Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• Seyed Mohsen Moosavi ¹
• Rouhollah Rahimi ¹
• Sogand Vosooghi ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

² M.A. in Architecture, Department of Architecture, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

Abstract

Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: After the industrial revolution, many changes have taken place in the housing system. Residential neighborhoods have become largely obsolete and have been replaced by residential complexes. What is considered in the creation of residential complexes in their design process; often there are big issues such as economic conditions, land value and etc. Thus, such foreign forces affect housing policies and ultimately the quality of human life. Since the house is one of the most important and main places of human presence, it has the most duty in provide the individual and social needs of humans. This study intends to investigate the differences of social interactions in two types of residential complexes, mid-rise apartment and villa complexes, based on Jan Gehl‘s theory. According to this theory, activities that can be performed among residents of residential complexes lead to the creation of social interactions among them. These activities can be categorized into three categories: necessary activities, optional activities, and social activities. Necessary activities which are some kind of activities that residents definitely do, such as entering and leaving the complex. Optional activities are activities that take place if suitable conditions and personal preferences exist, such as children playing or exercising in public spaces of residential complexes. Finally, social activities are activities that depend more than anything else on the presence of other residents in public spaces. Jan Gehl also emphasizes the design process should be: “First life, then spaces, then buildings - the other way around never works.” Therefore, this research discovers the level of social interactions resulting from these activities by examining the possibility of the occurrence of three categories of activities in two types of residential complexes.
Methods: Considering the research objective, the desired studies and investigations focus on identifying the factors and activities that lead to social interactions. In this regard, in the first step, through library studies and examining previous research, the activities that lead to the formation of social interaction among individuals were extracted. Then, to investigate the occurrence of these activities with residents of the two residential complexes of “Sib” and “Saheli”, interviews were conducted. To this end, interviews were conducted with 14 residents of the complex, 57% of whom were male and 43% were female. In the next step, the information obtained from the interviews was interpreted using content analysis. In addition to answering the interview questions, the interviewees also expressed their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with interacting with some neighbors. For analysis, the dialogues were carefully examined, and significant points were discovered. Then, the significant points were categorized, and their commonalities were discovered. 
Findings: The results indicate that the occurrence of social interactions resulting from necessary activities in middle-class apartments is significantly higher than in villa complexes. The reason for this is the greater dependence of residential units on each other. This dependence is due to common spaces and dealing with common affairs and financial issues. It is worth mentioning that the presence of a guard in villa complexes is one influential factor in increasing social interactions. Regarding optional activities, it can be stated that familiarity and acquaintance among individuals in middle-class apartments occur more frequently, which is due to more face-to-face encounters between residents. This is while villa complexes, with wider central spaces and fewer design constraints compared to apartments, can create a more suitable spatial capacity for social interactions. Social activities also occur to a lesser extent in both types of complexes. Finally, it can be said that the most fundamental difference in creating social interactions in the two types of residential complexes, middle-class apartments and villa complexes, is related to necessary activities. Considering these differences, it is possible to take steps towards optimal design and increasing desirable social interactions in residential complexes. 
Conclusion: The The results show that the main difference between the two types of residential complexes is due to the necessary activities and its incidence rate in mid-rise apartment is higher than villa complexes. However, villa complexes with a wider middle space and less limitations in its design can create a suitable environment to increase social interactions. The results of study can lead designers and planners to eliminate existing deficiencies and users to choose housing tailored to their social needs.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

- Increasing social interactions in residential complexes can also increase issues such as a sense of security and a sense of belonging to the place and improve the quality of life in the complex.
- The most fundamental difference in the factors that cause social interactions in the two groups under study is due to necessary activities.

Keywords

• Residential Complex
• Social Interactions
• Neighborhood
• Villa Complexes
• Mid-Rise Apartment