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Article
Publication date: 27 September 2021

Vania Christy and Teck Hong Tan

The purpose of this study is to fill a knowledge gap by analyzing the motivations of tenants to co-living spaces in Klang Valley, Malaysia as the motives of co-living spaces are…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to fill a knowledge gap by analyzing the motivations of tenants to co-living spaces in Klang Valley, Malaysia as the motives of co-living spaces are related to how well that space supports their needs.

Design/methodology/approach

Tenants’ behaviors were examined using a convergent parallel mixed-method approach, which included a survey and an in-depth interview. A total of 175 respondents were interviewed using purposive sampling.

Findings

The results show that the preference for co-living attributes has changed during the pandemic. User ratings of preference for physical and leasing attributes of co-living spaces are significant in terms of co-living motivations. The findings also revealed that tenants prefer twin-sharing and master bedrooms when choosing a co-living space to stay in.

Research limitations/implications

Identifying the factors that influence such motivations is critical for housing developers and co-living service providers to pay close attention to improving tenants’ living experiences.

Originality/value

There is interest in the co-living spaces that are available for rent. However, very little research is based on an understanding of how the tenants in Klang Valley, Malaysia perceive this type of living arrangement. A better understanding and prediction of tenants’ needs and preferences may lead to a better understanding of the attributes that influence their motivations for using co-living spaces.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 February 2022

Sedef Özçelik and Kutlu Sevinç Kayihan

This paper aims to understand how the residents have utilized domestic spaces and furniture during three months' lockdown time for the Covid-19 virus spread measures and to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how the residents have utilized domestic spaces and furniture during three months' lockdown time for the Covid-19 virus spread measures and to explore how domestic living practices were adjusted which had been the daily urban activities previously.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is a qualitative interpretivist philosophical approach with a quantitative data collection. Short questionnaires were conducted via e-mails with attached links via SurveyMonkey. The sample was the group of people who had been in active urban life before the pandemic and had been actively working at the office spaces.

Findings

Separate learning/working spaces were urged at home, at least for the set intervals in the daytime. Production in the kitchen also acted as an interactive production and entertainment. Balconies and terraces were re-discovered and acted as “urban-substitute open spaces”. The living room became the new venue for domestic interaction especially during working-learning breaks, for watching movies, personal care or reading sessions. Computers, tablets and smartphones became the urban activity base due to online meeting applications for social reasons, online shopping, working and learning. The separation of domains at home became essential.

Research limitations/implications

The study only focuses domestic uses of white-collar workers; during the lock-down period, Covid-19 pandemic. Sampling constraints are the employees who were active urban life before the pandemic and working at the office space. Sharing the house at least with one other roommate, sibling or spouse with or without children. Individuals who had not been working outside the home before the pandemic, people aged over 65, retired, permanent home workers, housewives, freelancers and other such demographic structures are excluded from the study.

Social implications

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first wave lockdown began between early March–June 2020, and millions of people were confined to the dwellings. “Staying home” stood for working-learning-shopping-interacting online, more production in the kitchen, using the living room as a domestic multi-functional venue, spending time on the terraces and balconies as domestic open spaces. The active living in the urban context dramatically shifted to “at-home living”.

Originality/value

The study only focuses on the three months' interval in which strict rules for staying home were enforced in Istanbul, Turkey. Schemas, charts and tables are generated concerning the input. The study challenges the making meaning via praxis of “to dwell” and urban living. Nevertheless, the main questions of housing such as production, social aspects, shared spaces, interaction are re-configured and the substitute urban space is created at home.

Details

Open House International, vol. 47 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2020

Ahmed S. Abd Elrahman

The world has recently faced the outbreak of an existential threat. Since December 2019, many aspects of life have changed owing to a devastating pandemic, COVID-19. The second…

2443

Abstract

Purpose

The world has recently faced the outbreak of an existential threat. Since December 2019, many aspects of life have changed owing to a devastating pandemic, COVID-19. The second wave started spreading in different parts of the globe. This article focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on Cairo city, regarding three upper-middle-class districts as a case study. Based on a literature review, a theoretical framework is proposed to analyse how residents changed their living, work, and leisure time habits during the outbreak of the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A retrospective survey was conducted among the residents of three districts to investigate the new living model of adaptive, spontaneous urban and architecture design tactics that transfer people’s actual life, work, and leisure arrangements into future planning considerations.

Findings

The results reveal relevant observations about the adaptation of the existing environments of home, work, and leisure activities. From these results, different considerations and new norms emerge for housing typologies in post-pandemic Cairo.

Originality/value

The conclusions of this study introduced the new term “the fifth place” as a space-time place that could serve as a motivation for urban designers and architects to design space typologies considering the emerging circumstances.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2021

Christin Mellner, Maria Niemi, Elin Pollanen and Walter Osika

Urbanisation is trending globally, leading to population densification and housing shortage and people living increasingly in isolation. This entails challenges to sustainable…

1044

Abstract

Purpose

Urbanisation is trending globally, leading to population densification and housing shortage and people living increasingly in isolation. This entails challenges to sustainable development including ecological, social and well-being issues. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of a six-month onboarding self-leadership programme including exercises in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy, amongst residents in a co-living space (n = 24) and a waiting list (n = 21).

Design/methodology/approach

At baseline and post-intervention, participants filled out questionnaires and two waves of in-depth interviews (n = 24) were conducted. Repeated measures one-way analysis of variance and thematic text analyses were performed.

Findings

Participation in the programme significantly (all ps < 0.000 to 0.050) improved relationship quality and communication about one’s needs regarding work-non-work boundaries, especially amongst residents at the co-living space. Moreover, programme participation significantly increased perceived work-non-work boundary control, work-life balance, psychological well-being, psychological flexibility and self-compassion, with effect sizes (hp2) in the medium to the large range (0.14 to 0.39). Qualitative findings suggested that increased psychological flexibility and self-compassion encouraged co-living residents to be more vulnerable and trusting, which enabled communication regarding one’s needs and enhanced mutual social support and relationship quality. This, in turn, improved overall boundary management, work-life balance and well-being.

Originality/value

Co-living settings – while contributing to overall sustainable development through more efficient use of space and resources – can also contribute to societal and individual sustainability. However, to ensure this contribution, the physical environment including private areas and common and semi-public areas, as well as the socio-emotional environment need to be considered.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 14 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 May 2020

Yamen N. Al-Betawi, Fadia H. Al Nassar, Ahmad A. Al Husban and Safa Al Husban

This study aims to trace the transformation in the form of apartment building and the connotations it has in understanding the changes that occurred in the Jordanian society’s…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to trace the transformation in the form of apartment building and the connotations it has in understanding the changes that occurred in the Jordanian society’s lifestyle over the past five decades.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative case study analysis has been conducted amongst 170 apartments, covering 70 design attributes related to aspects of appearance, spatial organisation, parking and access to building, outdoor space and finishing. This was followed by experts and households solicitation to help giving more confidence on the validity and reliability of findings regarding the sorts and justifications for the changes that have taken place in the form of apartments over the studied time frame.

Findings

The results reveal changes in design attributes indicating particular alterations in people’s lifestyle. New interests act in formulating recent housing design attributes. People seem to turn into a more open social life within public community but more privatised living amongst family members. People are becoming more attached to indoor modernised lifestyle, in homes and public areas where activities take place. This entails pursuing a more comfortable, facilitating and enjoyable life that presents luxury and tranquillity.

Originality/value

Understanding the relationship between transformations in the built form of apartment buildings and the associated social alterations provides useful insights towards improving housing provision to better match the ever-changing demands of people and respond to alterations in their lifestyles.

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2022

Joan Scott Love

The study aims to evaluate: (1) How university students from interior architecture can create a forward-looking “Sensory Living” brief informed by both external autism experts and…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to evaluate: (1) How university students from interior architecture can create a forward-looking “Sensory Living” brief informed by both external autism experts and a specialist tutor, evidenced through Leeds City Council's live autism adult accommodation project. (2) Issues involved with moving an experimental studio teaching model online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A grounded theory approach informs an innovative teaching model, run over two years, to create a better normal; challenges and opportunities are critiqued.

Findings

Feedback from experienced autism-specific experts raises recurring sensory and communication issues which frame a series of design problems to help inform the student briefs. Students learn that the designer as advocate for vulnerable users is imperative. Aspects of online teaching that can benefit an experimental studio teaching model are identified.

Practical implications

Identification of the responsive “Sensory Living Model” illustrates (1) How local authorities can avoid seclusion and integrate meaningful “continuous learning opportunities” into autism-friendly adult accommodation for post-pandemic health and wellbeing. (2) How to embed autism-friendly design in the university curriculum.

Social implications

The study helps address some of the UK Government's “National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026”.

Originality/value

“Ten Novel Sensory Living Themes” are uncovered to help inform the design of autism-friendly adult accommodation. These are of value to (1) local authorities and design practitioners in formulating design briefs and (2) universities in educating future designers of inclusive spaces.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2015

Yvonne Franz

The purpose of this paper is to develop a more socially centred understanding of living labs for urban research questions by reflecting on current technologically centred and…

2137

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a more socially centred understanding of living labs for urban research questions by reflecting on current technologically centred and innovation-driven approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of literature review complemented by conceptual knowledge from practical experiences.

Findings

Urban living labs, as they were introduced from a technological and economic point of view, have to be translated into the context of social sciences. By doing so, they may be a promising tool to stimulate co-creation and collaboration also in urban research projects that focus on social research questions and include diverse target groups. Socially centred living labs take into account the local context by developing a space of encounter for the participants in the urban living lab and by implementing a set of living methods that suit both the research design and the local requirements.

Originality/value

This paper argues that urban living labs can be a valuable tool in urban research to include researchers, politicians, local stakeholders and residents in an open concept of co-creation. It argues that a locally contextualised design in terms of space and methods is necessary to create an environment of trust and collaboration.

Details

info, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 December 2019

Erika Cudworth

Focusing on everyday lives and relationships within the household, the purpose of this paper is to suggest that the quality of “home” is altered by the presence of animal…

Abstract

Purpose

Focusing on everyday lives and relationships within the household, the purpose of this paper is to suggest that the quality of “home” is altered by the presence of animal companions. Conceptions of home as a haven have been critiqued on grounds of the elision of power relations, yet home has also been understood as a place of resistance to, and refuge from, an exploitative and exclusionary public world. Acknowledging differentiated relations of power and understanding homemaking as a process, this paper investigates the playing out of species relations within home space.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on empirical material from a study of companion species in households and public spaces, deploying ethnographic material gained through extended observation and semi-structured and often mobile interviews with dog “owners” in urban and rural contexts in the UK.

Findings

Dogs transform domestic space through muddying human lives. This process is twofold. First, life in posthumanist households problematizes boundaries between humans and other creatures in terms of relationships, behaviour and use of space. Second, muddied living involves breaching and maintaining domestic order. Muddied living is characterised by tension, power and compromise. Homes are posthuman not just by including non-human animals, but through elements of dog agency in how home is made.

Originality/value

Little has been written of “home” within sociology, despite “home” capturing a range of social practice. Sociologists examining human–animal companion relations have not considered how relations play out in home space. This paper investigates home as a shared space of multispecies interaction, making the case for a posthuman sociology of home.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 41 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 December 2022

Visar Hoxha, Hasan Metin, Islam Hasani, Elvida Pallaska, Jehona Hoxha and Dhurata Hoxha

The overall purpose of the study is to identify the gender differences in color preferences for different types of interior space in the residential built environment in…

Abstract

Purpose

The overall purpose of the study is to identify the gender differences in color preferences for different types of interior space in the residential built environment in Prishtina, Kosovo. Additionally, the purpose of the study is also to identify the gender differences in the emotions that various colors trigger in occupants of the mainly residential built environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses a quantitative study and χ2 test to analyze whether the variables formulated by study hypotheses are dependent on gender. The data are gathered by a questionnaire to measure the color preferences of the respondents. The study uses a questionnaire with eight questions that were distributed to 303 respondents using the stratified probability sampling, using gender as the main stratum for probability sampling.

Findings

The study finds that there are no gender differences in color preferences for home lighting, living room, bedroom, study room and children’s rooms in the residential built environment. The study also finds that there is a gender difference in color preferences that trigger emotions of tranquility, stability and security and warmth and pleasure in both male and female respondents.

Practical implications

The implications of this study are that real estate and facility management firms must conduct marketing research to identify the color preferences for both housing interior and exterior depending on the different local cultural backgrounds of clients. Firms must provide training for real estate agents on the color preferences of clients for various types of spaces and the differences that may exist based on gender but also other variables.

Originality/value

The present study is the first quantification of gender differences in color preferences of the residential built environment in the capital city of an understudied region such as Kosovo.

Details

Facilities , vol. 41 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2024

Sherly de Yong, Murni Rachmawati and Ima Defiana

This paper aims to identify aspects of how work-life interaction has changed in the post-pandemic situations and propose strategies of the security concept for living-working…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify aspects of how work-life interaction has changed in the post-pandemic situations and propose strategies of the security concept for living-working patterns in the post-pandemic interior as future disease prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted a systematic literature search and review to select previous research systematically and relate concepts by coding the data and synthesising the data critically. The systematic literature search and review considered 90 papers (35 were studied).

Findings

The findings identify three strategies: hybrid activity patterns, new layout for hybrid and changing behaviour and culture. Each strategy demonstrates the connection between the hybrid living-working interior spaces in the post-pandemic period and security-pandemic variables. The results on security design factors focused on interior control, detection and deterrence; connection to nature creates a safer environment to prevent further variables; and hybrid activity requires more elements to govern users' behaviour and culture.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this study are as follows: excluded papers that are not written in English/Bahasa or do not have gold/green open access; some aspects were not discussed (such as social distancing); the articles included in this review are up to April 2023 (and there is the possibility of recent papers). Future studies can be developed to update building certification for post-pandemic interiors or research with psychological, social equity or family vitality issues.

Originality/value

The study offers strategies and the holistic relationship between the post-pandemic concept and security-pandemic design variables within the built environment, especially in the users' culture and behaviour context.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

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