Live-Work Interior Quality for Older People in Low-Income Housing in Bangkok

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Issue Vol. 6 No. 2 (2023)
Published Jul 25, 2023
Section Articles
Article downloads 456
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7454/in.v6i2.301
Submitted : Feb 28, 2023 | Accepted : Jul 18, 2023
Sutida Sattayakorn
Kasetsart University, Thailand
sutida.s@ku.th
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0189-8994
Soranart Sinuraibhan
Kasetsart University, Thailand
soranart.s@ku.th
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6922-7375
Saithiwa Ramasoot
Kasetsart University, Thailand
saithiwa.r@ku.th
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0212-5072
Supreeya Wungpatcharapon
Kasetsart University, Thailand
supreeya.w@ku.th
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4981-2934
Karim Hadjri
The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
k.hadjri@sheffield.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8243-8396
Isaiah Durosaiye
The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
i.durosaiye@sheffield.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7290-7443
Junjie Huang
University of Stirling, United Kingdom
junjie.huang@stir.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4484-2296

Abstract

This study explores to determine the live-work housing needs of low-income older people in informal settlements, the ways of life of whom contemporary housing provision often fails to consider. A questionnaire survey was conducted in three communities in Klong Toey, the largest informal settlement in Bangkok, to understand households’ satisfaction levels and expectations regarding the interior quality of their live-work housing. Older people’s specific interior spaces and housing requirements and expectations vary depending on the nature of their livelihood activities that can be categorised into three main groups, namely service, cook, and stock. The findings suggest a strong relationship between housing domains and the overall satisfaction of older people. There is a strong relationship between overall housing satisfaction and comfort in interior living spaces, as well as safety for domestic working spaces. Design, Health, Comfort, and Adaptability are important domains for live-work environments that ensure housing meets older people’s expectations. Therefore, housing design and improvements should embrace the live-work concept to maintain a sustainable and healthy ageing environment.

Keywords: spatial quality, live-work housing, informal settlements, older people, resident satisfaction

Article Details

How to Cite
Sattayakorn, S., Sinuraibhan, S., Ramasoot, S., Wungpatcharapon, S., Hadjri, K., Durosaiye, I., & Huang, J. (2023). Live-Work Interior Quality for Older People in Low-Income Housing in Bangkok. Interiority, 6(2), 225–248. https://doi.org/10.7454/in.v6i2.301
Author Biographies

Sutida Sattayakorn, Kasetsart University, Thailand

Sutida Sattayakorn is a full-time lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Kasetsart University, Thailand. After completing her PhD major in Architecture and Building Engineering in Japan, she continued her research under the Built Environment for Health Research Unit which focuses on well-being of the built environments through inclusive participatory design processes, particularly but not limited to healthcare facilities. Her research interest has drawn deeper into how the physical environment and non-physical systems, such as socio-cultural processes and interactions, support health and well-being to create an inclusive community.

Soranart Sinuraibhan, Kasetsart University, Thailand

Soranart Sinuraibhan is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and the Director of the Built Environment for Health and Well-being Research Unit at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. He received his PhD in architecture from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on architectural design for health and well-being, participatory design, informal places, and the importance of representation in everyday design, focusing on the built environment.

Saithiwa Ramasoot, Kasetsart University, Thailand

Saithiwa Ramasoot is an assistant professor at the Department of Architecture, Kasetsart University, Thailand. She works with the Built Environment for Health and Wellbeing research unit. Her research interests emphasise design for well-being, design theory, adaptive reuse, and the coexistence of old and new architecture.

Supreeya Wungpatcharapon, Kasetsart University, Thailand

Supreeya Wungpacharapon has an MSc in Development and Planning from UCL, United Kingdom and a PhD in Architecture from the University of Sheffield. Supreeya is an assistant professor at Kasetsart University's Department of Architecture and also a licensed Thai architect. Her areas of interest in research have included affordable housing, informal settlements, participatory design, the built environment and health, inclusive design, and urban equality. Supreeya has also contributed to the expansion of the ACHR's network of community architects in Asia and Thailand by building capacity for young architects to work with dwellers in informal settlements.

Karim Hadjri, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Karim Hadjri is a professor at The Sheffield School of Architecture, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. His research is concerned with inclusive and sustainable design of the built environment, housing, and health. This includes addressing the challenges of designing age-friendly environments, as well as enabling environments, particularly for people with dementia.

Isaiah Durosaiye, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Isaiah Durosaiye is a researcher in ageing and the built environment. His research explores how human-environment interactions could support the health and well-being of older people. His work on age-friendly environments applies qualitative methods and post-occupancy evaluation as a tool to understand and improve the built environment for older people.

Junjie Huang, University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Junjie Huang is a Senior Architect and Design Consultant at the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling. He actively contributes to a diverse array of environment audits, design consultancy, research, training, and teaching projects. Junjie is a research fellow in the DesHCA project, co-investigator in the NuroLight project, and core researcher in the Dementia Research Review project, and also serves as a reviewer for a number of academic journals, including Ageing & Society, Health Environment Research and Design, and Journal of Aging and Social Change.

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