In partnership with Wheatley Group and coordinated by Scotland’s Housing Network, the firm has orchestrated the event to share its expertise and distill the consultation documents put forward by the Scottish Government and help form collaborative and well-informed responses.

This hugely important consultation is the first review of the Housing for Varying Needs guidelines in 25 years and Anderson Bell + Christie, whose team has been heavily involved – both in the creation in 1998 and as an advisor for the Scottish Government this time around, is urging HAs and RSLs to come along and be part of this transformative journey to help shape a future where all homes are accessible.

With the government’s proposals, this involves updating the design criteria from ‘Housing for Varying Needs’ and incorporating them into building regulations to develop the ‘Scottish Accessible Homes Standard’.

Rekha Barry-Houston, a senior architect, and Rowena Statt, research and development director, both of Anderson Bell + Christie Architects, alongside Scotland’s Housing Network, are hosting this online and in-person workshop on 11th December.

Together Rekha and Rowena bring a wealth of knowledge on this important topic as they provided technical advice to the Scottish Government for the current Housing for Varying Needs review. Rowena was also responsible for reviewing the impact of the guidance on housing space standards when it was first introduced in 1998.

Rowena Statt said: “The ‘Housing for Varying Needs’ guide has been instrumental in the design of affordable homes for people with different abilities for more than 25 years.

“However, it has come to a time where an update is now well overdue so we are facilitating this workshop to help people understand what has been proposed to allow as many people as possible to voice their opinions on how they believe this should evolve.

“My expertise in this area goes back more than 25 years and it was a huge privilege to be involved in the initial guide and help lead on the approach from a designer’s perspective, therefore I have a particular interest and knowledge in its origins and now its evolution. Alongside Rowena, Rekha provided technical advice to the Scottish Government on this current review. The aim of this workshop is to encourage people to share their opinions and for us to provide expertise on this matter. This will help HA’s and RSL’s shape their response to this much-needed consultation.”

The Housing for Varying Needs consultation workshop will take place on 11th December from 2pm – 4pm. All registered social landlords and housing association Scottish Housing Network members are invited.

To sign up for the consultation workshop, visit here.