This report focuses on architectural design and living conditions of people in urban areas. This report focuses on living in apartments and courtyards and how this offers people an opportunity to interact. The aim of the report is to answer the question; how do we live together better in the future? Therefore, this report discusses the historical architectural issues which have hindered effective interaction between people living in apartments and courtyards and how this can be improved in the future through architectural designs. To answer the question, this report focuses on the case study of Beijing courtyard, Rem Koolhaas house in Bordeaux, and Quadrangle courtyard.

Problem Statement

Based on the economic settings of China and Beijing in particular, there are benefits of living in apartments rather than houses in the city. The main benefit is low costs. Nonetheless, socially apartments are disadvantageous. According to Priemus (2003) and Rosen and Ross (2000), human beings are social beings and hence they need to socialize and interact with one another. Architecture Designs and Harmonious Living. However, apartments offer neighbours very limited chances to interact and socialize with each other. Due to increased demand for housing the modern forms of urban apartments do not have an open space hence individuals are closed (Zhang 2015).

It is a common phenomenon that neighbours do not known each other in an apartment and if they do they know very few people and they do not interact. The living styles of people living in apartments are very busy as people go to work very early in the morning and come home very late in the evening hence there is no opportunity for people to come together and interact. Unlike the traditional architectural designs of courtyards in Beijing, the modern architectural designs promote individualism and discourage collectivism among neighbours because of close- ended patterns, lack of living space, and more modular. These patterns have resulted to unfamiliarity and isolation of interpersonal relationships (Zhang 2006).

Since human beings are social animals, they have to nurture solid and strong relationships and interactions and for this to happen there should be a conducive environment. Architecture Designs and Harmonious Living. Therefore, it is unavoidable to have apartments which promote neighbourhood relationship. However, there is limited study on the neighbourhood communication space in apartments as compared to the traditional courtyards and how they promote socialization and interactions.

The modern architectural designers focus on economic aspects when designing for apartments but do not consider the social aspect and hence solid interactions and interrelationships in apartments is a big challenge. As mentioned by Amiriparyan and Kiani (2015), it is very important to meet the interpersonal communication needs of people by providing a conducive environment for their socialization.

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