An Architectural Insight into the Role of Personalisation of Homes and its Effects on Residents’ Psychological Well-being

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of personalisation in the relationship between architectural design of homes and inhabitants’ psychological well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
This interdisciplinary mixed-method study first investigates the existence of a link between personalisation and users’ association with home through a quantitative study (n=101), then explores the nature of this relationship through qualitative interviews (n=13) in a sequential explanatory approach.
Findings
The main findings of the study highlight the significance of personalisation in relation to the way people perceive home. A direct link was established between participants’ involvement in the transformation of the home and their satisfaction with the residence, as well as satisfaction with life in general. Further thematic analysis of the qualitative study revealed further conceptualisations of personalisation which together for an umbrella concept called transformability.
Originality/value
The design of homes has a great impact on inhabitants’ psychological well-being. This is becoming of a greater importance in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has led to an increase in the amount of time spent in homes. This research contributes to this debate by proposing concepts for deeper understanding architectural influences on the psychology of home.
Implications
The findings underscore the need for embedding flexibility as an architectural concept in the design of residential buildings for improving well-being in occupants.