Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected every aspect of human life. Among the myriad changes, it catalyzed a significant shift in the way we perceive and use our living spaces. The home, traditionally seen as a refuge from work and external pressures, rapidly became a multifunctional space, doubli...

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Main Authors: Sam Moshaver, Bertug Ozarisoy, Hasim Altan, Shiva Kumar Gosula
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3590
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author Sam Moshaver
Bertug Ozarisoy
Hasim Altan
Shiva Kumar Gosula
author_facet Sam Moshaver
Bertug Ozarisoy
Hasim Altan
Shiva Kumar Gosula
author_sort Sam Moshaver
collection DOAJ
description The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected every aspect of human life. Among the myriad changes, it catalyzed a significant shift in the way we perceive and use our living spaces. The home, traditionally seen as a refuge from work and external pressures, rapidly became a multifunctional space, doubling as an office, school, gym, and recreation center. Before the pandemic, open-plan living was on the rise, championing multifunctional spaces. However, with the sudden need for remote work, the demand for dedicated home offices or quiet corners became evident. People began to value having a distinct, quiet workspace that would not disturb other members of the household. In this paper, we highlight the importance of incorporating a separate room, distanced from the main private areas of a home, during the early design stages. This approach enhances privacy and subsequently boosts the psychological well-being of the household occupants. The research contributes to building-system integration by demonstrating how architectural configurations and spatial design elements can be optimized to enhance building performance, functionality, and occupant comfort in multi-family residential structures. The aim of this study is to explore the correlations between spatial design quality and occupants’ productivity while working from home. It employs a mixed-methods approach that combines various techniques to provide comprehensive analyses.
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spelling doaj-art-e93c02f0e4554926a9a61b12e15934312025-08-20T02:08:14ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-11-011411359010.3390/buildings14113590Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy NeedsSam Moshaver0Bertug Ozarisoy1Hasim Altan2Shiva Kumar Gosula3Department of Interior Architecture, School of Architecture, Florida International University, 1025 SW 112th Avenue, Miami, FL 33174, USASchool of the Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UKDepartment of Architecture, College of Architecture and Design, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Dhahran 34754, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University, 1025 SW 112th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, USAThe COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected every aspect of human life. Among the myriad changes, it catalyzed a significant shift in the way we perceive and use our living spaces. The home, traditionally seen as a refuge from work and external pressures, rapidly became a multifunctional space, doubling as an office, school, gym, and recreation center. Before the pandemic, open-plan living was on the rise, championing multifunctional spaces. However, with the sudden need for remote work, the demand for dedicated home offices or quiet corners became evident. People began to value having a distinct, quiet workspace that would not disturb other members of the household. In this paper, we highlight the importance of incorporating a separate room, distanced from the main private areas of a home, during the early design stages. This approach enhances privacy and subsequently boosts the psychological well-being of the household occupants. The research contributes to building-system integration by demonstrating how architectural configurations and spatial design elements can be optimized to enhance building performance, functionality, and occupant comfort in multi-family residential structures. The aim of this study is to explore the correlations between spatial design quality and occupants’ productivity while working from home. It employs a mixed-methods approach that combines various techniques to provide comprehensive analyses.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3590environmental psychologyenvironmental satisfactionmulti-family residential buildingsspatial privacyvisual privacywell-being
spellingShingle Sam Moshaver
Bertug Ozarisoy
Hasim Altan
Shiva Kumar Gosula
Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
Buildings
environmental psychology
environmental satisfaction
multi-family residential buildings
spatial privacy
visual privacy
well-being
title Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
title_full Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
title_fullStr Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
title_full_unstemmed Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
title_short Designing Multi-Family Residences in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Addressing Workspace Privacy Needs
title_sort designing multi family residences in the post covid 19 era addressing workspace privacy needs
topic environmental psychology
environmental satisfaction
multi-family residential buildings
spatial privacy
visual privacy
well-being
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3590
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AT hasimaltan designingmultifamilyresidencesinthepostcovid19eraaddressingworkspaceprivacyneeds
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