Core and cluster accommodation
The term ‘cluster accommodation’ refers to shared accommodation, in which people have their own private bedroom, or other single person accommodation units, but they share communal facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms and so on.
Cluster accommodation has typically been associated with the provision of student accommodation, but may also be provided for groups such as nurses and other key workers.
Cluster accommodation may also be provided for vulnerable people or people with special needs, such as; people with disabilities, women’s shelters, people with drug or alcohol dependence, young offenders and so on. In this case the cluster accommodation may be transitional or ‘move on’ accommodation, and may include low-level support services that help occupants prepare for transition to independent living.
Cluster accommodation may be associated with ‘core accommodation’. In this case, for example, there may be a core hostel that provides high-dependency accommodation, around which there is cluster accommodation that is lower dependency. This can allow occupants to move from supported, to semi-supported, and finally to independent living. This sort of accommodation is typically provided by the NHS, social services or by charitable organisations.
NB Planning Gateway One - Glossary, published on the Planning Portal, defines cluster accommodation, or a cluster flat as: ‘A group of habitable rooms with shared facilities such as a kitchen and communal lounge, commonly found in student accommodation.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Tackle the decline in Welsh electrical apprenticeships
ECA calls on political parties 100 days to the Senedd elections.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.
What they are, how they work and why they are popular in many countries.
Plastic, recycling and its symbol
Student competition winning, M.C.Esher inspired Möbius strip design symbolising continuity within a finite entity.
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.