My Space is Everywhere

Abstract

Needs and motivations of children are complex and dynamic in long and short term, as are the needs of families in shared living spaces. Designing home environments which enable flexible use calls for better understanding of long-term and short-term needs. We explored the mapping of the psychological concepts of affordances and motivation to inform the design of spaces that might satisfy children's needs in a family home context. The paper is the result of a cooperation between architects and psychologists. Using a research by design method, a number of design ideas were developed which explored the use of space and objects to encourage transient ownership and interactions. Resulting ideas for the design of interior spaces were explored and discussed with the aim to provide a directly applicable framework for idea development in the context of spaces for children in a domestic setting.