Nordwall, U and Olofsson, T (2013) Architectural caring. Architectural qualities from a residential property perspective. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 9(1), pp. 1-20. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
A common definition of architectural qualities in general and the values of the qualities in particular can differ significantly in the understanding of different operators in the building construction sector. One platform to define and investigate architectural qualities is to use a property management perspective and focus on the tenants and their individual well-being in the accommodation. In this study, architectural qualities were investigated in three residential areas with multi-family buildings in Sweden: Backa Rd, Hgsbohjd and Nybodahjden. The data were collected from interviews with building industry people and the residential tenants. Three architectural qualities became the foundation for the interviews: properties and characteristics of the surroundings, usage flexibility within the apartment, the patina and mellowness of building components. The investigation of collected data was inspired by a method called grounded theory (GT). In this study, GT was used to discover and develop a theory of architectural caring, where architectural qualities have a bearing on the nature of a residential area. We found that a central focus in the residential property management perspective is architectural caring. To care for the houses, materials, construction and the neighbourhood environment is to care for the residents and give them a sense of belonging.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architectural caring; architectural qualities; architecture; belonging; grounded theory; property management; residential buildings; tenants |
| Index terms: | interview, residential building, architectural quality, platform, grounded theory, residential property, building construction, tenant, Sweden, well-being, residential area, building industry, investigation, property management, building component |
| Subjects: | digital design, Geography, theoretical framing, architectural elements, quality assurance, industry analysis, building construction, practitioner, zoning, mental health and wellbeing, data collection methods, construction type, real estate economics |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Quality Management, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here