Characteristics of Residential Space in Response to Changed Lifestyles: Focusing on the Characteristics of Residents and the Relationship between Individual and Family

The housing type of apartments, which has been spreading widely in South Korea, has penetrated deep into the domestic housing culture, thanks to the advantage of “convenience” resulting from the mass production of industrial capitalism that prioritizes functionality and efficiency. However, as capitalist social structures undergo transformation, in the 21st century, under a paradigm emphasizing creativity over functionality and efficiency, the characteristics of everyday life are also changing. Therefore, this study focuses on newly emerging lifestyles resulting from this transition of social structures. It analyzes the characteristics of residential space that reflect this trend, centering on “the characteristics of residents” and “the relationship between individual and family”. To this end, we compared lifestyle magazines aimed at the general public and architectural magazines aimed at architectural experts. Section 3 explores the changed lifestyles of residents by analyzing the articles containing interviews with residents in lifestyle magazines, while Section 4 focuses on the characteristics of residential spaces in reflecting these changes by analyzing houses and articles of architects and critics in architectural magazines. This analysis consistently brought forth the question of the limit of existing spaces of apartments and the desire to overcome them. A correspondence between residential spaces and the needs of everyday lives and lifestyles is a basic requirement for sustainable housing. Thus, the design of residential spaces will have to begin with a clear understanding of residents and their lifestyles, which can then be mapped onto the characteristics of residential spaces that can support them.