Development of Human-Centered, Robot-Adaptive Building Design Standards: Focusing on Korea’s Building Certification Systems

This study aims to propose integrated design standards for human-centered, robot-adaptive buildings, focusing on circulation spaces, under the premise that service robots coexist within the existing built environment that has traditionally been designed around human users. To this end, domestic and international architectural standards related to robotics were reviewed, and a comparative analysis was conducted between the Robotics-Enabled Environment Certification (REEC), which emphasizes operational efficiency for robots, and the Barrier-Free (BF) Certification, which aims to ensure accessibility for universal users. Based on the results of this analysis, an integrated design approach was proposed by complementarily combining the requirements of the two certification systems. Through this process, design standards were derived that simultaneously secure robots’ autonomous mobility and operability while maintaining human safety and accessibility. This study addresses the limitations of existing architectural standards that have been developed separately with either a human-centered or robot-centered focus. By redefining circulation spaces as areas of human-robot interaction, the research provides the baseline data to support the future institutional and practical improvement implementation of robot-adaptive architectural environments.