A case study of the extension of floorplan flexibility using sector margins

This study aims to propose a design method to promote the flexibility of a floorplan of an apartment building. Areas which permit the change of floorplan are assigned and demarcated in some part of a floorplan to evade the conjunction with physical structures of a building. These assigned areas for change can act as a mediator to extend the range of flexibility of floorplans. The former part of this study speculate the definition of design vocabularies composing the design methods of mass-housing flexibility. The flexibility of an apartment floorplan cannot but be restricted when compared to that of a detached house. Admitting this limitation, we could limit the aim of the flexibility design to accommodate a few design themes which residents would want most among diverse alternatives. The later part of the study examined variations of a Korean apartment plan. With four different design themes, the plan variations were sketched to demonstrate the process of the flexibility design.