Housing booms come to an end but owner-occupiers, tenants and landlords should not be left with sub-standard products, a conference in Co Dublin has been told.
Mr Mike Donnelly, chief executive of the British housing association, said yesterday the bubble could burst whether through a downturn in the economic cycle or a market shift by the consumer.
Despite consumer fears that prices were due to rise again, there was still no excuse for developers to build poky, inaccessible housing that could not adapt to change, Mr Donnelly said.
The conference was also told that from July 2000, all new homes will have to provide proper access for people with disabilities, as part of changes to the building regulations.
Mr Donnelly added that the concept of Lifetime Homes, the title of the conference, was that homes were accessible, flexible and adaptable. They incorporated a number of design features such as level access, wider doors and corridors and a downstairs toilet.
Mr John Graby, of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), said it was important to bear in mind that with little additional effort and cost, beyond what would be incurred as a result of the new regulations, Irish builders could provide lifetime homes for all.
The conference was organised by the RIAI in conjunction with the UCD European research project, Draware, and the Dublin Institute of Technology.