Defining the flexible design factors concerning to the differences in user requirements in physical therapy and rehabilitation units

ABSTRACT The buildings are usually met many changes before the end of their physical life. If these changes are not be met by the buildings, the functional obsolescence is inevitable. As a result, the decisions for demolition can take place. The flexible design must be used for delaying the functional obsolescence as possible. The aim of this study is to formulate of delaying the functional obsolescence by flexible design systems. Therefore, the study which has 7 chapters, contained with determining the factors that effects the flexible design. The problem, aim of the study and the method of the research were introduced in chapter 1. In chapter 2, the relationship between space and users have been reviewed. In this context, the two basic concepts, the environmental factors and the user requirements have been identified in the physical therapy and rehabilitation departments. The changes in user requirements are the most important factors of functional obsolescence. The effects of these differences on architectural design have been mentioned in chapter 3. The kinds of obsolescence that occur by the differences on architectural design were also investigated. Chapter 4 contains the main theme of this thesis. Specifically the require aspects of the flexibility and the limits of it were reviewed. Therefore the definition of the flexibility, the types of it and the usage of flexibility in architectural designs were explained. Chapter 5 focuses on the analysis of the chapters up to chapter 4 and the theoretical structure of the study about physical therapy and rehabilitation departments which were applied for the case study. The chapter that contains the defining of the theoretical structure of the research undertaken, the data about the physical therapy and rehabilitation departments and the users who participated to the case study was introduced. Chapter 6 completely contains the case study of the research. The main hypothesis that had been defined in chapter 5, have been tested in this chapter. Therefore the data were accumulated by 198 questionnaires. In accordance with the influential factors of flexible design have been determined. In the conclusion, all chapters were evaluated in chapter 7, the scheme of flexible design of in the relevant factors that effected the flexible design and its stages were formulated. Then, xuthe suggestions for using the flexible designs were presented and the subjects that might have been searched in the future were expressed. Key Words: flexibility, adaptability, obsolescence, user requirement, hospital. Xlll