Abstract
Given the increasing time pressure on parents and children, in contrast to the decreasing amount of time that families spend together at home, it is imperative that homes be designed to maximize the opportunity for family members to interact during the limited time they have together each day. This exploratory study was conducted to understand how homes can be designed to best support interaction. This issue was investigated through the use of design programming: a systematic process of creating guidelines for a building's optimal performance based on the analysis of information about the building and its users. Four requirements had to be met by the home to facilitate family interaction; the home had to (a) accommodate specific family activities, (b) accommodate multiple activities in the same location within the home, (c) facilitate household tasks, and (d) maximize the aesthetic appeal of family spaces. Activity logs, parental interviews, and a card sort method were used with 24 single parent and dual–earner families with elementary school–aged children. The findings from the activity logs indicated that families interact primarily around mealtime {dinner} and when viewing television. The primary place for interaction is the kitchen or kitchen/dining area or the living/family room. Analysis of the interviews indicated that families today value having a large kitchen area because family interaction often occurs while parents are cooking or cleaning in the kitchen area and children are doing homework or other activities immediately in the area. When asked to create their ideal place for family interaction parents most often created family/living areas. The study concluded that areas that support concurrent activities best facilitate family interaction.f
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