A study on the interaction between interior living spaces of mass housing and mass manufactured furniture

The objective of the PhD thesis entitled "A Study on The Interaction Between Interior Spaces of Housing Estates and Mass Manufactured Furniture" is to acquire data on how furniture design in general impacts interior spaces of housing and vice versa. The aim of the research is to acquire data and insight on the input of furniture design for the design of interior spaces of housing and how interior spaces of housing can be considered in the process of furniture design. The research is based on the hypothesis that "The design processes of mass housing and mass furniture manufactured for the common user are mutually influenced by one another." correspondingly the study aims to reveal the hyper-dimensional relations network between the interrelations of housing design-manufacture and furniture designmanufacture. The research consists of six chapters. The first chapter introduces the hypothesis, draws out the conceptual framework, and discusses the importance of the argument. The second chapter discusses the numerous definitions of "housing" in general and approaches the concept of housing with reference to sheltering, as the vital need of human kind. The historical developments of housing estates are clarified for both the Turkish context and the global context. The design and the manufacture processes of housing estates have been studied; space and standardization relations have been drawn out and evaluated through national and international cases from the historical perspective. Chapter 3 examines the concept of furniture and draws out a classification model. The design and manufacturing processes of mass manufactured furniture are examined through national and international case studies. Chapter 4 investigates the interaction between the housing interior and the furniture features and through the help of the drawn characteristics, and a new method for analyzing the interaction between the interior and the furniture is introduced and discussed. At the end of the chapter, as a tool for developing information for the furniture sector, an inventory of furniture is generated. With the help of this inventory, "a less risky faulty sampling" is proposed. Moreover, much emphasis has been given to the efficiency of installation. With this study, much emphasis on the interaction of the housing estate for the common user and the mass manufactured furniture have become prominent. An overview of the literature on housing estate and furniture interaction has shown that, even though there are many resources on housing estate, interior and furniture features it is observed that there is an insufficient number of studies focusing on the interrelations between them. With reference to this, another aim of the study is to help fill the gap mentioned above. Chapter 5 covers the findings of field research. The field research carried out within the scope of the thesis aims to analyze the interrelations between interior design and mass manufactured furniture within the context of housing estates for middle-income occupants. The field research is based on the identification of the features of housing estate settlements in Istanbul using empirical data drawn in parallel and at the same time this is supported by qualitative data. The methodology of the research is constructed on spatial analysis of architectural plans and sections, usability analysis, a questionnaire and chi-square analysis. Within the scope of the spatial analysis the Toki Halkalı Housing Estate project (Istanbul) is studied; the floor plans of the housing estate project have been analyzed and nine different housing space plan typologies have been brought out. A questionnaire was used to obtain statistical data on the user profile of the housing units. The questionnaire was carried out with randomly chosen inhabitants of the district of Atakent. Data focusing on issues such as; "demographic characteristics", "furniture choice criteria", "satisfaction on the interaction of the space and the furniture", "opinions/altitudes on the living environment", "opinions/altitudes on the furniture of the living environment" and "satisfaction levels in general" was acquired using the methods mentioned above. The questionnaire was carried through one to one interviews with 43 households. These 43 households were documented visually in the interiors of their living environment. The data acquired was validated utilizing chi-square, analysis. In addition, to be able to test the adaptation potential of the products of the leading furniture companies in the housing estate settlements, some sample location implementations were executed. The sixth chapter evaluates the findings of the field research described in chapter five and a set of proposals is put forward. This dissertation provides an updated perspective for evaluating the hyper dimensional relations network between the interrelations of interior spaces and furnitures, examines the role of not only the housing but also the furniture stakeholders for the forthcoming housing and furniture designs.