“What makes a house a home?”: A theoretical model for the architectural design of homes based on human psychological needs to support and promote users’ psychological well-being

Al-Tarazi, Dalia

Abstract

The current PhD thesis investigates the relationship between the Architectural design of homes and inhabitants’ psychological well-being. Psychological wellbeing is understood to be achieved by addressing human psychological needs. In fact, while there are many guidelines and policies that inform the architectural design of homes, there is a lack of consideration for the satisfaction of human needs through design. People spend most of their lifetime inside their homes compared to any other form of built environment, However, most of existing literature on psychological well-being within the built environment focuses on non-residential buildings such as; offices, schools, elderly homes, hospitals, etc. and there is a general lack of literature on well-being in homes specifically. This research combines the two fields of architecture and psychology, by investigating theories of psychological needs as these are the key nutriments of psychological well-being.
The aim of this research was to develop a theoretical model of the architectural design of homes based on human needs to support and promote users’ psychological well-being.
A mixed methods approach was adopted to address and achieve the research aim. First, a quantitative survey questionnaire was distributed online and around Bristol, UK (n=101) to explore if there was a link between residents’ perceptions of their homes and their psychological well-being. Second, a series of qualitative semi-structured interviews took place in Clifton, Bristol (n=13) to investigate, in-depth, the results of the survey.
The results of the quantitative study demonstrated a direct link between residents’ satisfaction with their home and satisfaction with life in general. Further, the survey showed the importance of the physical structure of homes and of perceived opportunities for personalisation in the overall satisfaction with a home and subsequently, well-being and life in general. The qualitative phase results identified five key themes which were perceived to affect the experience of homes; physical structure, memories embodied in the home, security, transformability, and cultural preference.
The main contributions to knowledge that this PhD thesis offers are:
• An assessment of well-being in the built environment focusing on homes.
• A study of human needs to identify the architectural needs for a healthy home.
• A theoretical model of the architectural design of homes based on human needs to support and promote users’ psychological well-being.

Citation

Al-Tarazi, D. “What makes a house a home?”: A theoretical model for the architectural design of homes based on human psychological needs to support and promote users’ psychological well-being. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6112388

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 29, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 16, 2021
• Keywords: Home, Well-being, Needs, Psychological Needs
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6112388
• Award Date: Feb 16, 2021