Connotation of transition spaces outside the dwelling

Abstract

A study of the ways in which residents of two different UK Local Authority house types have appropriated space in front of their dwellings suggest that this practice is related to the meaning of the transition zone between the public and private realms of the house. It has become apparent that spatial boundaries around the dwelling unit serve either as borders representing the synbolic and judicial differentiation of space, or as physical barriers which regulate visibility and permeability. Thus, the relationship between the dwelling and its immediate surroundings is more complex than traditional design criteria (such as setbacks from the street, plot ratios and site density) suggest. In this study, the meaning and the use of the space around the dwelling is considered from a sociological and a psychological perspective. This is a different approach to that adopted by the UK Department of the Environment for example, and suggests that the findings of this well known study are limited. A diversification of the concept of site layout for houses is presented, which has implications for architects and planners involved in the design of residential areas.