Predictions for Residential Environments in the 21st Century: Survey of Professionals from five Countries

• Published in: Housing and society Vol. 29; no. 1-2; pp. 45 - 55
• Main Authors: Kim, Hong-Kyu, Ha, Mikyoung, Koh, Won-Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01.01.2002
• ISSN: 0888-2746; 2376-0923
• DOI: 10.1080/08882746.2002.11430470

Looking towards the 21st century, predictions regarding the future have taken place in various fields. We are at a point where we must confront future residential environments by examining how predictions regarding these environments differ among countries with different cultures and lifestyles. In this study, architecture and housing-related professionals from Korea, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom were surveyed about the extent of change in future residences regarding: housing forms, arrangement and structure of rooms, building shapes, the exterior space of residential complexes, and the natural environment surrounding residential complexes. The survey was conducted in 1996 and asked about the next 20 years: 2001, 2006, and 2016. Second, a One-Way Analysis of Variance was used to determine whether there was a difference between countries in terms of predictions about future residential environments. The differences were analyzed through a Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Also, the demands of future residential environments were investigated according to country using 14 variables. In this research, the following predictions were made regarding residential environments. Individual houses will be the main form of housing and the extent of change in housing will increase with the passage of time. Also, room arrangement and structure will become more open, and building shapes will become diversified. In terms of affinity to nature, the environment surrounding the housing complex will be a combination of artificial and natural elements.