Appropriation of domestic space

Domestic spaces should have a direct relationship with concepts of Intimacy and Appropriation. Due to human’s diversity there is no general rule for what a space should be, especially the impermanent places of residence that their user’s characteristics and needs often change. Flexibility is the designing tool which can give us the appropriate space.

The goal of the project was to redefine the way of designing domestic spaces by make them able to offer appropriation and intimacy to their users. In order to achieve this goal, the concept of flexibility was used in various ways such as open spaces and mobile elements, with the result that each user can create the desired situation in their space by differentiating the parameters that characterize it. The idea of design flexible elements that define the space came after a personal research of field with thirty examples, which was a necessary first step because of the human’s diversity. In the research were chosen people with different lifestyles, habits, routine, ages, etc. and the conclusion was that a space doesn’t characterized by the walls that define it, but by the objects that fill it. These design elements are having use in both sides and are able to storage stuff or expose personal items and also offer surfaces for uses such as working or cooking. With this properties, we can use these elements in a space with both definitions; as walls and as objects. After spatial investigation of how they can create space by combining them, next step was the creation of five scenarios of users with different needs as a case study to prove that they can live in the same place and make it the appropriate space for them by moving and organized these mobile elements. A dwelling building as a model was designed to adapt all this different versions of the same space into a shell. All ‘apartments’ have a main exterior common space in between them, which the users can use it to spend time with their neighbours. The only stable part into the ‘apartments’ are the bathroom and the kitchen and every other space can be organised as the user want. The shell has two parts; one inside of glass and one outside of mobile elements that can define the exposure and the connection with the outside, so users feel that they are part of the environment that concludes the building.