User preferences with respect to domestic space

Changes in user requirements and desires with respect to housing and domestic space should be viewed contingeut with the rapid technological, economic, social and cultural changes. Mass housing design still poses a challange to the architect designer in terms of fulfilment of the individual's expectations from the notion of 'house' In order the housing to meet the physical and socio-psychological needs and desires of inhabitants of various social status and tu accommodate possibilities of technology preference research is necessary. This model should so be designed that it should avail itself to repeated uses so as to avoid the consuming research required at the outset of every housing project. The purpuse of this study has been to establish one such model for preference studies. In the first chapter, basic human needs and the relativity of needs and the problems this relavity causes in the housing design is explored in detail. In the second chapter, the problems related to design in general and housing design in particular are analyzed and a research model based on the definition house is proposed. In the third chapter, the proposed method is applied to a random population. The outcome is documented, data processed and the results are achieved. The findings indicate that some differences occur between the middle income and the higher middle income groups with respect to the various spaces of the house, both in terms of desing&size. The consequences of the study are discussed with respect to design, modelling and education. Propositions are made accordingly. Keywords: House, user, preference model, design, need, income. VI