The Behavior and Requirements of the Occupants
The Behavior and Requirements of the Occupants
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Written by Jimmy John   
Sunday, 31 August 2008
    As nobody is the same and each person has his own lifestyle, it is necessary for architects to consider these factors in order to design a house in away that meets the requirements of the customer. Naturally the more people there are living in a house the harder it will be for them all to agree as to want they want, as their patterns of behavior and likes and dislikes are different. Some of them understand themselves well enough to know and communicate what they want. But most are not clear and cannot explain the routines by which they live. Some of these are quite trivial, like taking off one’s shoes before entering a house. But, because they are so used to it they do it day out without thinking about its importance to the design of a house. And in Thailand where it is customary to take one’s shoes off before entering a house, having a large number of people living in the house makes this routine as issue for design that must not be overlooked.

    Architects will tend to be concerned with such details and ask questions to try to uncover all needs of the occupants and to ascertain the uses to which various areas of the house will be put at different times. They will also try to help customers anticipate problems that might occur in the future and how the requirements might change. Delving deeply into such matters is necessary. For instance, how people behave in the bathroom, whether people are left-handed or right-handed (which affects how to use natural light for activities such as working or putting on make up or the position of electrical plugs), activities which take place at different times of day, the importance of each different space, the personal feelings of family members and how the interior relates to the exterior.

    Personal tastes are mostly outside the bounds of logic. Some like a home consisting of houses grouped together and connected by a terrace of raised platform while others may feel uncomfortable abut having to go in and go out from these areas all the time. Many people prefer taking a bath in an external bathroom but others are frightened to meet a gecko on the wall. A lot of people are used to sitting and sleeping on the floor so it is good to make sure there is good air circulation and views outside at that level. The flowing window in a traditional house and the railings around the raised platform in an old house that are at the same level as the triangular pillow used as armrest when sitting on the floor are examples of how this can be done. In this area, we are not scared with the height of the railings because the house’s eaves are long and at eye level to protect from sun and rain.

    A comfortable house is a house that meets the occupant’s requirements completely. It is best if the activities of each family member can take place in spaces that are connected but in which each does not disturb the other, especially in houses where old and young live together. The principle is that a connecting space enhances the relationships of family members as they do not feel totally cut off from each other. And this should strengthen family life.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 September 2008 )