It is good news that the UK government plans “to consider curbing the building of so-called ‘rabbit hutch’ homes in England”, reportedly by re-introducing internal space standards for new homes.

Of course, one way to do this would be to volunteer to lead the way whenever new social housing is being built. The tried and tested Parker Morris space standards would be a great place to start.

Window sizes should also be looked at.

A BBC Radio 4 interview on 20 August 2013 09:00 BST gave a good insight into how we humans need strong daylight to regulate our body clock, including many ‘visually blind’ people who can detect daylight cycles without vision. This synchronisation has strong health benefits. Too many house builders try to save a few pennies by using small window frames, building dismal cells rather than bright, airy rooms. Triple glazed windows will let the light flood in without winter heat losses.

Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23770320
and
BBC Radio 4, The Life Scientific. Interview with Prof Russell Foster, zoologist, on circadian rhythms.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038c5qj