Housing Space Needs and Design Directions Based on the Growth Cycle of Children in Chinese Nuclear Families

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study focuses on Chinese nuclear families, emphasizing the dynamic changes in housing space needs driven by children’s growth stages. The aim is to explore how flexible housing space design can improve residential quality and accommodate the diverse demands of family life cycles. The research background highlights the transformation of Chinese family structures and the increasing prominence of children in nuclear families, pointing out the limitations of existing housing space design in terms of adaptability and functionality.
Based on a combination of literature review and survey research, this study systematically examines the housing needs of children at different developmental stages. The theoretical analysis integrates environmental behavior studies and cognitive development theories, revealing the common progression of housing needs from safety and functionality to comfort, and underscoring the significance of dynamic adaptability. The empirical research includes a questionnaire survey conducted among nuclear families in various urban tiers in Guangdong Province, China, identifying families’ functional requirements, adjustment behaviors, and design preferences for flexible housing spaces during children’s growth stages.
The findings indicate that children’s growth demands impose core requirements for housing space adaptability, including scalability, multifunctionality, and convertibility. Families with infants and toddlers prioritize safety and interactive spaces; during the school-age period, focus shifts to learning environments and shared family areas; for adolescents, independence and privacy become crucial. The study also reveals that families living in small-to-medium-sized homes, with longer occupancy durations or multiple children, exhibit a higher acceptance of flexible design solutions.
Building on these results, the study proposes strategies for flexible housing space design, such as modular layouts, adjustable partitions, and multifunctional furniture, to meet the dynamic needs of nuclear families across different child growth stages. This research provides theoretical support and practical guidance for designing housing spaces for Chinese nuclear families and offers insights for housing development and policy formulation.