Multifamily Housing of Progressive Development: An Example of Flexible Housing

Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Guilan, Iran

Abstract: The family dynamic is characterized by its constant change over time due to different aspects in itself and the context that influences it, therefore it is not surprising that the number of family members living under the same roof varies. It is here where housing often requires flexibility in its spaces to adapt to these changes, so that it can last over time and increase its life span. An example of flexible housing is progressive housing, in which homes are built and improved at a rate determined by changes in the household. In Venezuela, as in many countries in Latin America, and even Europe, this phenomenon of residential space transformation towards progressive building, occurs both in low-cost and middle-income single-family or multifamily housing, though motives differ in each case. In this paper, we will focus on analyzing the characteristics of flexible housing and its relationship with progressive multifamily housing, in the case of middle-income families that live in urban environments, as an example of physical and space housing transformation, which also answers to sustainability principles through resource and energy reduction, avoiding the building’s obsolescence. This way, progressivity in residential buildings could be considered as a tool in the production of flexible homes, adapted to its inhabitant’s space needs throughout the building’s life span.