A study of outdoor interactional spaces in high-rise housing

This study investigates the relationship between the courtyard design of high-rise housing complexes and the residents’ social interaction in Taipei, Taiwan. Behavioral observation is applied to three housing projects, reflecting three levels of real estate value. The observation lasts for 21 days for each project. The total number of observations are 32,476 including 15,532 males and 16,955 females. Only 5074 people, 15.63% of the total observed residents, have social interaction with others. The findings reflect the phenomenon of social withdrawal among the residents. In addition, the research findings indicate that both space types and design elements have an effect on residents’ social interaction. Among the five space types, significantly more social interactions are found in circulation spaces, and significantly fewer social interactions are observed in seating and vague spaces. Regarding the percentages of social interaction, scenic and activity spaces rank first and second, respectively, and are considerably higher than the other space types. Among the 10 design elements, route and node rank the first and the second, respectively, and out-weighed the other design elements in terms of the quantity of social interaction. As to the percentages of social interaction, visual focus, plant, play area, and open space rank first to fourth, and are relatively higher than the other six elements.