Aims: Quality of life is a key challenge in contemporary architecture and urban planning, particularly in relation to social sustainability. This study investigates how architectural-environmental features - including green balcony design, visual transparency and view to nature, and communal green spaces-affect residential satisfaction and quality of life in housing complexes in Shahrood, Iran. Methodology: A survey-based method was employed, and the statistical population was determined using the detailed plan of Shahrood municipality. By applying non-random purposive sampling, 316 questionnaires were distributed among middle-income households. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 through descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests, and multiple regression analysis. Findings: Results from the t-test indicated that responses to items associated with all hypotheses were significantly positive, highlighting residents’ general satisfaction with green balconies, visual access to greenery, and communal social spaces. The multiple regression model further demonstrated that 61% of the variance in residents’ quality of life was explained by the three predictors. Among them, visual transparency and access to surrounding greenery had the strongest effect (β = 0.42), followed by green balcony design (β = 0.28) and communal green spaces (β = 0.26). Conclusion: The study shows that green balconies, visual transparency, and communal green spaces are perceived as important contributors to residential satisfaction and quality of life, with regression results confirming that these factors explain a substantial share of the variance. However, as the focus was mainly on physical environmental perceptions, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, and broader future studies are recommended.
Ahmad Jameei (Sun,) studied this question.