This research endeavors to fundamentally transform the perception and planning paradigms of existing community facilities and spaces. It aims to do so by rediscovering the typological foundations of ‘community spaces’ in urban housing, thereby res...
This research endeavors to fundamentally transform the perception and planning paradigms of existing community facilities and spaces. It aims to do so by rediscovering the typological foundations of ‘community spaces’ in urban housing, thereby restoring the ‘nature of dwelling.’ The study focuses on the growth of third-sector-led small-scale multi-family housing since the 2010s and the significant role of ‘proactive architects’ within this sector. Currently, many small-scale multi-family housing projects led by third-sector groups—such as citizens, cooperatives, social enterprises, and non-profits—are not well-received by residents due to a lack of architectural expertise. Conversely, small-scale multi-family housings led by proactive architects are experimenting with innovative designs and presenting diverse ways of living.
This study highlights that a significant number of residents in third-sector-led small-scale multi-family housing projects cite ‘difficulty in inviting guests’ as a primary reason for moving out. The research aims to address low resident satisfaction and poor utilization of community spaces by emphasizing ‘semi-private spaces.’ It posits that creating such spaces, operated with a sense of ownership, is crucial for recovering the ability to freely invite and meet guests.
The study investigates historical precedents to elucidate the importance of semi-private spaces and explores phenomenological urban architecture theories to interpret these spaces in depth. By examining metaphorical representation grounded in typicality, the research seeks to concretize the discourse on reviving ‘madang(마당),’ a quintessential semi-private space lost during Korea's modernization process. Utilizing the ‘theory of typicality,’ the study analyzes and interprets meta-housing examples. In these examples, private spaces are segmented, expanded, and shared, thus becoming ‘semi-private spaces.’ These meta-housings are significant as they strive to balance and coexist between semi-public and semi-private living by securing ‘semi-private spaces’ within individual private units.
The findings reveal that semi-private spaces in meta-housings incorporate entrance spaces and household programs with traditional Korean settings, such as shoes and floor finishing materials. In most Korean homes, it is customary to remove shoes at the entrance before entering the living spaces. The entrance, typically a narrow area, is primarily used for putting on or taking off shoes. However, in meta-housings, this space is expanded and integrated with programs such as kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, and studies. This enhances everyday usability. Additionally, by expanding the entrance area to accommodate activities while wearing shoes, guests can visit without the burden of removing their footwear. This expanded entrance, akin to a ‘madang-like entrance,’ metaphorically recreates a modern interpretation of the madang by providing a versatile, communal space at the threshold of the home. This arrangement offers an alternative for securing madang-like semi-private spaces in multi-family housing where individual households cannot easily obtain their own madang. Furthermore, the ‘madang-like entrance’ fosters creative imagination, catalyzing the emergence of new metaphorical madang spaces. The metaphorical type of the madang serves as a foundational reference for subsequent metaphorical representations. These representations can occur through an infinite combination of space, program, setting, and individuals, reflecting a common sensory communication ground.
To live together in a limited space by coordinating multiple layers of relationships, various institutions need to be established and operated between the city, village, neighborhood, and housing. It is crucial to explore and improve not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. In this respect, small-scale multi-family housings and community spaces established in low-rise residential areas cannot be exempt from this necessity. To revive housing and community spaces as ‘urban institutions for all citizens,’ qualitative exploration and improvement are required alongside quantitative indicators like area, performance, number of households, access time, and ratios. This study implies and suggests various implications and insights for shifting the perception and planning paradigms of community spaces. It is hoped that this research will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and architects to discuss and transform small-scale multi-family housings and their community spaces in low-rise residential areas into ‘urban institutions for all citizens.’
keywords : Social Housing, Architect-led Small-scale Multi-family Housing, Typicality, Metaphor, Metaphorical Representation, Entrance, Madang
Student Number : 2018-31194