An Examination of the concept of home in multi-storey housing with special reference to luxury apartment complexes

Abstract

Home is one of the fundamental needs of man. The concept of home is the deep rooted attachment between man and place, where the institution of family is nurtured. It is a place that reflects his values, aspirations and future expectations and their social and cultural identity. Sri Lankan people value the idea of individual houses. However, rapid urbanization and the subsequent lack of land for building have led to vertical development in the urban areas. This phenomenon has also affected the housing developments. In the past high-rise housing were for the low and middle-income categories. Nevertheless, in contemporary Sri Lankan society it is apparent in the Luxury category as well. House developers sell the idea of home with a materialistic illusion, where the term 'luxury' is in terms of finishes, services and facilities provided and not considering a qualitative environment needed for the psychological well being of man. Thus the significance of the concept of home should be understood and sufficiently highlighted to be able to interpret it in terms of multi-storey apartments and to establish the fact that luxury homes should have a spatial significance instead of a materialistic one . Therefore the study would first examine the concept of home and establish the fundamental attributes of a home. It would then identify the ways in which they may be manifested in the built forms and layouts of homes. Identifying the differences and. Disadvantages between individual houses and multi-storey housing and observing the significance of the luxury housing category, would help to interpret these attributes in terms of luxury multi-storey apartments. The ways in which the attributes of a home are expressed in the built environment as a whole in reality, will be further studied by discussing three contemporary luxury apartment complexes.