An Analysis of the Unit Flexibility in Dongtan New Town Apartments

동탄신도시 아파트의 가변성 분석

Recent Korean apartment plans show weakness in design methods for flexibility planning. Each constructors design theirs projects in various ways, but they are bent on following a criterion guided by regulations without their own design theme for flexibility. This phenomenon can cause a social burden because of the lack of unit flexibility in future. This thesis aims to raise a question on the current method of measuring unit flexibility and to propose a new point of view oriented to the future change. The prior part of this paper reviews theories on the flexibility in apartment buildings and the precedent studies on measuring unit flexibility. The later part deals the flexibility analysis of Dongtan New Town apartments and shows the limitation of the current flexibility design. Case studies show that the length ratio of bearing walls and columns in interior space and the width of unit plan, which are considered as important factor of flexibility, do not have direct relation with it. Current regulations and practices should be complemented to let the apartment buildings accommodate socioeconomic change and to propose various alternatives in using housing space.