Location

An ExoSett accommodation frame could be long-lived infrastructure in a good place, whose accommodation can change over time.

The ability to install, remove or adapt accommodation should expand design choices rather than make a poor location acceptable. A project may be short-lived or long-lived, but in either case its location affects the lives of its occupants and the usefulness of the building.

A location is not adequate merely because land is available there. Location design should consider access to public and active transport, employment, education, shops, healthcare and other services. It should also consider community life, public space, recreation and the relationships between the project and neighbouring places.

The significance of each connection depends on the intended occupants and use. Good access is not only a question of distance: safety, affordability, reliability, accessibility and the quality of routes also matter.

Continuity also has value. Proximity to schools, work, healthcare, family, friends and community can become more important as relationships with a place develop over time. Changing accommodation should not automatically require losing those connections.

ExoSett provides no universal formula for a good location. Designers, clients and communities must assess the site, intended use, infrastructure, environmental conditions and local context for each project. Planning policy and land decisions remain outside the building system itself.

Research into modular housing and homelessness illustrates why readily available land should not be considered independently from access, amenities and community.

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