"Applied Science, Faculty of"@en . "Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of"@en . "DSpace"@en . "UBCV"@en . "Yamamoto, Tomizo"@en . "2010-01-29T20:13:09Z"@en . "1975"@en . "Master of Architecture - MArch"@en . "University of British Columbia"@en . "The objective of this study is to discern how family needs in housing change through the stages of the family life cycle.\r\nThe Westview Garden Apartments, a townhouse and apartment development in North Vancouver was chosen for conducting this study. For the collection of residents' behavioral data, a number of family member's daily activity log records were obtained through a series of interviews. The data were collected in the period from September 1973 to April 1974, during which time my family and I occupied one of the housing units in this project.\r\nThe family life cycle is divided into eight stages, from arrival of the first baby to the elderly couple. The following activity patterns of a selected number of families in each stage were traced through the analysis of their activity log records; Sleeping, Eating, Housekeeping, Shopping, Children Playing, Evening Sitting, Socializing and Family Recreational Activities. From these activity patterns, together with the residents' opinions about their housing, and adding to this the author's own observation of the daily life in the sample project, the family's needs in each stage were discerned. After that the design of sample housing was examined in detail.\r\nThe findings clearly indicate the variations in family needs affecting their housing requirements through the life cycle.\r\nThe author concludes that the present housing system has difficulty in accommodating changing family needs. Many families are either forced to move or suffer from living in an incongruent residence. To improve this situation, two directions in future family housing are suggested.\r\n1) An adaptable housing system should be developed.\r\nThis can accommodate individual family's special needs and reflect the changing needs in their life cycle. Families should be able to assist in designing, building and altering their own houses without high costs or much skill. The author believes it is possible to produce such housing with advanced technology.\r\n2) The present space distribution for daily family activities in private and public space, must be reconsidered. Many family needs which are now being met within the individual housing unit could be satisfied more satisfactorily in neighbourhood communal spaces. In future urban housing development, there is bound to be a large proportion of multiple dwellings. This demands new ways of communal living.\r\nThe individual, in future housing, must have maximum power to control his own residence and his neighbourhood."@en . "https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/19337?expand=metadata"@en . "THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE AND FAMILY NEEDS IN A HOUSING PROJECT A Case Study of the Westview Garden Apartments, North Vancouver by TOMIZO YAMAMOTO B. Arch, Waseda U n i v e r s i t y , Tokyo, Japan, 1963 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE i n the School of A r c h i t e c t u r e Ve accept t h i s t h e s i s as conforming to the re q u i r e d standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA A p r i l 1975 In presenting t h i s t h e s i s in p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t of the requirements f o r an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, I agree that the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r reference and study. I f u r t h e r agree that permission for extensive copying of t h i s t h e s i s f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by h i s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s . It i s understood that copying or p u b l i c a t i o n of t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l gain s h a l l not be allowed without my w r i t t e n permission. Department of School of A r c h i t e c t u r e The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia Vancouver 8. Canada Date A p r i l 15\u00C2\u00AB 1975. i ABSTRACT The o b j e c t i v e of t h i s study i s t o d i s c e r n how f a m i l y needs i n housing change through the stages of the f a m i l y l i f e c y c l e . The V/estview Garden Apartments, a townhouse and apartment development i n North Vancouver was chosen f o r conducting t h i s study. For the c o l l e c t i o n of r e s i d e n t s ' b e h a v i o r a l d a t a , a number of f a m i l y member's d a i l y a c t i v i t y l o g records were ob-ta i n e d through a s e r i e s of i n t e r v i e w s . The data were c o l l e c t e d i n the p e r i o d from September 1973 t o A p r i l 1974* d u r i n g which time my f a m i l y and I occupied one of the housing u n i t s i n t h i s p r o j e c t . The f a m i l y l i f e c y c l e i s d i v i d e d i n t o e i g h t stages, from a r r i v a l of the f i r s t baby t o the e l d e r l y couple. The f o l l o w i n g a c t i v i t y p a t t e r n s of a s e l e c t e d number of f a m i l i e s i n each stage were tr a c e d through the a n a l y s i s of t h e i r a c t i v i t y l o g r e c o r d s ; S l e e p i n g , E a t i n g , Housekeeping, Shopping, C h i l d r e n P l a y i n g , Evening S i t t i n g , S o c i a l i z i n g and Fami l y R e c r e a t i o n a l A c t i v i t i e s . From these a c t i v i t y p a t t e r n s , together w i t h the r e s i d e n t s ' opinions about t h e i r housing, and adding t o t h i s the author's own observation of the d a i l y l i f e i n the sample p r o j e c t , the f a m i l y ' s needs i n each stage were d i s c e r n e d . A f t e r t h a t the design of sample housing was examined i n d e t a i l . The f i n d i n g s c l e a r l y i n d i c a t e the v a r i a t i o n s i n f a m i l y needs a f f e c t i n g t h e i r housing requirements through the l i f e c y c l e . i i The author concludes t h a t the present housing system has d i f -f i c u l t y i n accommodating changing f a m i l y needs. Many f a m i l i e s are e i t h e r forced to move or s u f f e r from l i v i n g i n an i n c o n -gruent r e s i d e n c e . To improve t h i s s i t u a t i o n , two d i r e c t i o n s i n f u t u r e f a m i l y housing are suggested. 1) An adaptable housing system should \"be developed. T h i s can accommodate i n d i v i d u a l f a m i l y ' s s p e c i a l needs and r e f l e c t the changing needs i n t h e i r l i f e c y c l e . F a m i l i e s should be able t o a s s i s t i n d e s i g n i n g , b u i l d i n g and a l t e r i n g t h e i r own houses without h i g h c o s t s or much s k i l l . The author b e l i e v e s i t i s p o s s i b l e t o produce such housing w i t h advanced technology. 2) The present space d i s t r i b u t i o n f o r d a i l y f a m i l y a c t i v i t i e s i n p r i v a t e and p u b l i c space, must be recon-s i d e r e d . Many f a m i l y needs which are now b e i n g met w i t h i n the i n d i v i d u a l housing u n i t could be s a t i s f i e d more s a t i s f a c t o r i l y i n neighbourhood communal spaces. In f u t u r e urban housing development, there i s bound to be a l a r g e p r o p o r t i o n of m u l t i p l e d w e l l i n g s . This demands new ways of communal l i v i n g . The i n d i v i d u a l , i n f u t u r e housing, must have maximum power to c o n t r o l h i s own residence and h i s neighbourhood. R\u00C2\u00ABseeta?cb A d v i s o r i i i TA3LS OF CONTENTS Page PAST I - INTRODUCTION 1 1. Necessity to Define Family's Needs i n Housing . . . 1 2. Family's Needs i n Housing - Family Variables 5 3. Various Methods to Study Our P h y s i c a l Environments. 11 4. Study Objective, Scope and Method 15 PART I I - THE WESTVISW GARDEN APARTMENT 32 5. Choice of Sample Project 32 6. The S i t e , Residents and F a c i l i t i e s 34-PART I I I - FAMILY LIFE CYCLE A N D FAMILY ACTIVITY PATTERN 68 7. Family A c t i v i t y Pattern Through Stages of Family L i f e Cycle 68 8. Summary of A c t i v i t y Patterns and S p a t i a l Require-ments Through the Family L i f e Cycle 166 PART IV - CONCLUSION 203 9. Adaptable Housing System: I n d i v i d u a l i t y i n Housing 203 10. Neighbourhood F a c i l i t y : Communality i n Housing . . 207 i v Page BIBLIOGRAPHY 214 APPENDIX I - Some Problems and Suggestions on the Research Method 217 APPENDIX II - Interview Questionnaire Form . . . . 223 V LIST OF TABLES \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 Table Page 1. Number of Sample Families by Family L i f e Cycle Stage 31 2a. Parking Space 4-7 2b. Number of Sample Families by Dwelling Type . . 54-3. Intention to Move 61 4 . P u b l i c Transportation 63 5. Location of F a c i l i t i e s of Recreational Centre . 66 6. Hospital and C l i n i c 67 7. Location of Last Residence 171 8. Reason f o r Moving of Families Who Moved Within The Vancouver Area 171 9. Bedroom Size 172 10 . Dining Room Size and Arrangement 175 1 1 . A c t i v i t i e s i n Back Yard 176 12. A c t i v i t i e s i n Front Yard 176 1 3 . Kitchen 179 14. Resident's Likes 18\u00C2\u00B0 v i Table Page 15. Convenience of Shopping 181 16. Location and F a c i l i t i e s of School 182 17. Children's Playground 187 18. Driveway 188 19. Swimming Pool 188 20. L i v i n g Room 192 21. Space Wanted 192 22. Neighbourhood Relations 198 23. What Do You D i s l i k e About L i v i n g Here 199 24. Location of Church \u00E2\u0080\u009E 202 25. A c t i v i t i e s Which Occur i n a Dwelling Unit . . . 209 26. D i s t r i b u t i o n of D a i l y Family A c t i v i t i e s . . . 210 27. Number of Families Interviewed 219 V I 1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure P a S e V. \ 1. Housing Plans 9 2. Sample Activity Log Record Sheets 19-21 3. Family Activity Mapped on Floor Plan 23-30 4. Location Map 35 5. Site Area 36 6. Site Plan 37 7. Pictures 38-43 8. Dwelling Types A, B, C, D 55-58 9. Period of Occupancy 62 10. Sleeping 1 6 7 11. Eating 1 ? 3 12. Occupational Activity (work, housekeeping, school) '77 13. Children's Playing 1 8 3 14. Evening Sitting 1 8 9 15. Social Activity 1 9 3 16. Weekend Activity 2 0 0 v i i i ACENOWLSDGEMENT I would l i k e t o acknowledge my a p p r e c i a t i o n to the many people who helped w i t h t h i s study. P a r t i c u l a r thanks t o P r o f e s s o r Wolfgang Gerson of the School of A r c h i t e c t u r e and to Dr. Henry S. Maas of the School of S o c i a l Work, U.B.C., f o r t h e i r p a t i e n t guidance. To A r c h i t e c t Leon G. D i r a s s a r of D i r a s s a r , James, Jorgenson, David, designer of the sample p r o j e c t , f o r h i s v a l u a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n . To Ann Motozono f o r h e l p i n g me c o r r e c t and type the d r a f t , and to Donna Peaker f o r t y p i n g the t h e s i s . To r e s i d e n t s of the Westview Garden Apartments, whose warm and cooperative a t t i t u d e made t h i s study p o s s i b l e , and made my r e s i d i n g i n the p r o j e c t an enjoyable and rewarding experience. F i n a l l y t o my wife 311a, through whose i n f o r m a l contact w i t h neighbours as mother and w i f e , made v a l u a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n a v a i l a b l e . PART I - INTRODUCTION 1. NECESSITY TO DEFINE FAMILY'S NEEDS IN HOUSING Each person develops h i s pe r s o n a l i t y through i n t e r a c t i o n with h i s environment. A c e r t a i n environment encourages him to develop h i s maximum p o t e n t i a l i t y which might not unfold i n another environment. Man, through h i s b i o l o g i c a l mechanisms, can become adjusted even to conditions that w i l l i n e v i t a b l y destroy the very values of the human being. The f r i g h t e n i n g f a c t i s that the process of adaptation takes place often without man's consciousness. People i n a region of inadequate food supply or extremely hot climate become adjusted to t h e i r environment by l i v i n g l e s s intensely, p h y s i c a l l y and mentally. People i n modern urban areas also have to cope with serious con-d i t i o n s of crowding, p o l l u t i o n , h i ghly regimented s o c i a l structure and a r t i f i c i a l p h y s i c a l environments whose long range e f f e c t s to the human being have not been f u l l y explored. Housing, as man's primary p h y s i c a l environment, rooted i n h i s basic b i o l o g i c a l needs, has great importance f o r the future d i r e c t i o n of human development. In infancy, h i s home i s almost h i s t o t a l environment. As he grows, i t expands to the neighborhood, the c i t y and the world, yet h i s d a i l y l i f e s t a r t s and ends i n h i s home. As R. Dubos, So Human an Animal. 1968. 2 i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i o n has brought the migration of r u r a l populations to c i t i e s , housing i n the urban areas has become an urgent issue almost u n i v e r s a l l y . Numerous new housing projects and r e h a b i l i -t a t i o n of e x i s t i n g housing have been planned. But i n the planning process, we s t a r t to r e a l i z e the r e a l needs of the actual occupants are often not enough r e f l e c t e d i f not completely neglected. Why does t h i s unfortunate s i t u a t i o n happen? F i r s t l y , the present housing system lacks the d i r e c t communication between housing planners or designers and the actual future occu-pants. The occupants' needs are brought to the professionals (housing designers, a r c h i t e c t s and planners) not by themselves, but through housing suppliers (developers and public housing agents). Therefore, the majority of housing today i s b u i l t f o r the assumed occupants' assumed needs. The suppliers and designers have t h e i r own image of people's needs, derived from t h e i r l i m i t e d experience. That i s often not accurate and sometimes completely wrong. This misunderstanding can be corrected by evaluating the completed housing and getting information on how they are used and what c o n f l i c t s are encountered. Unfortunately, such e f f o r t s are r a r e l y seen and accumulated information i s not a v a i l a b l e . Therefore, mistakes are l i k e l y to be r e p l i c a t e d without being aware of i t . Even doctors perform autopsies, but then doctors custo-marily bury t h e i r mistakes, while a r c h i t e c t u r a l and environmental blunders not only remain v i s i b l e but are often replicated.1 Robert Helmrich, \"Behavioral Observations i n an Undersea Habitat,\" from Architecture f o r Human Behavior. 1971. 3 Housing markets get feedback v i a consumer demands. But compared to other consumer goods, houses require a much greater c a p i t a l outlay and have s o c i a l consequences that make i t d i f f i c u l t to change when they do not meet the occupant's needs. Because of t h i s l i m i t e d experience of the consumers, they do not have enough knowledge about what they r e a l l y need i n the long run. Therefore, there i s a l i m i t i n housing market research. Besides, l i k e any other consumer goods, housing suppliers tend to neglect some demands which are r e a l but not eye-catchers of consumers. Secondly, we do not have free choice to obtain the suitable houses because of l i m i t e d resources of housing a v a i l a b l e i n the market and the funds i n the consumer side. Ever expanding suburbias are s t i l l being developed into t r a d i t i o n a l subdivisions. With the c o s t l y consumption of our l i m i t e d resources, land and con-s t r u c t i o n materials, the high standard detached houses are pro-vided bearing the p r i c e which i s beyond the reach of the majority of Canadian f a m i l i e s . Yet, the alternate types of housing cannot meet t h e i r housing needs eithe r i n t h e i r q u a l i t y or i n t h e i r quantity. Therefore many fa m i l i e s are forced to l i v e i n the incongruent r e s i d e n t i a l environment where some fundamental needs of d a i l y l i v e s are often to be s a c r i f i c e d . To improve these shortcomings of the present housing system, the f i r s t step we have to take i s to inform ourselves with more accurate knowledge of what are the r e a l needs of people i n housing. Then, we can consider the a p p l i c a t i o n of those needs t o f u t u r e housing. 5 2. FAMILY'S NEEDS IN HOUSING - FAMILY VARIABLES Family's needs i n housing varies i n the wide range from the basi c physiological requirements (protection from bad weather, sun, fresh a i r , hygienic and energetic services, etc.) to socio-psychological needs (privacy and communication of a family or neighbors, educational and r e c r e a t i o n a l needs). They vary through a time span and geographical l o c a t i o n s . Among contemporary Canadian f a m i l i e s , many needs i n housing vary although some are common, according t o : -1) family structure 2) stage of family l i f e cycle 3) socio-economic status 4) l i f e s t y l e 5) c u l t u r a l background 1) Family Structure The dominant pattern of the contemporary Canadian family structure i s the conjugal nuclear family. But the number of single parent fa m i l i e s i s increasing and the extended f a m i l i e s are also observed. Each family of d i f f e r e n t structure has t h e i r own housing require-ments to meet t h e i r family member's needs. B e l l i n and Kriesberg discovered 40 to 55% more husbandless mothers than regular mothers put a value on f r i e n d l i n e s s i n neighbors. S. B e l l i n and L. Kriesberg, Informal S o c i a l Relations of Fatherless Families, 1965, quoted by V/. Michelson, Man and\" His Urban Environment. 1970. 6 Housing which intends to accommodate fat h e r l e s s f a m i l i e s must r e f l e c t those needs f o r mutual assistance into i t s design. The extended family requires more than an a d d i t i o n a l bedroom f o r a grandparent to accommodate family a c t i v i t i e s of two or three generations. The \"inlaw s u i t e \" i s a housing type generated from a family structure. The number of family members i s another important v a r i a b l e f o r the family's needs i n housing. One of the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the modern family i s i t s small s i z e . The average number of chi l d r e n per Canadian family i s 1.7* However, the number of chi l d r e n v a r i e s and so does each family's needs. Not only more bedrooms but also a la r g e r family s i t t i n g area, dining area and play area are wanted by a family with several c h i l d r e n . 2) Stage of Family L i f e Cycle A family's needs change constantly according to i t s stage i n the l i f e c y c l e . A house which f i t s a family today may not accommodate the same family a f t e r f i v e years. Families i n d i f f e r e n t stages of the l i f e cycle have d i f f e r e n t needs that may c o n f l i c t with each other. A r e t i r e d couple whose c h i l d r e n have l e f t home may have d i f f i c u l t y l i v i n g i n a neighborhood of f a m i l i e s with young ch i l d r e n . 1971 Census of Canada 3) Socio-Economic Status Upper, upper middle, lower middle and lower class f a m i l i e s have d i f f e r e n t needs i n t h e i r housing according to the d i f f e r e n t ways of l i f e . An upper class family requires a larger dining room for t h e i r s o c i a l gatherings which i s an unnecessary burden to maintain f o r a lower middle class family. A labourer who wants a physical r e s t at home requires a simple house plan with a cosy s i t t i n g area f o r the evening while a computer s c i e n t i s t may want v i s u a l v a r i a t i o n s i n h i s household spaces to rest h i s b r a i n or a space f o r physical exercise a f t e r h i s mental work. 4 ) L i f e Style Within the same socio-economic c l a s s many fa m i l i e s have d i f f e r e n t ways of l i f e . Wendell B e l l explains the l i f e s t y l e s , \"familism,\" \"careerism,\" \"consumership pattern\" and the growth of the suburbs as the r e s u l t of an emphasis on \"familism.\" A family of \"careerism\" put a high value to a house on the close lo c a t i o n to the working place. Families with active s o c i a l a c t i v i t i e s also show the d i f f e r e n t preference pattern against t h e i r housing type from non-social-type f a m i l i e s . Increasing l e i s u r e time i s going to b r i n g wider v a r i e t i e s of the family l i f e s t y l e s and the various types of housing must be avail a b l e to meet the d i f f e r e n t housing needs. W. B e l l , \"The C i t y , the Suburb and a Theory of S o c i a l Choice,\" S. Geer et a l . The New Urbanization, 1968 from W. Michelson, The Theoretical Status and Operational Usage of L i f e 8 New inventions of household mechanism also a f f e c t the family l i f e s t y l e . Modern e l e c t r i c kitchen appliances made Frank Lloyd Wright's open house plan acceptable, which brought a new family l i f e s t y l e , e s p e c i a l l y a change i n the housewife's p o s i t i o n i n 1 ; the family. 5) C u l t u r a l Background People of each country have a unique way of l i f e , developed through a long t r a d i t i o n f i t to t h e i r country's n a t u r a l condition. This t r a d i t i o n a l l i f e s t y l e i s often c a r r i e d on even a f t e r f a m i l i e s migrate to a d i f f e r e n t country. John Z e i s e l lays out three d i f f e r e n t apartment plans suitable to each l i f e s t y l e of Puerto Rican working f a m i l i e s , middle c l a s s p white f a m i l i e s and black f a m i l i e s i n the U.S.A. The l i v i n g room of middle c l a s s white f a m i l i e s i s the symbol of the major s o c i -a b i l i t y and the open kitchen allows wives i n the kitchen to j o i n the s o c i a l a c t i v i t i e s taking place i n the l i v i n g room. The entrance can be d i r e c t l y open to the l i v i n g room. (Figure 1-A) Working class Puerto Rican mothers spend much time i n the kitchen where the f a m i l i e s also eat. The l i v i n g room i s a reserved space to r e l a x away from the kitchen and f o r s p e c i a l occasions. (Figure 1-B) D.E. Smith, \"Household Space and Family Organization,\" P a c i f i c S o c i o l o g i c a l Review, January 1971* p J . Z e i s e l , \"Fundamental Values i n Planning With the Non-Paying C l i e n t , \" from Architecture f o r Human Behavior, 1971. 9 Figure 1 10 Southern black f a m i l i e s s t i l l keep t h e i r t r a d i t i o n , the dining room separate from the kitchen, which originated because of the cooking of spicy and smelly foods. (Figure 1-G) In a young country l i k e Canada, where people of various c u l t u r a l backgrounds co-exist, d i f f e r e n t needs of various f a m i l i e s must be considered i n t h e i r housing design. The needs also vary according to whose needs they are. Individual family members' needs sometimes c o n f l i c t with other family members. Many family needs are not always f u l f i l l e d i n the i n d i v i d u a l housing unit but are solved only at the neighbourhood l e v e l or even at a larger community l e v e l . I f we do not approach broadly scoped and complicated f a m i l i e s ' needs i n housing through a l l those v a r i a b l e s , the r e a l needs of people cannot be f u l l y r e a l i z e d and the housing which meets various f a m i l i e s ' needs cannot be achieved. 11 3. VARIOUS METHODS TO STUDY OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS Various studies have been done to evaluate man-made environments. Two d i f f e r e n t approaches are used f o r those researches. One i s the evaluation of the environments by the occupants' (users') opinions, and the other i s the observation of t h e i r behavior i n a c e r t a i n environment. In the housing f i e l d , the former data i s c o l l e c t e d through the resident's opinion surveys. The d i r e c t information of actual occupants' s a t i s f a c t i o n , d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n or l i k e s - d i s l i k e s i s a popular and strong t o o l to evaluate t h e i r housing. But there are some shortcomings to be considered to handle the data. F i r s t l y , t h e i r evaluation i s based on t h e i r l i m i t e d experience i n t h e i r former residences. Each respondent has a d i f f e r e n t scale f o r t h e i r evaluation. Two f a m i l i e s have moved i n t o the same townhouse un i t s , one from the h i g h r i s e apartment and the other from the detached house. Their evaluations of the new townhouse unit are based on a d i f f e r e n t standard. Secondly, the complicated nature of the environmental e f f e c t s creates the d i f f i c u l t y i n d e f i n i n g i t s c l e a r cause-result r e l a t i o n s . The residents are not always f u l l y aware of r e a l causes of t h e i r l i k e s (or d i s l i k e s ) . D a i l y p h y s i c a l environments often e f f e c t people without t h e i r recognition. A family l i v i n g near the a i r p o r t says that the noise does not bother them a f t e r a while. But the record of b r a i n waves during t h e i r sleep shows c l e a r l y the disturbance of t h e i r sleep beyond the l e v e l of t h e i r consciousness. 12 I f those shortcomings can be covered by the c a r e f u l handling of the questionnaire, the resident's opinions give us valuable data fo r the assessment of housing. The other data, the objective behavioral data i s s t a r t i n g to be used i n a r c h i t e c t u r a l research. Direct observations of human behavior i n c e r t a i n b u i l d i n g types have been done, but the intense study of everyday a c t i v i t i e s within the dwelling u n i t i s r a r e l y seen. Only on such occasions when ar c h i t e c t s are asked to design a custom-built house, might they study a family's d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s i n d e t a i l . In housing research, the private nature of family l i f e sets up a high b a r r i e r f o r researchers and l i m i t s c e r t a i n research methods that are u s e f u l f o r behavioral data c o l l e c t i o n i n other f i e l d s . Direct observation i s commonly used by behavioral s c i e n t i s t s . I t i s r e l a t i v e l y easy to c o l l e c t data i n the laboratory but the observation of a person's continuous a c t i v i t i e s i n h i s actual d a i l y l i f e i s much more d i f f i c u l t . A boy's behavioral record f o r 15 days by R. Barker may be one of the most complete written docu-ments of human behaviors related to h i s environment. The enormous e f f o r t s of the research crew can be imagined. This d i r e c t observation method cannot be used to record the family l i f e within the dwelling u n i t f o r the v i o l a t i o n of t h e i r privacy, V. P r e i s e r , \"The Use of Ethnological Method i n Environmental Analysis,\" EDRA 3, 1972. A.H. Esser et a l \" T e r r i t o r i a l i t y of Patients on a Research Ward,\" from H.M. Prochansky et a l Environ-mental Psychology, 1970. 2R. Barker, One Boy's Day, 1951. but i t i s us e f u l f o r the a c t i v i t i e s i n the public space around t h e i r u n i t . P a r t i c i p a n t observation gives us more det a i l e d data, though i t 1 2 i s a time-consuming research method. H. Gans and Oscar Lewis made f u l l use of t h i s t o o l to c o l l e c t data of complicated human inte r a c t i o n s i n urban communities and Mexican f a m i l i e s that could not be obtained by any other method. For housing research, u s e f u l information about neighborhood s o c i a l i n t e r a c t i o n s may be c o l l e c t e d by t h i s method. Instead of man's observation, audio-visual machines can be used to record the accurate data of human behavior. Because of such machines' l i m i t e d m o b i l i t y and high running costs, t h i s method i s suited to intense studies of human behavior i n a l i m i t e d time and 5 space such as R. Helmrich's study of an undersea habitat. For the study of d a i l y family l i f e at home, i t i s d i f f i c u l t to apply t h i s method because of the family's privacy as well as i t s cost. The behavioral record of d a i l y l i f e described by the family i t s e l f gives us s a t i s f a c t o r y data f o r the study of housing spaces. Per-sonal d i a r i e s ( f a m i l i e s are asked to record t h e i r d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s ) i s a heavy burden f o r the respondents and t h e i r cooperation may be H. Gans, The Urban V i l l a g e r s , 1962. The Levittowners, 1967. C Oscar Lewis, Five Families, 1959. Halmrich, I b i d . 1 4 d i f f i c u l t to obtain. A high r e f u s a l rate i s l i k e l y . 1 The family's a c t i v i t y time budget described by Chapin and Michelson i s more suited to c o l l e c t i n g reasonably d e t a i l e d data, as well as a c e r t a i n quantity of data, For those reasons, a c t i v i t y log records supplemented by the author's p a r t i c i p a n t observation are used i n t h i s research f o r the c o l l e c t i o n of residents' objective behavioral data. Residents' evaluation of t h e i r housing and the behavioral data of t h e i r d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s together form more complete information to define a family's needs i n housing. F . S . Chapin, Urban Land Use Planning. V. Michelson, Man and His Urban Environment, 1 9 7 0 . 4-. STUDY OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND METHOD This i s a methodological study to t e s t the a p p l i c a t i o n of the resident's behavioral data } \" A c t i v i t y Log Records,\" to define the family's needs i n housing. From the various family v a r i a b l e s described i n Section I I , how the Family L i f e Cycle induces d i f f e r e n t family a c t i v i t y patterns and how the sample housing accommodates various family's needs are examined. A Family Variable - Stage of Family L i f e Cycle Each family grows through the years i n i t s own p a r t i c u l a r way. The problem of d i v i d i n g the family l i f e cycle into a number of stages i s that f a m i l i e s are so varied i n t h e i r structure and grow-ing pace. In r e a l i t y , there are no c l e a r d i v i s i o n s from one stage to the next, although each family goes through various stages. A family takes form u s u a l l y i n marriage. A couple, husband and wife, may keep a s i m i l a r l i f e s t y l e to the one they had before marriage. A s i g n i f i c a n t difference i n t h e i r d a i l y l i f e i s brought with the coming of t h e i r f i r s t baby. As successive c h i l d r e n are born, not only does the number of family members increase, but a reorganization of family l i f e occurs. Parents grow older as c h i l d r e n grow and a constant adjustment i n each family member's d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s i s required to f u l f i l t h e i r changing needs and d e s i r e s . A family s t a r t s to contract as 16 children leave home one by one to pursue t h e i r own independent l i v e s . Then aging parents again l i v e together as a p a i r . Dividing a family l i f e cycle i n t o a c e r t a i n number of stages i s more d i f f i c u l t than d i v i d i n g a person's l i f e c y c l e . Various ways of d i v i s i o n are considered according to the research subject. Duvall i n h i s \"Family Development - 1962\" divides the family l i f e cycle into 8 stages based on the oldest c h i l d ' s phase of growth; 1) Beginning Families (married couple without children) 2) C h i l d Bearing Families (oldest c h i l d b i r t h to 30 months) 3) Families with Pre-school Children (oldest c h i l d 2)4 to 6 years) 4) Families with School Children (oldest c h i l d 6 to 13 years) 5) Families with Teenagers (oldest c h i l d 13 to 20 years) 6) Families as Launching Centres ( f i r s t c h i l d gone, to l a s t c h i l d ' s leaving home) 7) Families i n the Middle Years (empty nest to retirement) 8) Aging Families (retirement to death of one or both spouses) In t h i s study, each family member's a c t i v i t i e s are being focussed; the d i v i s i o n i s based on the youngest c h i l d ' s development stages. Family a c t i v i t i e s ( e s p e c i a l l y mother's) are supposed to be more c l o s e l y r e l a t e d to the youngest c h i l d ' s development stages. The f i r s t stage, b i r t h to 30 months, i s divided into two stages, J . Lansing and L.D. Kish, \"Family L i f e Cycle as an Independent Variable,\" American S o c i o l o g i c a l Review, Vol. 22, 1957. 17 infancy ( b i r t h to 18 months) and toddlerhood (1)4 to 3 years), because of a s i g n i f i c a n t d ifference i n t h e i r p h y s i c a l a b i l i t i e s . Infant, toddler, pre-school c h i l d r e n , school c h i l d r e n , adolescents and young adults seem to be more suitable d i v i s i o n s f o r observing a person's a c t i v i t y patterns through l i f e c y c l e . In t h i s study, a f t e r those modifications to Duvall's eight stages, the family l i f e cycle i s divided i n t o the following 9 stages; Stage 0 Married couple without c h i l d r e n Stage I Youngest c h i l d , b i r t h to 18 months (in f a n t ) Stage II Youngest c h i l d , 1)4 to 3 years (toddler) Stage I I I Youngest c h i l d , 3 to 6 years (pre-school c h i l d ) Stage IV Youngest c h i l d , 6 to 12 years (school children) Stage V Youngest c h i l d , 12 to 18 years (adolescent) Stage VI Youngest c h i l d , over 18 years to leaving home (young adults) Stage VII Married couple a f t e r c h i l d r e n leave home Stage VIII Retirement to death of one or both spouses A c t i v i t y Log Record - C o l l e c t i o n of Data Family members' a c t i v i t y log records were c o l l e c t e d through the respondents' descriptions i n a ser i e s of interviews. (See Sample Record Sheets) No l i s t of a c t i v i t i e s was previously given f o r the reference. The respondent was simply asked to describe h i s d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s f o r a weekly period i n as much d e t a i l as possible. He u s u a l l y described one t y p i c a l weekday's a c t i v i t i e s from morning to night and gave the alternate a c t i v i t i e s f o r the other weekdays. 18 Weekend activ i t i e s on Saturday and Sunday were described separately. A clear difference i n act i v i t y ;vas mostly observed between these two days. Many respondents found i t d i f f i c u l t to r e c a l l daily routine a c t i v i t i e s i n time budget. To collect data with the same density, I had to often interrupt the respondent's description, which tended to be too sketchy. Even so, the continuous description of whole ac t i v i t i e s i n a day enabled me to visualize the complete daily l i f e of each family. For the effective collection of a large quantity of data, each activity's time and spatial distribution may be asked for separately. The main interview respondents were mothers who were at home most of the day. Since this study concerns a c t i v i t i e s i n the unit and the neighborhood, husbands' and older children's daytime a c t i v i t i e s outside of the sample area were not obtained. If this information i s necessary, each family member should be interviewed. what do-jx'd Z . : c o \ f\u00C2\u00A3?:''Lf?_ where ir'i.tb V7h.cm alteriaatti 19 -Or-A * \u00C2\u00AB\u00E2\u0080\u00A2\u00C2\u00BB\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00C2\u00ABM w\u00C2\u00BB \u00C2\u00BB**\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 p*\" HI ______ I \u00E2\u0080\u0094 \ \u00C2\u00A3 v ^ i 7~/\u00C2\u00B0 F i g u r e 2-a Sample A c t i v i t y Log Record Sheet 1. T L ' d S what do.i.nc; where w i t h whom alternate 20 1 r 9 . ^ / y z ^ =r=3L r ^ i U . Figure 2-b Sample Activity Log Record Sheet 2 21 I i , T V CLTO&h < S \" \" T T I J V l ^ C ^ U . - - i \u00E2\u0080\u0094 A ' cs^u^< -te Figure 2-c Sample A c t i v i t y Log Record Sheet 3 22 A c t i v i t y Pattern - Analysis of Data A c t i v i t y log records of each sample family are f i r s t mapped on the f l o o r plan of t h e i r u n i t . The sp a c i a l d i s t r i b u t i o n of each t a c t i v i t y such as sleeping, eating, etc. i s shown separately with i t s time duration and members involved i n the a c t i v i t y . (See Figure 3) Each family's a c t i v i t i e s mapped on the f l o o r plan are then ana-l i z e d according to t h e i r stage of the family l i f e cycle and a c t i v i t y patterns of each stage are generalized. Thus, the family's needs i n housing are defined i n i t s r e a l state, constantly chang-ing forms rather than permanent ones. Then the sample housing i s evaluated by seeing the f i t between various f a m i l i e s ' needs generated from those family a c t i v i t y patterns and the space pro-vided. Both the resident's own assessment of the space and the author's p a r t i c i p a n t observation are the sources t h i s evaluation i s based on. 23 I i ) i 1 , \ 1 \": i IL \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 i i ! i ! ii \u00E2\u0080\u0094\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 i j! I t U i i1 ' ii o i \u00E2\u0080\u0094 i ! I S-eptrwt* bedrock \"He's * Figure 3-a Family A c t i v i t y Mapped on Floor Plan - 1 24 25 II 1 i \u00E2\u0080\u0094 i i o l.i i * i J ! f' V 5 i q p l W, I I <2> Figure 3-c Family A c t i v i t y Mapped on F l o o r P l a n - 3 26 Figure 3-d Family A c t i v i t y Mapped on F l o o r P l a n - 4 27 28 yrxoY*. space Figure 3-f Family Activity Mapped on Floor Plan O - 6 29 i i Figure 3-g Family Activity Mapped on Floor Plan - 7 30 ! i i! n (! fAPTf Figure 3-h Family A c t i v i t y Mapped on Floor Plan - 8 31 Number of Sample F a m i l i e s T o t a l number of f a m i l i e s i n t e r v i e w e d i s 2 3 - C o l l e c t i o n of data from 3 to 5 sample f a m i l i e s i n each stage had been planned but due to the l i m i t e d number of f a m i l i e s i n l a t e r stages i n the sample p r o j e c t , the expected number of samples was not obtained. TABLE 1 - Number of Sample F a m i l i e s by Family L i f e Cycle Stage Stage 0 I I I I I I I V V V I V I I V I I I T o t a l 0 4 3 3 6 2 1 2 2 2 3 No f a m i l y i n Stage 0 (young married couples without c h i l d r e n ) was observed i n the sample p r o j e c t . PART I I - THE VESTVIEV GARDEN APARTMENT 5. CHOICE OF SAMPLE PROJECT The Westview Garden Apartments were chosen as a sample p r o j e c t f o r t h i s study f o r the f o l l o w i n g reasons: 1. The p r o j e c t i s f o r f a m i l y accommodation and c o n s i s t s of two d i f f e r e n t t y p e s , two bedroom apartment u n i t s and three bedroom townhouse u n i t s , which enable i t to accommodate v a r i o u s kinds of f a m i l i e s . In f a c t , f a m i l i e s i n a l l stages of t h e i r l i f e c y c l e could be observed i n the sample p r o j e c t except young married couples without c h i l d r e n . 2. The s i z e of the p r o j e c t , t o t a l 178 u n i t s , i s l a r g e enough to o b t a i n a v a r i a t i o n i n f a m i l i e s , yet s m a l l enough t o evaluate the whole p r o j e c t as a homogeneous l i v i n g e n v i r o n -ment. 3. The p r o j e c t has been i n e x i s t e n c e f o r ten y e a r s , a p e r i o d long enough t o observe the adjustments t o the o r i g i n a l design as w e l l as adjustments i n r e s i d e n t s ' way of l i f e . 4-. Since b a s i c a l l y the same d w e l l i n g u n i t s are used through-out the p r o j e c t , each f a m i l y ' s d i f f e r e n t response to t h e i r housing environment could be c l e a r l y observed. 5. In f u t u r e housing development i n c i t i e s , there i s bound to be a l a r g e r p r o p o r t i o n of m u l t i p l e d w e l l i n g s due to e c o l o g i c a l and economic reasons. The f a c t u a l data about 33 f a m i l y l i f e i n townhouses and apartments i s needed today f o r b e t t e r f a m i l y housing. However, there are a l s o l i m i t a t i o n s i n data c o l l e c t i o n caused by the sample p r o j e c t . Since the sample u n i t s are a l l r e n t a l accommo-d a t i o n s , the p e r i o d of occupancy i s s h o r t . The average occupancy i s l e s s than two years and many f a m i l i e s have moved i n l e s s than a year ago. Even a f t e r f o u r or f i v e years' s t a y , many f a m i l i e s s t i l l t h i n k of the townhouse/apartment as a temporary r e s i d e n c e . A l s o , because they are r e n t i n g accommodation, f a m i l i e s are not able to change d w e l l i n g u n i t s according to t h e i r needs. Therefore, the data i s a v a i l a b l e o n l y f o r the f a m i l y ' s adjustments t o t h e i r own re s i d e n c e . A minimum of changes t o the d w e l l i n g u n i t s them-se l v e s were observed. 3 4 6. THE SITE, RESIDENTS AND FACILITIES L o c a t i o n The Westview Garden Apartments are l o c a t e d i n the C i t y of North Vancouver which i s connected to the C i t y of Vancouver by two bri d g e s over the Burrard I n l e t . The C i t y ' s c e n t r a l , i n d u s t r i a l and commercial areas as w e l l as the r e c r e a t i o n a l spots are e a s i l y a c c e s s i b l e from t h i s s i t e . Downtown Vancouver i s 6 . 5 m i l e s away and i t takes twenty to t h i r t y minutes t o d r i v e down. The C i t y of North Vancouver has i t s own c e n t r a l business area which i s one and a h a l f m i l e s away. The s i t e i s adjacent t o a l o c a l shopping centre on i t s south s i d e . The sample p r o j e c t and the shopping centre were developed together by the same developer i n 1 9 6 4 . An a r t e r i a l road, Upper L e v e l s Highway, connects the area t o the C i t y of North Vancouver. Two garden apartment developments of s i m i l a r type are at i t s north and west s i d e s , and there i s another townhouse development on the opposite s i d e of the s t r e e t , Westview D r i v e . T h i s s t r e e t runs i n a north-south d i r e c t i o n and has a busy f l o w of t r a f f i c . A creek runs along the east border of the s i t e . Over i t s w e l l - t r e e d banks i s a park w i t h walkways and s p o r t s c o u r t s . The area i s surrounded by middle and upper-middle c l a s s detached houses. F a c i n g n o r t h there i s a panoramic view of mountains. tft>tt#5 V ~1 \" S T Y &euwaW Figure 5 - S i t e Area 39 Figure 7 - (e) Landscaped Courtyard 40 Figure 7 - (g) Playground at South East Corner of the S i t e Figure 7 - (h) Walkway to Entrance Gate Figure 7 - ( i ) Townhouse Entrance Figure 7 ( j ) Covered Carports and Open Guest P a r k i n g Figure 7 - (k) Front Yard of Townhouse U n i t Figure 7 - (1) Landscaped Courtyard Between Townhouse Blocks Figure 7 - (m) Backyard of Townhouse U n i t Facing Creek Figure 7 - (n) 3 Storey Apartment - Entrance Figure 7 - (o) 3 Storey Apartment - Balcony and Terrace Facing P u b l i c Backyard 4 4 S i t e P l a n The s i t e area of the Westview Garden Apartments i s 9\u00C2\u00AB5 acres and contains 178 d w e l l i n g u n i t s . Despite i t s r e l a t i v e l y h i g h d e n s i t y , 18.8 u n i t s per acre, the t o t a l design of the p r o j e c t s u c c e s s f u l l y avoids the overcrowded atmosphere. The a r c h i t e c t s ' i n t e n t i o n t o reduce the appearance of b u i l d i n g volumes to a minimum i s w e l l achieved by the landscaping, e s p e c i a l l y since the t r e e s have grown to good s i z e s i n the t e n years s i n c e b u i l d i n g completion. Cuter u n i t s are l a i d out along p r o p e r t y l i n e s t o take advantage of the s i t e which i s surrounded by open spaces. Inner u n i t s are arranged to shape a s e r i e s of s m a l l c o u r t y a r d s . Along the creek bank t o the west of the s i t e , there are open spaces of 2 0 t o 4 0 f o o t width from the backyards to the fence. T h i s p a r t does not belong t o the apartment s i t e but i s maintained by a manager of the Westview Garden Apartments and used as extensions of the backyards. Presidents i n the u n i t s along t h i s creek can enjoy the open space at back as w e l l as view the many t a l l evergreens on the opposite s i d e of the creek. A sewer easement to the n o r t h of the s i t e i s used p a r t i a l l y as a c h i l d r e n ' s playground and the r e s t i s l e f t undeveloped. Although townhouse u n i t s do not d i r e c t l y face t h i s playground, r e s i d e n t s complain about the n o i s e from the p l a y area. To the south, u n i t s are f a c i n g a shopping centre's s e r v i c e yards which have a grade 6 f e e t lower than the backyards of the townhouses. 45 This d i f f e r e n c e i n l e v e l s and landscaped banks allows r e s i d e n t s s u f f i c i e n t p r i v a c y . F a m i l i e s i n b l o c k s along the s t r e e t t o the east of the s i t e s u f f e r most from the noise of busy t r a f f i c f l o w . There i s a minimum setback of 12 f e e t and 6 inches from the s t r e e t , and a sidewalk i n f r o n t i s o n l y 6 f e e t wide. Access t o a u n i t i s not p l e a s a n t , e s p e c i a l l y on r a i n y days. Residents of i n n e r u n i t s around courtyards expressed high s a t i s -f a c t i o n , w i t h the exception of f a m i l i e s who l i v e c l o s e t o the swimming po o l who complained about noi s e d u r i n g the summer season. A swimming p o o l i s i n the centre of the s i t e , and an o f f i c e and s e r v i c e b u i l d i n g are adjacent t o the swimming p o o l . The r e s i d e n t manager suggested those s e r v i c e f a c i l i t i e s could have been l o c a t e d at the s t r e e t s i d e where f a m i l i e s i n townhouse u n i t s are now bothered by the t r a f f i c n o i s e . Driveway and Sidewalk: There are two access roads i n the V/estview Garden Apartments; one loop driveway and one short dead-end driveway. Both roads are connected t o the c i t y s t r e e t , Westview D r i v e ; and the loop d r i v e -way i s a l s o connected t o the a d j o i n i n g shopping centre at the south west corner of the s i t e . The driveway i s 25 f e e t wide and has a sidewalk f o u r f e e t wide on one s i d e . The driveways are designed t o have many bends to reduce the d r i v i n g speed as w e l l as to avoid the monotonous appearance of the long 46 s t r a i g h t s t r e e t . Speed c o n t r o l bumps have been added on the driveway si n c e the bends alone were not s u f f i c i e n t to reduce the d r i v i n g speed. Although there are sidewalks beside the driveway, people u s u a l l y walk on the driveway. The driveway serves only the people i n the sample area, so the t r a f f i c f l o w i s minimum and the sidewalks seem to be used only when they are the s h o r t e s t route to the p e d e s t r i a n s ' d e s t i n a t i o n . P a r k i n g Space: One covered ca r p o r t per f a m i l y and a t o t a l of 38 open guest park-i n g spaces are provided i n the s i t e . They are l o c a t e d along the driveway and are u s u a l l y i n f r o n t of the b u i l d i n g s . This l a y o u t has the advantage of a l l o w i n g the minimum d i s t a n c e between the p a r k i n g space and the entrance door to the u n i t . The l i n e a r p a r k i n g spaces a l s o work as a b u f f e r zone between d w e l l i n g u n i t s and p u b l i c roadways. This screening f u n c t i o n i s important t o p r o t e c t the entrance and the f r o n t yard of d w e l l i n g u n i t s from the d i r e c t exposure to the p u b l i c roadway, e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e the b u i l d -i n g setback from the roadway i s minimum (12 f e e t 6 i n c h e s ) . P a r k i n g i n Westview Garden Apartments i s a problem most f a m i l i e s complain about. Only three out of 22 sample f a m i l i e s t h i n k the present p a r k i n g spaces are adequate f a c i l i t i e s . The f i r s t complaint i s the shortage of p a r k i n g spaces which i s c i t e d by 14 f a m i l i e s . Almost every f a m i l y owns a car and many f a m i l i e s have two c a r s . One f a m i l y i n a townhouse u n i t even keeps f o u r c a r s , one f o r each 47 f a m i l y member. Consequently, spaces f o r the guest parking are always f i l l e d by the cars of r e s i d e n t s . V i s i t o r s have a hard time f i n d i n g a space w i t h i n the sample area and q u i t e o f t e n have to park i n the p a r k i n g area of the adjacent shopping c e n t r e . The next complaint i s the narrowness of each p a r k i n g space which i s mentioned by s i x f a m i l i e s . A p a r k i n g space i s e i g h t f e e t wide and has two s t e e l posts on one s i d e . The present d i s t a n c e from the p a r k i n g space t o the entrance door of the u n i t i s accepted by the m a j o r i t y of sample f a m i l i e s . Three f a m i l i e s who have p a r k i n g spaces i n f r o n t of t h e i r u n i t s have to use the f u r t h e r spaces,100 to 150 f e e t a p a r t , due t o the o v e r a l l arrangement of p a r k i n g spaces. A three s t o r e y apartment bl o c k needs more spaces f o r p a r k i n g than i t s b u i l d i n g f r o n t a g e . The manager of the Westview Garden Apartments complains about the damage done to the cars i n c a r p o r t s while c h i l d r e n are p l a y i n g around the p a r k i n g space. TABLE 2a - P a r k i n g Space (N = 22) F a i r 3 Poor 19 Not enough spaces 14 Too narrow 6 Too f a r 3 48 Courtyard: The courtyards surrounded by apartment and townhouse b l o c k s are w e l l landscaped w i t h many t r e e s and shrubs around the a r t i f i c i a l ponds. They are g e n e r a l l y w e l l kept p a r t i a l l y due t o the manager's s t r i c t ban against c h i l d r e n p l a y i n g i n the c o u r t y a r d s . Only t o d d l e r s are seen o c c a s i o n a l l y p l a y i n g i n the s m a l l courtyard i n the n o r t h end of the s i t e which i s f a r from the manager's s i g h t . The courtyards are enclosed by a 6-foot fence and have access gates from the driveway. The fence and gates discourage people from passing through except those who l i v e i n the u n i t s f a c i n g the co u r t y a r d , although there i s a passage through the c o u r t y a r d . The passage i t s e l f i s designed to have a minimum w i d t h , sometimes c o n s i s t i n g j u s t of stepping stones. Few people other than c h i l d r e n are seen w a l k i n g through the c o u r t y a r d . Most f a m i l i e s enjoy the view of the yard from t h e i r backyard or l i v i n g room r a t h e r than a c t u a l l y u s i n g i t . The d i s t a n c e between two f a c i n g b l o c k s i s seventy f e e t at the c l o s e s t p o i n t w i t h f u r t h e r setback at every 2 to 3 u n i t s . Trees and shrubs have grown t o good s i z e s i n the t e n years since the Vestview Garden Apartments' completion and give a good v i s u a l e f f e c t f o r the p r i v a c y of r e s i d e n t s . The landscaped courtyards are one of the r e s i d e n t s ' \" l i k e s \" and the managers have made good e f f o r t s to maintain them. 4 9 Childrens 1 Play Area: In the sample project, there are two childrens* playgrounds which are b u i l t outside of the Westview Garden Apartment property. One i s on the c i t y sewage easement on the north of the s i t e and the other i s i n the shopping centre property on the southeast corner of the s i t e . The l a t t e r had been larger i n the o r i g i n a l scheme but when the medical b u i l d i n g was erected, the s i z e of the play-ground was cut down. Both playgrounds were developed as parts of the sample project. Play f a c i l i t i e s such as swings, jungle-jim and see-saws have been supplied and maintained by the Westview Garden Apartments. The playground on the north of the s i t e i s approximately 60 feet wide by 120 feet long and p a r t i a l l y paved with concrete. The smaller playground i s 60 feet by 60 feet and the whole area i s paved and fenced around. The landscaping and maintenance of the play areas seems to be poor compared to the courtyards. The swings are often tangled up high beyond younger childrens' reach, by the older children,and there are water pools under the see-saws. Children are more often seen playing on the driveway than i n the playgrounds. In the smaller playground, e s p e c i a l l y , c h i l d r e n are scarcely seen. This i s due to the l o c a t i o n of the playground as well as the unattractive landscaping and the poor maintenance. Both are located out of the residents' sight to get maximum use of property for dwelling units and also to avoid the noise problem from the 50 playgrounds. Due to t h i s remote l o c a t i o n , not o n l y the noise but c h i l d r e n s ' p l a y i n g i t s e l f seems to be cut down. Swimming P o o l : Many sample f a m i l i e s ' e x p r e s s e d the s t r o n g \" l i k e \" f o r the outdoor swimming p o o l on the s i t e . The swimming pool i s l o c a t e d i n the centre of the s i t e and i s w e l l appreciated through the summer season by both c h i l d r e n and a d u l t s . The deck c h a i r s are u s u a l l y f u l l y occupied,with a d u l t s having p r i o r i t y on t h i s s e a t i n g . A l i f e - g u a r d i s h i r e d through the season and, from the management p o i n t of view, the swimming p o o l i s one of the f a c i l i t i e s which needs the most maintenance. Besides the swimming p o o l there i s an o f f i c e and s e r v i c e b u i l d i n g . There a l s o used t o be a cabana which was converted i n t o the work-shop and storage f o r b u i l d i n g maintenance. The cabana was used f o r p r i v a t e p a r t i e s by the r e s i d e n t s i n the sample p r o j e c t but due to the shortage i n the maintenance storage and the d i f f i c u l t y i n c l e a n i n g the place a f t e r use, the f r o n t p a r t i s now used as a common s i t t i n g area,which i s h a r d l y used, and the r e s t i s used f o r the workshop. Front Yard: Every townhouse u n i t has a paved f r o n t yard 12 f e e t 6 inches wide and 16 f e e t deep, which i s enclosed by the wooden fence. The height of the fence was f o u r f e e t s i x inches at the o r i g i n a l d e s i g n , but soon a f t e r i t s completion, another foot was added. The 51 residents complained about the lack of privacy i n t h e i r family room which i s facing the public sidewalk through the front yard. A garbage can and storage shed are b u i l t to form a p a r t i t i o n between the adjoining u n i t s . The entrance gate i s lower than the fence (3 feet, 6 inches high), so people can see over the gate inside of the fence. This opening above the gate has an important function f o r the i n c i d e n t a l s o c i a l i z i n g between neighbours (see Part I I - S o c i a l A c t i v i t y ) . Mothers on the way to t h e i r shopping stop at the gate to have a l i t t l e chat with the neighbour who i s i n the front yard or i n the family room. Sometimes they exchange just greetings and at other times t h e i r conversation continues f o r hours i n the neighbour's family room with coffee and cake. This opening does not seem to bother the majority of the sample f a m i l i e s . Only one sample family complained about the lack of privacy i n the front yard. The gate i s three feet wide and people passing by the sidewalk cannot have more than a momentary look at the inside unless they stop at the gate. This combination of the fence ( f i v e feet s i x inches wide) and the gate (three feet s i x inches), works well to give s u f f i c i e n t privacy to the resident and at the same time to provide f o r the openness which i s e f f e c t i v e f o r neighbourhood s o c i a l i z i n g . Childrens' playing and families* outdoor eating are two popular a c t i v i t i e s due to the a c c e s s i b i l i t y from the family room. The front yard i s also the place to store bulky goods l i k e b i c y c l e s , 52 t r i c y c l e s , sleighs and a goalie net for street hockey. One family has a metal pre-fabricated storage uni t i n the front yard. Backyard: The backyard of each townhouse u n i t i s 20 feet wide and 12 feet deep and paved with concrete. The yard i s p a r t i a l l y enclosed by a wooden fence and the re s t i s open to the public landscaped garden. Some diffe r e n c e i s observed between a c t i v i t i e s i n the front yard and ones i n the backyard. Outdoor s i t t i n g i s the most popular a c t i v i t y observed i n the backyard. Garbage Can Storage: Each townhouse unit has i t s own covered space f o r a garbage can i n the front yard. For the apartment u n i t s , a communal garbage can storage i s provided f o r every two to three u n i t s . In the o r i g i n a l design, a larger communal garbage can space was provided besides the carport serving more f a m i l i e s , but t h i s was divided i n t o the present smaller spaces because there was a con-stant mess around. Even now, the inside of the communal garbage can storage i s us u a l l y quite d i r t y although i t i s not seen from the outside, being fenced completely. I t does not seem to work properly to depend on the residents to clean the communal spaces. Some fa m i l i e s i n the apartment blocks are using t h e i r own garbage cans i n t h e i r units to avoid the trouble and the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of cleaning up the communal garbage can storage. 53 Three sample f a m i l i e s i n the apartment units complained of the untidiness of the garbage can storage. No complaints are heard from the sample f a m i l i e s i n the townhouse units about t h e i r own garbage can storage. Dwelling Type As described before, the Westview Garden Apartments consist of 114 three-bedroom townhouse uni t s and 64 two-bedroom apartment u n i t s . Two types of b u i l d i n g blocks are mixed side by side with-out any incoherence by keeping t h e i r appearance and volumes s i m i l a r . Six to ten townhouse units are i n a row and the f l o o r area of a u n i t i s 1,332 square f e e t . End units are s l i g h t l y larger (1,434 square feet) but f l o o r plans are b a s i c a l l y the same. Three bed-rooms are on the upper f l o o r with two bathrooms. L i v i n g room, kitchen, family room and a washroom are on the main f l o o r . The family room faces the front yard and the l i v i n g room opens to the backyard. A storage and garbage can shed i s i n f r o n t , forming a part of the fence. Apartment blocks are two and three s t o r i e s high and each u n i t i s accessible d i r e c t l y from an e x t e r i o r stairway. There are two types of two-bedroom apartments. One has two bath-rooms and a f i r e p l a c e i n the l i v i n g room, the other has one bath-room and no f i r e p l a c e . The f l o o r area of a uni t i s 1,106 square feet or 1,061 square feet each. 5 4 A u n i t has entrance h a l l , k i t c h e n , separate u t i l i t y room and open d i n i n g - l i v i n g room. The d i n i n g room opens to a balcony or a t e r r a c e at the ground f l o o r . TABLE 2b - Number of Sample F a m i l i e s by D w e l l i n g Type Stage 0 I I I I l l IV V VI V I I V I I I T o t a l Type A 1 1 \u00E2\u0080\u0094 1 \u00E2\u0080\u0094 \u00E2\u0080\u0094 \u00E2\u0080\u0094 - 3 B - - - - - - \u00E2\u0080\u0094 1 1 C 3 2 2 5 - 1 1 - 14 D - - 1 - 2 - 1 1 5 T o t a l 2 3 APARTMENT TYPE A The standard two-bedroom garden apartment comprising 105i square feet is imaginatively planned to offer the maximum ir convenience and comfort features. The hardv/ood entrance Hal leads directly to the luxuriously appointed living dining area The completely equipped kitchen is central to the dining anc utility areas. The two full size bedrooms are removed from the jiving area and are convenient to the fully-equipped bathroom. Oar floors in the living area, ceramic tile in the bathroom and vinyl tile in the kitchen are included, of course. yj, Equipment includes Dish Washer. Garbage Disposal Unit and Washer and Dryer in each apartment. ARTMENT TYPE B \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 delu/': t.vo bedroom garden apartment is a spacious 1106 iare fed. The deluxe apartment includes all of the distinc-; detail\"; of the standard apartment plus a full Norman brick tplace HI the living area and a fuily-equipped bathroom scent to each bedroom. The storage facilities for both rtrr.ents M O amply generous. h .-ipariiNcnt'. offer a private balcony opening from the ng aiua whn.h permits full appreciation of the garden-like iLf:sp';d M d t m g in which the apartments are located. rtment lit'.- in Westview Town House is a splendid ex-ence in 'muirp.-issed surroundings. APARTMENT TYPE C The standard three-bedroom town house offers 13.32 square feet of unequalled comfort and convenience. The main floor generously provides family area in abundance\u00E2\u0080\u0094inside and out \u00E2\u0080\u0094with two attractive terraces. The kitchen includes Arborite counter tops and colored appliances. Upstairs three twin-size bedrooms are served by spacious closets and two complete bathrooms. The standard town house is a family home desired and detailed for those with particular preferences in comfortable ac-commodation. 'ARTMENT TYPE D i r!ol:i\": H'..'':f-!,':d'o:rri town house is a larger edition of the :;-.dard |il;m described opposite. All other aspects are :iitic;il. \u00E2\u0080\u00A2nc: p.-utK.iiliirly the unity in design between the central enor miles away). A h o s p i t a l i s about two miles away from the s i t e . The sample f a m i l i e s ' s a t i s f a c t i o n s about medical service f a c i l i t i e s around the area are high and no complaints are c i t e d . Table 6 - Hospital and C l i n i c Good Poor Have Not Used Number of ^ fami l i e s 0 8 (One sample unusable) PART I I I - FAMILY LIFE CYCLE AND FAMILY ACTIVITY PATTERN 7. FAMILY ACTIVITY PATTERN THROUGH STAGES OF FAMILY LIFE CYCLE Family a c t i v i t y l og records are analyzed according to the stage of the family l i f e cycle using a method described i n Part I, Family a c t i v i t y patterns are thus drawn. In each stage, a f t e r a general d e s c r i p t i o n of i t s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , family a c t i v i t y patterns are summarized i n the following i n d i v i d u a l a c t i v i t i e s ; sleeping, eating, housekeeping, shopping, playing, evening s i t t i n g , weekend a c t i v i t y and s o c i a l a c t i v i t y . S p a t i a l requirements are derived from each a c t i v i t y pattern. Some requirements are basic needs f o r every family and some are preferences f o r most f a m i l i e s . How the sample project accommodates those requirements i s examined and then alternate design solutions are also suggested. 69 STAGE I : GENERAL The b i r t h of the neonate brings about a b i g change i n the f a m i l i e s ' d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s . The new family member requires the a d d i t i o n a l space i n the dwelling unit and forces many f a m i l i e s to move. The i n f a n t ' s d a i l y environment i s almost t o t a l l y l i m i t e d to i t s family and i t s dwelling u n i t . I t requires the constant care of the family f o r i t s growth. Lack of.proper care at t h i s stage s e r i o u s l y a f f e c t s the c h i l d ' s mental and physical development and may even cause i t s 2 death. The infant i s completely dependent on i t s family and e s p e c i a l l y on i t s mother. Mothers' d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s are l i m i t e d to within the dwelling u n i t or the immediate neighbourhood by her i n f a n t . 1 \"The human b r a i n grows to approximately 70% of i t s adult weight at about the age of one year. By age 6 i t s f i n a l structure i s essen-t i a l l y completed. The experience of e a r l y extrauterine l i f e i n -fluences man's mental development as well as the conditions of i n t r a u t e r i n e existence.\" Rene Dubos, So Human An Animal, 1968. 2 Spitz' reports of the babies r a i s e d i n a foundling home t e l l s us the extreme t r a g i c example. \"Being deprived of aff e c t i o n a t e care and the a t t e n t i o n and receiving l i t t l e stimulation of any type, about 3Cr% of the babies i n the foundling home died within the f i r s t year.\" Rene A. S p i t z , \"Hospitalism: An Inquiry Into the Genesis of Psychia-t r i c Conditions i n E a r l y Childhood,\" i n The Psychoanalistic Study of the C h i l d V o l . 1, 194-5. Cited by Theodore Lidz i n The Person, 1968. 70 STAGE I ; SLEEPING The long sleeping hours of the i n f a n t (both i n the night and daytimes) require a space undisturbed by family members' a c t i v i t i e s within the u n i t as well as by outside noise. When such space i s not a v a i l a b l e , the f a m i l y u s u a l l y intends to move. A l l three sample fam i l i e s moved within the Vancouver area to provide space f o r the infant's undisturbed sleep. Family A moved from a two-bedroom h a l f duplex uni t to t h e i r present three-bedroom townhouse u n i t when t h e i r infant was 3)4 months o l d . Family B moved from a one-bedroom u n i t to t h e i r present two-bedroom apartment u n i t when t h e i r daughter was' 7 years o l d . Family E moved from a two-bedroom u n i t to a three-bedroom townhouse unit f o r the c h i l d they were expecting. Some parents put the neonate's c r i b i n t h e i r bedroom f o r a short period and the others l e t him sleep i n a separate room from the begin-ning when such space i s a v a i l a b l e . U n t i l the i n f a n t i s 6 to 12 months o l d , the parents want a separate sleeping space f o r the infant from h i s s i b l i n g s because of t h e i r d i f f e r e n t sleeping patterns. 71 A f t e r about one year, the infant and her s i b l i n g s can sleep i n the same room without disturbing each other too much. The four sample families show the difference i n s p a t i a l usage f o r sleep according to t h e i r family structure. In Family A two boys, ages 2 and 3)4 years o l d , occupy one room each and the parents and 9)4 month old g i r l sleep i n one room. They would p r e f e r to have four smaller separate rooms rather than three f a i r - s i z e d bedrooms (111311 x 14'6\", 10'6\" x 12'8\" and 9'2\" x 10'6\"). The one year old g i r l of Family B used to sleep i n her own room but since 8 months of age she has s l e p t with her 8 year old s i s t e r i n the same room. Her former bedroom i s now used as the childrens' playroom. In Family C, boys of 8 and 11 years of age occupy one room and a 1)4 year o ld g i r l and her parents use the other two rooms to sleep. Family D l i v e s i n a two-bedroom u n i t . The parents occupy the smaller bedroom and the 2 year old boy and 2)4 year old g i r l use the other. The c o n f l i c t observed i n the space f o r sleeping i s the noise from out-side of the u n i t . The noise from the i n s i d e of the u n i t (such as 72 housekeeping, family a c t i v i t i e s ) does not seem to be so c r i t i c a l as the noise from the outside. In the townhouse u n i t , the difference i n the l e v e l makes a good separation between the s i t t i n g area (down) and the sleeping area (up). In the apartment u n i t , the doors of the bed-rooms do not open d i r e c t l y into the l i v i n g room but in t o the hallway which protects the bedrooms from d i r e c t sound and l i g h t transmission from the fa m i l y s i t t i n g area to the infant's sleeping area. The noise from the neighbours which i s one of the sample f a m i l i e s main d i s l i k e s i n t h i s p r oject, i s caused by the poor sound-proof construction i n party walls and f l o o r s . The noise of childr e n p l a y i n g i n the d r i v e -way and the e x t e r i o r s t a i r h a l l i s complained about by Family D i n the apartment u n i t . Their two bedrooms both face the driveway which i s the childrens' main play area and the i n f a n t ' s day sleep i s exposed to the childrens' noise. REQUIREMENT : SL-I-1 The i n f a n t s ' sleeping space i s preferred separated from other family members' sleeping spaces because of t h e i r d i f f e r e n t sleeping hours. 73 In the sample project, the largest bedroom may accommodate an in f a n t ' s c r i b as well as the parents' bed, but any kind of separation between them cannot be provided. I f parents want the separation, they have to put the c r i b i n another room, A possible alternate s o l u t i o n i s an alcove large enough f o r a c r i b and a chest which can be separated by a simple p a r t i t i o n f o r the privacy of the neonate and the parents. Up to 6 to 12 months of age, the i n f a n t needs a sleeping space separated from her s i b l i n g s . D i f f e r e n t sleeping patterns between s i b l i n g s d i s t u r b the other's sleep. REQUIREMENT SL-I-2 The separation between the spaces f o r infants* sleep and other family a c t i v i t i e s i s necessary. Between those two d i f f e r e n t a c t i v i t i e s , the p r o v i s i o n of a buffe r zone i s preferred rather than a separation by just walls and a door. In the townhouse u n i t , the l e v e l d i f f e r e n c e between the family s i t t i n g -working area and the sleeping area serves as a good b u f f e r zone f o r 74-two d i f f e r e n t a c t i v i t i e s . In the apartment u n i t , the hallway works as an adequate b u f f e r zone. The openings to the l i v i n g room and bedrooms from the hallway are arranged so as not to allow the l i g h t and sound to come i n when the bedroom door i s opened. REQUIREMENT SL-I-3 The convenient connection from the parents' bedroom to the i n f a n t ' s c r i b i s necessary f o r feeding and changing diapers at night, e s p e c i a l l y f o r the neonate. In the sample u n i t (both apartment and townhouse u n i t s ) the distance between doors of parents' and childrens' bedrooms i s minimum. In the townhouse u n i t , the smaller bedroom f o r the i n f a n t s ' use could be located c l o s e r to the master bedroom. Alcove f o r a c r i b i n the par-ents' bedroom, as described i n Sl-I - 1 i s also desirable to meet t h i s requirement. 75 REQUIREMENT Sl-I-4 The space f o r the i n f a n t s ' sleep should be free from the daytime out-side noise of t r a f f i c flows and childrens' playing. In the townhouse unit the parents' bedroom, (which may be used as the neonate's sleeping area too) i s preferred f a c i n g the quiet landscaped courtyard instead of the.driveway which i s the childrens' main play area. In the apartment u n i t , at l e a s t one bedroom i s to be located i n the courtyard side. 76 STATE I EATING Mother feeds her infant before or a f t e r the family eats. When the family i s eating, the in f a n t i s i n t h e i r s i g h t . Breakfast i s not always eaten by the family together (Families A and C), but a l l four sample f a m i l i e s eat dinner together. The family room i s used f o r eating by a l l three sample f a m i l i e s i n the townhouse u n i t and the siz e of eating space (10'0 M x 10'5\" or 10'6\" x 9'0\") i s evaluated as ade-quate by three of the f a m i l i e s . Family B c i t e d the family room as being too small f o r the father's work table and the dining table (see Evening S i t t i n g ) . REQUIREMENT EA-I-1 Family d i n i n g space should be large enough to have the i n f a n t beside the d i n i n g table without any danger or at l e a s t opening to another space where the infant can see and l i s t e n to the family members at the d i n i n g t a b l e . The L-shaped d i n i n g - l i v i n g room i n the apartment u n i t i s good i n t h i s Supervise feA-I- 1 3 77 regard. The family room i n the townhouse u n i t i s large enough f o r the extra space f o r the infant (10*0\" x 10'5\") i f no other large f u r n i t u r e other than the dining table and chairs are i n the room. STAGE I ; HOUSEKEEPING A l l mothers of the four sample f a m i l i e s i n Stage I are not working outside the house. Their weekday daytime i s mainly spent i n childcare and housekeeping ( i . e . cleaning, washing dishes, laundry, cooking, sewing and i r o n i n g ) . Mother A has three young childre n to look a f t e r and her housekeeping i s extended i n t o the evening. She does sewing and i r o n i n g i n the l i v -i n g room where her husband i s r e l a x i n g with T.V. Mothers B and C i n the townhouse unit have only one infant to look a f t e r when other c h i l d r e n are i n school, and most of t h e i r housekeeping i s done i n the daytime. They work i n the l i v i n g room or the family room as well as i n the kitchen with t h e i r infants around them. Laundry f a c i l i t i e s within the u n i t are appreciated by a l l mothers, but 78 Mother B complained of the noise of the machines and wants to have a separate laundry room. The apartment u n i t has a separate u t i l i t y room where laundry f a c i l i t i e s , storage space and a hot water tank are provided. Mother D i n the apartment unit complains that the kitchen s i z e (7 , 6\" x 8'6\") i s too small and also enclosed too much to watch her ch i l d r e n from the kitchen playing i n the l i v i n g room. Mothers i n the townhouse u n i t are s a t i s f i e d with the kitchen s i z e (7'6\" x 13'0\") i n -cluding the laundry space. The shortage of cupboards i s c i t e d by mothers i n both apartment and townhouse u n i t s . A l l mothers i n the townhouse u n i t do housekeeping on the ground f l o o r where they can watch c h i l d r e n p l a y i n g i n the l i v i n g room, family room or i n the front yard. REQUIREMENT HK-I-1 Mothers' main working area, the kitchen, should be close enough to the in f a n t s ' p l a y area (both indoor and outdoor) f o r v i s u a l and verbal communication between her and her in f a n t while she i s doing the house-work. 79 The kitchen i n the townhouse unit has a good connection to the family room and the frontyard. The kitchen i n the apartment does not have enough view of children playing i n the u n i t and more opening to the dini n g space and balcony should be provided. Also, the siz e of the kitchen i n the apartment unit (7'6\" x 8'6\") i s too small f o r the family accommodation. The s i z e s of l i v i n g room (13'6\" x 17'0 f l, 12*8\" x 20 , 0\"), family room ( I C O \" x 10'5\"), dining space (9'0\" x 10*6\"), can accommodate the mothers* housekeeping and childrens' p l a y i n g at the same time without d i f f i c u l t y . STAGE I : SHOPPING D i f f e r e n t patterns of shopping are observed among the four sample f a m i l i e s . Since Mother C has her own car and only an infant to look a f t e r i n the daytime, she goes shopping every day with her i n f a n t without much d i f f i c u l t y . I f the mother has a toddler or two besides the i n f a n t to look a f t e r , she can hardly manage shopping with her c h i l d r e n . She can go shopping on the weekend while her husband i s 80 watching the c h i l d r e n (Families A and B). When the husband i s out of the c i t y , she has to ask a babysitter i n i n order to go shopping (Family D). Family B occasionally goes shopping together on the week-end. A l l mothers use t h e i r cars f o r shopping and tend to go by them-selves to the major shopping areas rather than to the adjacent shopping centre. For the mother of the i n f a n t , shopping i s a chance to go out, free from her house and c h i l d r e n , to see people and breathe the a i r outside of her neighbourhood. REQUIREMENT SH-G-1 (Apply to a l l stages) The major shopping area which draws various kinds of people and a c t i v i t i e s should be e a s i l y accessible as well as the neighbourhood convenience stores. The sample pr o j e c t i s located close to three major shopping areas: downtown Vancouver, downtown North Vancouver, and Park Royal Shopping Centre, besides the adjacent shopping centre. The sample f a m i l i e s are h i g h l y s a t i s f i e d with shopping. 81 STAGE I ; PLAYING - Infants For the f i r s t 12 months, the infant cannot move much by himself so h i s a c t i v i t i e s are completely dependent on his mother. He plays q u i e t l y with toys and enjoys the view and sounds around him. The mother's daytime a c t i v i t i e s are managed with the i n f a n t around her. The mother keeps her in f a n t close enough to be able to see, t a l k and l i s t e n to the in f a n t while she i s working. As the i n f a n t s t a r t s to grow, the mother has to keep her eyes on her c h i l d constantly. No sample family uses a playpen, so the i n s i d e of the u n i t should be free from any danger and the family must t r y to eliminate damage to family possessions. The infant also needs a safe outdoor space where he can get f r e s h a i r , sunbathe and view nature. REQUIREMENT PL-I-1 The i n f a n t ' s play area should be free from danger and should be close to h i s mother's working area (see Housekeeping). Both outdoor and i n -door spaces f o r the in f a n t are necessary. V e r b a l Common. PU I- 1 oc 82 The space does not ne c e s s a r i l y have to be large f o r the i n f a n t ' s p l a y i n g . The room s i z e s of the townhouse and apartment u n i t s are evaluated to be adequate by the sample f a m i l i e s . The front yard (12'6\" x 16'0\") i n the townhouse u n i t , and the balcony (5*6\" x 10'0\") i n the apartment u n i t are adequate outdoor spaces f o r the i n f a n t . The balcony and the fr o n t yard f a c i n g the north are useless f o r the i n f a n t ' s outdoor s i t t i n g area because of the lack of sun. STAGS I ; EVENING SITTING Family evening a c t i v i t i e s show some diff e r e n c e s between sample f a m i l i e s according to the family structure and the head of the household's occupation. The infant i s put to bed a f t e r the feeding following supper. Toddlers i n Families A and B also go to bed a f t e r supper. Mother A has an hour's break i n the l i v i n g room from the day's house-keeping and childcare when the three c h i l d r e n , aged 2 years and 9# months, go to bed a f t e r supper. Then, she s t a r t s sewing and i r o n i n g 83 i n the l i v i n g room with her husband who i s r e l a x i n g with t e l e v i s i o n . Father B i s a school teacher and does h i s work f o r the school paper a f t e r an hour's relaxation i n the l i v i n g room watching t e l e v i s i o n . His homework l a s t s about two hours i n the family room. There are a w r i t i n g t a b l e and book shelves i n the corner of the family room be-sides a large dining t a b l e . Family B mentioned that the family room i s too small f o r them. Mother B writes l e t t e r s i n the family room or watches t e l e v i s i o n i n the l i v i n g room. School c h i l d r e n of Family C spend time together with t h e i r parents i n the l i v i n g room watching t e l e v i s i o n or t a l k i n g before they go to bed. A f t e r the c h i l d r e n are i n bed, t h e i r parents stay i n the l i v i n g room u n t i l 11 or 12 o'clock, u s u a l l y watching t e l e v i s i o n . Mother D spends her evenings with her g i r l aged 2$. years i n the l i v i n g room. A f t e r the g i r l i s i n bed, she watches t e l e v i s i o n and crochets, u s u a l l y by h e r s e l f , since her husband i s out of the c i t y most of the time. No complaints are heard among the four sample f a m i l i e s about the l i v i n g room s i z e . 84 The family room (10'O n x 11 f8\") i n the townhouse unit i s adequate f o r family d i n i n g but not f o r other evening a c t i v i t i e s which require a d d i t i o n a l space for furniture or equipment. An a d d i t i o n a l room f o r hobbies or f o r use as a den or exercise room i s desired by Families A, B and C. In the sample u n i t s , the lack of the extra space l i m i t s the family's evening a c t i v i t i e s to passive ones, mainly watching t e l e v i s i o n . REQUIREMENT ES-I-1 The family s i t t i n g area should be located so as not to disturb the i n f a n t ' s sleep. (See Requirement Sleeping: Stage 1 - 1 ) REQUIREMENT ES-G-1 (Apply to a l l stages) For the family who wants active a c t i v i t i e s i n the evening (such as homework, c r a f t s , or exercise) an a d d i t i o n a l space i s necessary besides the family s i t t i n g area used f o r passive evening a c t i v i t i e s . Such space should be located so as not to disturb other family members' a c t i v i t i e s . Sound \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 6- 1 85 This i s the main reason that people i n the sample project wish to have a basement. The extra space affords the family opportunity to pursue t h e i r own i n t e r e s t s i n t h e i r free time rather than watching t e l e v i s i o n a l l evening. For some a c t i v i t i e s which require a la r g e r space, a communal room f o r the neighbourhood can be provided instead of a p r i v a t e one i n each u n i t . Father B uses the school workshop to do h i s hobby metal work i n . For the maximum usage of such communal space, a proximate l o c a t i o n (to be within a short \valking distance) and good maintenance are e s s e n t i a l . I f the communal space i s successful, neighbourhood contact based on a common i n t e r e s t i s also encouraged. For passive evening a c t i v i t i e s , the l i v i n g room s i z e of the sample u n i t ( 1 3 ,6 M x 17'0 M i n the apartment u n i t and 12'8\" x 20 ,0\" i n the r townhouse u n i t ) i s adequate. STAGE I : WEEKEND ACTIVITY Weekend a c t i v i t i e s c i t e d by four sample f a m i l i e s i n Stage I are family 86 outings (3 f a m i l i e s ) , exchange v i s i t s with friends (2 f a m i l i e s ) or with r e l a t i v e s (2 f a m i l i e s ) , shopping (3 f a m i l i e s ) , watching t e l e -v i s i o n (2 f a m i l i e s ) and church attendance (1 f a m i l y ) . Most a c t i v i t i e s are done by the family together except shopping (See Shopping). Father B goes to school to supervise the school band on Saturday. Exchanging v i s i t s , family outings (to the park, beach or ju s t d r i v -ing) and shopping are the major weekend a c t i v i t i e s observed i n f a m i l i e s i n Stage I. REQUIREMENT WA-G-1 (Apply to a l l stages) Easy access to public family r e c r e a t i o n a l spots i s to be considered. The sample project i s located close to the major parks and beaches f o r f a m i l i e s to spend weekends. Indoor places f o r the family to v i s i t i n the winter season should also be provided. (The shopping centre can be used as a place f o r more a c t i v i t i e s than just shopping.) STAGE I : SOCIAL ACTIVITY - Neighbours 87 The d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s of the in f a n t ' s mother are l i m i t e d to her u n i t and immediate neighbourhood during the weekdays. The p o s s i b i l i t y f o r her to have contact with people outside of her family i s mostly within the neighbourhood. When such contacts are not a v a i l a b l e , she f e e l s shut o f f from the outside world. Staying home a l l day long with an i n f a n t i s a b i g change i n a woman's way of l i f e , e s p e c i a l l y f o r those mothers who worked outside the home before having t h e i r f i r s t c h i l d . Having a l i t t l e chat with her neighbour helps to pre-vent the mother from f e e l i n g sudden i s o l a t i o n from the outside world. Easy access f o r mothers to the places f o r i n c i d e n t a l meetings with neighbours should be considered i n designing the family housing. Two mothers (Families A and B) mentioned a regular afternoon t a l k with neighbours. Both have toddlers and infants and the neighbours with whom they have contacts have toddlers a l s o . The other two mothers (Families B and C) have school c h i l d r e n besides i n f a n t s and do not c i t e such regular neighbour contacts. 88 Toddlers seem to work as the p r i n c i p a l medium f o r mothers' neighbour-hood i n t e r a c t i o n (See Stage H - S o c i a l A c t i v i t y ) . Mothers' immobility i n the daytime i s also considered a determinant of her neighbourhood i n t e r a c t i o n or lack of i n t e r a c t i o n . The two mothers who do not have neighbourhood contact f i n d i t easier to go out since both can use t h e i r own car and have only an i n f a n t to take with them while the other c h i l d r e n are i n school (Families B and C). The mother of toddlers and an i n f a n t hardly manages to go out without a car (Family A) or even with a car (Family D). The more m o b i l i t y the mother has, the l e s s contacts with the neighbours she tends to have. The length of the occupancy does not seem to be a determinant of such contacts. Mothers A and D who have such contacts have stayed i n the u n i t f o r 6 months and 1)4 years and Mothers 3 and C who do not have contacts i n the neighbourhood, have stayed 1)4 and 1 year. For the afternoon talk s with neighbours, Mother A, i n the townhouse u n i t , uses the family room and Mother D, i n the apartment u n i t , uses the l i v i n g room. No neighbourhood contact i s observed between fathers of the four sample f a m i l i e s . I t i s considered that they do not f e e l 5Qn' I- 1 8 9 the need f o r s o c i a l contacts with neighbours as t h e i r wives do, since the contact with the outside world i s availa b l e f o r them during t h e i r working hours. A children's party or such occasion as a birthday or Halloween are mentioned by Families B and D as opportunities f o r neighbourhood contact. No s p a t i a l complaints on such occasions are c i t e d . REQUIREMENT SON-G-1 The frequent i n c i d e n t a l meetings with neighbours encourage the neigh-bourhood contacts. A part of each dwelling u n i t ( e i t h e r indoor or outdoor) should have v i s u a l connection to the p u b l i c walkway which neighbours use most commonly on such occasions as shopping. The f r o n t yard and the family room of the townhouse u n i t s a t i s f i e s t h i s requirement. Through the entrance gate of the front yard fence, neighbours can see and t a l k to the residents i n the front yard or i n the family room. In the apartment unit no such space i s a v a i l a b l e . I f the balcony faces the sidewalk instead of the courtyard, i t may "Thesis/Dissertation"@en . "10.14288/1.0093387"@en . "eng"@en . "Architecture"@en . "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en . "University of British Columbia"@en . "For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use."@en . "Graduate"@en . "The family life cycle and family needs in a housing project : a case study of the Westview Garden Apartments, North Vancouver"@en . "Text"@en . "http://hdl.handle.net/2429/19337"@en .