Flexibility Criteria for Design of Apartment Housing in Iran

Increased production rate of housing due to rapid population increase has led to standard housing design solutions that do not correspond to personal needs. This research attempts to redefine a set of flexibility criteria for housing based on a literature survey. Using a set of eight criteria, a sample of six apartment buildings in Tehran City are assessed in terms of their overall flexibility. Flexibility criteria are then divided into four main categories with eight subsets. A sample group of 10 architects then assesses the applicability of these criteria using a 28- item questionnaire. Their answers are then analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The results indicate that architectural design is considered the criteria with highest influence on housing flexibility, while other criteria such as structural system, installations, furniture and service spaces are ranked as the next influential factors, respectively.