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Examples of active balconies illustrating their convertible and adaptable properties for enabling an adaptable dwelling.
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New requirements for living, working, and learning at home due to Covid-19 have highlighted two fundamental needs in apartment housing: (1) adaptability to fit multiple functions in a limited area; and (2) access to private outdoor space to support residents' health and wellbeing, and to provide spatial and thermal variety in small units. The two n...
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Citations
... As a private outdoor space, the pandemic highlighted the crucial role of balconies for mental wellbeing (Lehtinen et al. 2022). If designed well, they can be adaptable and used flexibly, potentially extending the living space and its time span of use across seasons (Peters & Masoudinejad 2022). ...
... Other research has been performed in this area, while not investing in such detail as the present study; Aydin et al. [32] highlight the significant role of balconies during the pandemic and claim that they are recognized as a place for gathering and dancing, a playground for children, and a space for eating activities. Peters and Masoudinejad [33] found that apartments with balconies were preferred more by residents, and larger balconies, especially those facing green areas and natural views, were more preferred compared to small balconies and those facing other apartments. The analysis highlights the critical need for satisfactory balcony space in apartment design, emphasizing that multiple and well-proportioned balconies can significantly enhance residents' satisfaction by offering vital outdoor access and additional living space. ...
Human existence and development have always relied on suitable shelter. The dual-directional
relationship of human residence has always been a material dealt with to enhance residential
living conditions. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic introduced abrupt and dramatic
changes to human life protocols that exerted clear pressure on different sectors within the built environment.
Housing experienced a great impact due to the need for social distancing and quarantine
obligations to support human life. In this study, in order to measure human adaptation and residence
alterations following new residential requirements, the quality of interior space investigations
to promote a better built environment for occupants was facilitated using the theory of residential
dissatisfaction, already adopted in the current study. Residents’ responses were extracted regarding
their dissatisfaction by applying the Likert scale for measurement and evaluation. This study focused
on homogenous housing estates in Erbil City. Apartments were precisely selected with different
plans and building layouts for widespread use in the city. They were occupied during the
three stages of the study to extend beyond investigating the direct impact of the pandemic on the
permanence of alterations and adaptation even after the pandemic. The reasons for changed dissatisfaction
levels were investigated to improve the reliability of formulating final conclusions and
recommendations. The findings showed increased dissatisfaction during the pandemic in most
spaces; apartment layout and space design significantly affected responses and demands. The levels
of dissatisfaction after the pandemic changed from stable to a slight decline in dissatisfaction. The
effect of limited external spaces in apartments limited the possibility of managing pressure. This
case might be less demanding in single-family housing due to the availability of private gardens.
The results indicate that five distinct spaces were affected by the pandemic: the living room, family
dining area, children’s bedroom, laundry room, and storage area. The dissatisfaction with these
spaces increased during the pandemic and either remained unchanged or continued to rise afterward.
... At the same time, a well-lit and welcoming lobby can serve as a meeting point for the building's residents. By thoughtfully designing transitional spaces, architects can enhance the social dynamics of high-density housing while maintaining the necessary separation between private and communal areas (Peters & Masoudinejad, 2022). ...
This research paper explores architectural strategies for maximizing space and functionality in high-density affordable housing, focusing on innovative design principles that enhance livability. The study presents a conceptual framework that integrates efficient floor plans and multifunctional communal areas. The importance of communal spaces in fostering community interaction and improving residents' well-being is emphasized, alongside an analysis of design techniques that balance private and public areas. The paper also discusses the practical application of these strategies in urban housing projects, their potential impact on urban planning and housing policies, and future directions for architectural innovation in the field. The findings highlight the significance of thoughtful design in creating sustainable, livable, and inclusive high-density housing developments.
... Accordingly, the space should be oversized to a certain extent to allow for the deployment of various spatial con gurations before and after internal expansibility. Some studies have referred to the strategy of balcony adaptability through opening walls or doors by residents and the balcony's compatibility with the home space by increasing or decreasing the balcony area for integration into the interior and exterior spaces [29]. Radogna and Kalhoefer, emphasized the design of expansible units in response to environmental changes, focusing on combining multi-functional and the modi ability of interior space approaches [30]. ...
... Expansibility Balconies can be designed to provide an expansion to the dining area. [29] Environmental Design ...
The adaptability of housing to the resident's needs over time is crucial, relying on the exibility of the structure, with expanding indoor space to outdoor areas being one of the most suitable methods. On the other hand, outdoor spaces can contribute to providing environmentally compatible housing by reducing energy consumption while ensuring thermal comfort. In exible and environmental housing, outdoor space (courtyard) plays a crucial role. This research focused on investigating the role of the courtyard in apartment housing from two perspectives: exibility and environmental compatibility. In exible and environmental housing, outdoor space (courtyard) plays a crucial role. This research focused on investigating the role of courtyards in apartment housing from two perspectives: exibility and environmental compatibility. In this regard, the exibility approach involved expanding housing areas into the courtyard, while the environmental approach entailed determining the optimal direction and position for the courtyard. Environmental parameters such as energy consumption, thermal comfort, and solar radiation were simulated in three selected time intervals using EnergyPlus software. The validation process involved comparing the measurement data with the TES-132 data logger and simulation data. The optimal unit was identi ed using variance analysis and post hoc testing. Subsequently, the exibility technique was applied to the optimal unit, and the energy consumption and thermal comfort parameters were compared before and after the implementation. The case study involved three exible housing units with courtyards in the corners (A), the north and south (B), and the east and west (C) of buildings in a cold climate region in Hamedan. The energy consumption and thermal comfort results in the NW, NE, and SW directions showed similarities across all units. Therefore, the optimal unit for these directions was determined through variance analysis of solar radiation. The solar radiation results on the main walls and courtyards indicated that the courtyard acted as a climatic modi er, compensating for excess and de ciency of solar radiation. The post hoc T-test analysis on solar radiation for the courtyards demonstrated that the optimal unit was assumed to be B NW , C NE , and B SW , while in the SE direction, with all three environmental parameters matching, unit A SE was identi ed as the optimal one. After implementing exibility in the optimal unit, the comparison results before and after expansion showed a reduction of 11.7% in energy consumption per capita and 6% in thermal comfort. Flexibility, accompanied by environmental e ciency, ensured that the courtyard continued to serve as a climate regulator and remained environmentally after the expansion of units.
... Finding out other factors contributed in dissatisfaction can also be obtained with the use of same table and steps mentioned here. 35 Closed spatial organization for this category means that arrangement where separation of each of living rooms with or absence of dining rooms and reception rooms with or absence of dining rooms existed. While mixing living areas with kitchens and with or without family dining is considered within open spatial organization. ...
... Then comes the area of kitchen limiting space for working with dissatisfaction range between 57.4% and 68.3^%. 35 The effect of availability against absence of family dining with kitchen main activities on residents' satisfaction is tested Figure 63 had showed that slight differences had been observed between two cases for stages of during pandemic and post pandemic. ...
... Other researches while not investing in such detail as the presented study does, Aydin et al. [34] highlights the significant role of balconies during the pandemic and claims that it was recognized as a place for gathering, dancing, playground for children, and eating activities. Peters and Masoudinejad [35] found that apartments with balconies were more proffered by residents and larger balconies especially those facing green areas and natural views were more preferred compared to small and those facing other apartments rather than facing beautiful greeneries and natural views. The analysis highlights the critical need for satisfactory balcony space in apartment design, emphasizing that multiple and well-proportioned balconies can significantly enhance resident satisfaction by offering vital outdoor access and additional living space. ...
Human existence and development ever demanded suitable shelter, the dual direc-tion relationship of human-residence have always been a material dealt with to enhance residential living conditions. The emersion of COVID-19 pandemic had introduced ab-rupt and dramatic changes in human life protocols, that exerted clear pressure on differ-ent sectors within the built environment. Housing beard great impact due to needs of so-cial distancing and quarantine obligations to increase chances of human existence. In order to measure human adaptation and residence alterations following new residential requirements, Quality of life investigations to promotse better built environment for oc-cupants had been facilitated using theory of residential dissatisfaction already been adopted in current study. Residents’ responses had been extracted regarding their dissat-isfaction applying Likert scale for measurement and evaluation. The study focused on homogenous housing estates in Erbil City precisely apartments have been selected with different plans and building layouts for their widespread use in the city and have been occupied during the three stages of study to go beyond investigating direct impact of the pandemic towards permanence of alterations and adaptation even after pandemic. Rea-sons causing changed dissatisfaction levels have been investigated for better reliability towards formulating final conclusions and recommendations. Findings showed in-creased dissatisfaction during pandemic in most of spaces, apartment layout and space design significantly affected responses and demands. Levels of dissatisfaction after pan-demic were different from stability to slight decline in dissatisfaction. The effect of limited external spaces in apartments had limited the possibility to manage the pressure, a case that might be less demanding in single family housing due to availability of private gar-dens.
... Examples of mixed-mode office buildings with balconies in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Source: Pereira [10] Despite the increasing use of balconies in office buildings, current literature predominantly focuses on their impacts on the indoor performance of residential buildings [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. This emphasis is evident in the comprehensive literature review conducted by Ribeiro et al. [17] regarding the impact of balconies on the indoor environment of dwellings, and in the ongoing debate on the role of balconies in residential buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic [12,13,16,21,22]. ...
... Source: Pereira [10] Despite the increasing use of balconies in office buildings, current literature predominantly focuses on their impacts on the indoor performance of residential buildings [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. This emphasis is evident in the comprehensive literature review conducted by Ribeiro et al. [17] regarding the impact of balconies on the indoor environment of dwellings, and in the ongoing debate on the role of balconies in residential buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic [12,13,16,21,22]. However, findings from thermal and energy performance of residential studies may have limited applicability to office buildings due to different occupancy schedules and internal loads, underscoring the necessity for research specific to the office typology. ...
Balconies have the potential to promote airflow and regulate solar heat gain, which can reduce energy usage for cooling in buildings. However, designing these elements can be challenging due to complex trade-offs for natural ventilation and energy performance, highlighting the need for advanced simulation tools to guide balcony design decisions. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of balcony design on natural ventilation and thermal and energy performance in high-rise mixed-mode office buildings in São Paulo, Brazil. To this end, an integrated method that involves computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and building performance simulations (BPS) is developed to identify optimal solutions. Through this method, the performance of 40 balcony designs is studied, comprising diverse alternatives for three balcony design parameters (width, depth, and location on the façade). Furthermore, the research is performed considering the balcony effects on two façade orientations (north and south), two wind incidences (windward and leeward), and three floor levels (upper, medium, and lower floors). Results are analysed through a sensitivity analysis, percentage of change and cross-analysis. The findings indicate that narrow and shallow balconies (2 m × 0.5 m) are the best design option for the south façade; they enhance natural ventilation and reduce energy consumption for cooling across all floor levels and balcony locations. Conversely, for the north, sun-facing façade, it is recommended to use wide and deep balconies (5 m × 2 m) to reduce solar gains and associated energy consumption for cooling, despite potential limitations in natural ventilation.
... Indeed, affordability was the key reason influencing HIGH LIFE study residents' selection of their apartment , underscoring how crucial it is that apartment balconies provide sufficient amenity for those who have no alternative housing options. Balconies must be large enough to accommodate a range of functions and activities; be oriented to receive adequate sunlight and achieve pleasant outlooks; and be accessible from living spaces for ease of use (Molaei et al., 2022;Peters & Halleran, 2020;Peters & Masoudinejad, 2022), with such design considerations also evident to varying degrees in current apartment design policy requirements in Australia (NSW Department of Planning and Environment, 2015; State of Victoria Department of Environment Land Water and Planning, 2021; Western Australian Planning Commission, 2019). ...
Introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions prolonged residents' exposure to their home environment. The impact of lockdowns could be heightened for apartment residents as they typically have smaller, less versatile homes, and share communal and circulation spaces. This study examined changes in apartment residents' perceptions and experiences of their dwelling before and after the Australian COVID-19 national lockdown.
Methods:
Participants consisted of 214 Australian adults who completed a survey on apartment living between 2017 and 2019 and a follow-up survey in 2020. Questions focused on residents' perceptions of their dwelling design, apartment living experiences, and personal life events/changes due to the pandemic. Differences between pre- and post-lockdown periods were assessed via paired sample t-tests. The lived experience of a subset of residents (n = 91) following lockdown was also assessed using qualitative content analysis of free-text responses to an open-ended survey item.
Results:
Compared to the pre-pandemic period, after the lockdown residents reported less satisfaction with the amount/layout of their apartment space and private open space (e.g., balconies or courtyards). Increased noise annoyance from indoor and outdoor noise sources was also reported, however disputes with neighbours decreased. The qualitative content analysis highlighted a complex interplay of personal, social and environmental impacts of the pandemic on residents.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest an increased 'dose' of the apartment facilitated by stay-at-home orders negatively influenced residents' apartment perceptions. Design strategies that maximise spacious, flexible dwelling layouts with health-promoting elements (e.g., enhanced natural light/ventilation and private open space) are recommended to promote healthy and restorative living environments for apartment residents.
The use of balconies in tropical climates holds the potential to block direct solar radiation, thereby reducing energy consumption for cooling and enhancing visual comfort. However, balconies may also diminish daylight availability within the room, affecting occupants’ satisfaction and well-being. From a building performance perspective, balcony design is not always trivial and can affect building performance in multiple domains. The complexity in trade-offs of balcony design is evident in the literature, as scientific papers have scarcely explored the effects of the use of balconies on the building performance considering a multi-objective approach. Therefore, the main objective of this thesis was to provide balcony design recommendations to improve daylight, thermal, and energy performance of mixed-mode office buildings. A reference model representing a high-rise mixed-mode office building and possible variations of geometric parameters of balconies were defined based on a database of office buildings located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A parametric analysis was used to evaluate the effects of balcony and building design parameters on the reference model’s performance. A multi-objective assessment was performed through building performance simulations (BPS) for daylight, thermal and energy performance, using reliable software tools to assess different balcony design scenarios. To improve accuracy, computer fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations validated with wind tunnel experiments were used to generate wind pressure coefficient data, and daylight experiments were developed to validate the daylight simulations. The trade-offs of balcony design were assessed for daylight availability and visual comfort, as well as for natural ventilation, thermal and energy performance. The results were cross-analysed for daylight, thermal, and energy performance and recommendations for balcony design were tailored to each façade orientation and thoughtfully combined with the glazed door width. An optimal combination, featuring a 3-meter-wide glazed door and a 2-meter-deep balcony, proved beneficial for all façade orientations across all floor levels. However, the choice of parapet type should align with the balcony's location, which is directly correlated with the room's depth. This balcony design combination ensures optimal levels of daylight availability and improves visual comfort by up to 14%, enhancing thermal and energy performance within the room by up to 40%. The results of this research study pioneer in providing balcony design recommendations and offer valuable information for building designers, highlighting that balconies should not be designed solely as decorative façade elements or spaces for building services. Additionally, the methods developed in this research can be applied by researchers/designers to their own case studies.
Purpose
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the contradictions inherent to balconies. Despite the attention given to these architectural elements on that moment, there is a knowledge gap concerning the preferences and expectations of the inhabitants in relation to them. For this reason, this paper aims to conduct a critical literature review of the publications about the inhabitants’ perceptions of balconies in order to identify the most relevant criteria to consider during the design process.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis was based on the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) criteria (technical, functional and behavioural).
Findings
The results highlighted the relevance of the behavioural criteria for the valorisation of the balconies by the inhabitants and presented indications to the research about these liminal spaces and the design practice of housing buildings.
Originality/value
According to the authors’ best knowledge, this study represents the more holistic study of the kind.
Human existence and development have always relied on suitable shelter. The dual-directional relationship of human residence has always been a material dealt with to enhance residential living conditions. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic introduced abrupt and dramatic changes to human life protocols that exerted clear pressure on different sectors within the built environment. Housing experienced a great impact due to the need for social distancing and quarantine obligations to support human life. In this study, in order to measure human adaptation and residence alterations following new residential requirements, the quality of interior space investigations to promote a better built environment for occupants was facilitated using the theory of residential dissatisfaction, already adopted in the current study. Residents’ responses were extracted regarding their dissatisfaction by applying the Likert scale for measurement and evaluation. This study focused on homogenous housing estates in Erbil City. Apartments were precisely selected with different plans and building layouts for widespread use in the city. They were occupied during the three stages of the study to extend beyond investigating the direct impact of the pandemic on the permanence of alterations and adaptation even after the pandemic. The reasons for changed dissatisfaction levels were investigated to improve the reliability of formulating final conclusions and recommendations. The findings showed increased dissatisfaction during the pandemic in most spaces; apartment layout and space design significantly affected responses and demands. The levels of dissatisfaction after the pandemic changed from stable to a slight decline in dissatisfaction. The effect of limited external spaces in apartments limited the possibility of managing pressure. This case might be less demanding in single-family housing due to the availability of private gardens. The results indicate that five distinct spaces were affected by the pandemic: the living room, family dining area, children’s bedroom, laundry room, and storage area. The dissatisfaction with these spaces increased during the pandemic and either remained unchanged or continued to rise afterward.
