David Birkbeck has been Design for Homes’ CEO since 2000.
He wrote the Building for Life matrix in 2002 which became the country’s tool for assessing new-build applications. David took the idea further with a process for preapplication negotiation adopted by Ireland in 2008. He is leading the rewrite of Building for Life to support the National Planning Policy Framework.
David is both a judge and the ‘rapporteur’ for the government’s Housing Design Awards and a member of the Homes and Communities Agency board advising on design and sustainability standards.
He is an NHBC councillor, an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA, a member of the Cambridge area design review panel and a member of the planning and climate change review panel for Yorkshire and Humber.
Publications include ‘Prefabulous Homes’, ‘Car Parking: What Works Where’, “Managing Superdensity’ and ‘Beyond Ecotowns’.
David is campaigning for an MPH for new homes, such as KwH/sqm/year and wants to see homes advertised by size.