An examination of the relationship between residential design and family lifestyles

Loni Dee Sharon

The American home is a symbol of individuality and self-identity within the community. Americans look for a home to be different than their neighbors' homes and endeavor to decorate their homes to express their own identity. Americans also use their homes to regulate interaction with others in the community. Families often have a certain "persona" they wish to present to the outside world. Communicating one's preferences for openness or reservedness is a key element to successful group interaction. The literature also suggests that the American home has multiple functions. These include: 1) providing spaces that promote family unity and togetherness, 2) providing spaces that support the development of individuality and self-identity among family members, and 3) providing spaces for socialization beyond the family unit. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between residential design and the American family lifestyle. This examination includes consideration of how the layout and configuration of residential environments impact interpersonal relationships among family members, how well the residential environment supports self-expression of each family member, and how the residential environment promotes place-identity for family members. Embedded within this exploration is an examination of territoriality and control and how these are connected to place-identity in the family setting. The results of this study offer insights into how to gather meaningful program information and how it might be applied in residential design services. By combining the use of a standard technique (the interview) with innovative and visual exercises (the floor plan mapping and drawing exercises), the investigator was able to identify macro themes cutting across all 10 participating families. At the same time, however, these tools provided keen insights into each family's idiosyncrasies and interpersonal dynamics. Of particular note is the fact that this combination of tools established an environment whereby each family member's input was equally respected. The objective of this examination is to provide information to residential designers that will help them make informed decisions when working with residential clients. It is suggested that this information will be particularly applicable to the programming phase of the design process.

An examination of the relationship between residential design and family lifestyles

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