-focused design practices, including ‘green innovations’ in housing design in the informal sector, useful for the UK and India economies.

Over two years, researchers will develop practical tools, including a design handbook and online resources, for architects, policymakers, and educators. These outputs will help shape housing that not only meets environmental standards but also prioritises community wellbeing.