Investigation of the determinants of user satisfaction in social mass housings in Edirne during the COVID-19 periodMegaron, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 184–203, June 2024
Megaron
https://megaron.yildiz.edu.tr - https://megaronjournal.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14744/megaron.2024.74050
Article
*Corresponding author
*E-mail adres: onursuta@trakya.edu.tr
Published by Yıldız Technical University, İstanbul, Türkiye
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).Onur ŞUTA*, Aslı ZENCİRKIRAN
Department of Architecture, Trakya University, Edirne, Türkiye
ABSTRACT
The pandemic, with increased time spent at home, has heightened the importance of user satisfaction as needs have evolved. We aim to evaluate user satisfaction in COVID-19-era state-built mass housing and contribute to mass housing design literature. The study focused on social housing in Edirne, analyzing architectural observations, surveys, demographic information, house characteristics, and spatial adequacy. Correlation and regr ession analyses explored satisfaction relationships, factors affecting satisfaction, and their influence. User satisfaction is influenced by demographic characteristics, with insufficient living spaces due to the pandemic causing structural changes. Structural, environmental, interior, location, and access features significantly impact satisfaction, with structural features having the most significant impact. Maximizing thermal comfort, ensuring high resistance to disasters, and maintaining good physical condition are the key factors that positively affect user satisfaction. However, poo r-
quality sound insulation materials and craftsmanship standards decrease satisfactio n levels. It has been found that users prefer houses located near the city center. Additionally, user s consider the environmental and green spaces of the house more important than its interior features. Satisfaction with houses is greatly influenced by their structural and environmental featur es. It has been recognized that green areas and social spaces are essential and should be increased. Furthermore, flexible space planning has been emphasized to ensure the house can adapt to changing living conditions.
Cite this article as: Şuta O., Zencirkıran, A. (2024). Investigation of the determinants of user satisfaction in social mass housings in Edirne during the COVID-19 period. Megaron, 19(2), 184–203.ARTICLE INFO
Article history
Received: 24 September 2023
Revised: 04 June 2024
Accepted: 06 June 2024
Key words:
COVID-19; flexible design; regression analysis; social mass housing; user satisfaction.
INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China, rapidly affected the whole world and changed our lives, lifestyles, social relations, and habits, adversely affecting many sectors such as health, education, trade, etc. (Salama, 2020). To avoid the danger of the deadly epidemic, all business areas reorganized their work. As a result of the rapid spread of the virus, educational institutions took an immediate break from face-to-face education and switched to online education. Most business sectors turned to MEGARON Megaron, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 184–203, June 2024 185
working from home. The rapid increase in the number of cases caused curfews. People became familiar with concepts such as "social distance," "mask," "quarantine," and "washing hands frequently during the day." Our homes are no longer just places where we eat, rest, and meet our daily needs; they take on many various functions. For adults who find it inconvenient and dangerous to leave the house, the rooms have turned into offices where online working orders are established, places where meetings and teleconferences are held, gyms where exercise is done, and balconies that have turned into closed spaces have turned into classrooms where children listen to their teachers over computer screens (Gür, 2022). The virus, which carries a higher fatal risk, especially for individuals over the age of 65, has caused them to stay at home for much longer periods, not being able to go out at all (Güngör, 2022). Although the epidemic was partially controlled with the discovery of the vaccine, this extraordinary situation between 2020 and 2022 made everyone unprepared to question life's social, economic, and societal aspects. Just as Paris and London renewed their entire infrastructure during the cholera epidemic in 1954 (Yüksel, 2022), it changed the perspectives of designers, city planners, and interior architects. It showed that all design dynamics should be rearranged despite the pandemic being left behind. Urban planners and landscape architects saw the importance of open and green spaces in planning much better (Andreucci et al., 2019). The concept of "pandemic architecture" came to the fore, and architectural design evolved into spatial arrangements where social relations and business life could coexist.
The housing phenomenon has reminded us again of the vitality of architectural design, as it is one of the issues where the user spends the most time during the pandemic and meets all life needs. In addition to the living function, the installation of additional functions and the increase in the use of the house have changed the need for additional spaces and the expectations from the house (Rogers & Power, 2020). In particular, the owners of the houses built for low- and middle-income families, whose size and usage area are kept to a minimum to enable more families to own housing by producing the maximum number of houses, faced this situation more during the pandemic.
The study aimed to identify the factors determining user satisfaction in social mass housing and residential areas built by the state for Turkey's low- and middle-income families during the pandemic. We selected the sample area of the research as Edirne, a rapidly developing border city in Turkey that hosts social housing projects. Since no previous study had analyzed the statistical data to evaluate user satisfaction in social mass housing built in Edirne during the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw this as a weakness and a decisive factor in choosing Edirne as the study area.
The State Mass Housing Administration builds social mass housing that offers affordable housing options for families who wish to own a house. These houses are cheaper compared to the free housing market. Despite the recent earthquake, which caused damage to many buildings in the affected provinces, the social housing estates remained undamaged thanks to reliable construction solutions such as "raft foundation," "tunnel formwork carrier system," and high-strength concrete. Due to their reliability, the demand for these houses has increased among families (NTV News, 2023). We conducted an intense application process for 11,844 houses, the foundations of which have been laid, and they are scheduled for delivery in 2025. We completed the draw for the houses on March 11, 2023. Our research conducted in Edirne aimed to set an example for similar studies to be carried out in other regions of Turkey. This research is unique in determining the criteria contributing to user satisfaction with their housing during the pandemic period. The study also identifies spatial qualities that should be present in mass housing designs to be produced in the future. We used a survey investigation as the research method for this study. We will analyze the survey results statistically to obtain answers to the questions posed in the research. The main question of the research is whether users were generally satisfied with their residence and its features, including structural, environmental, location, and access features, throughout the pandemic. The study also aims to determine the demographic characteristics that affect housing satisfaction and the factors contributing to user satisfaction with their housing during the pandemic. Additionally, the study aims to identify the design approaches that should be followed in future social housing for low- and middle-income families.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, we have learned valuable lessons from the research conducted during this time. Specifically, we have identified critical design criteria that can increase the satisfaction of users living in social mass housing built for low- and middle-
income families, particularly in the event of possible pandemic situations in the future. These findings can pave the way for new and improved designs that prioritize the safety and well-being of residents. LITERATURE REVIEW
User satisfaction is a complex and subjective matter that varies depending on the person, place, and time. Researchers have conducted studies to understand the relationship between the quality of life and user satisfaction, evaluate the success of housing projects built by both the private and public sectors, and determine users' perceptions of the inadequacies of the residential environment. In the literature, many researchers have investigated the economic, social, physical, and personal dimensions of user satisfaction in different areas. Generally, demographic characteristics, Megaron, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 184–203, June 2024 186
physical characteristics of the house, characteristics of the housing environment, and the relationship between the location of the house and satisfaction are chosen as the main topics in user satisfaction studies. Some researchers have examined the relationship between time spent in housing and satisfaction (Kasarda & Janowitz, 1974; Hunter, 1978; Hourihan, 1984; Satsangi & Kearns, 1992; Mohit et al., 2010; Caldieron, 2011); some have pointed out how factors such as age, family size, whether the woman of the house works or not, and the size of the area per person in the house affect satisfaction. It is important to note that housing satisfaction is a subjective concept that depends on individuals' perceptions and expectations, so research cannot come to a definitive conclusion. This study explored user satisfaction; nonetheless, significant studies in both domestic and foreign literature have contributed to user satisfaction.
Studies frequently include socio-demographic characteristics directly related to satisfaction in the literature (Marans & Rodgers, 1975). Mohit et al. (2010) found that having more family members and a working woman in the household negatively affects satisfaction with housing. Adams (1992) identified marital and educational status as additional factors determining housing satisfaction. In a recent study, Özdeniz (2022) examined the impact of quality of life on housing preferences in Mersin, a city in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, and found that quality of life factors directly influence housing preferences. In a study by Y ou et al. (2022), the relationship between the physical and mental health of individuals living in affordable housing in Hangzhou, China, and their housing satisfaction was investigated. They found that the mental and physical health of the users is affected by their own socio-economic and demographic characteristics. As a result, their satisfaction with their housing was high. Esen & Çivici (2022) also explored the satisfaction levels of public housing users with their living conditions and surroundings in Balıkesir, Turkey. They considered the satisfaction levels based on household size and ownership status. They found that forcing families of different sizes and income levels to live in the same type of housing reduces user satisfaction. They suggested that flexible space solutions are the correct planning principle in housing designs.
The literature also includes studies showing how the house's physical characteristics affect user satisfaction. Lane & Kinsey (1980) stated in their study that housing characteristics are more important than demographic characteristics. Ariffin et al. (2010) suggested that various housing features, such as the number of bedrooms, the size and location of the kitchen, and the quality of housing units, strongly correlate with user satisfaction. Similarly, Mohit & Raja (2014) stated that the number and size of bedrooms, the placement of the kitchen in housing planning, its relationship with other spaces, and the number of bathrooms and toilets are also factors that affect satisfaction. Physical features of the house, such as comfort, building quality, housing plan, and house size, provide higher satisfaction (Türkoğlu, 1997). Tran & Vu (2017) investigated the relationship between house features and user satisfaction with life. They emphasized the importance of improving the facilities of houses where the elderly live, as satisfaction with the house has a strong positive effect on a person's satisfaction with life. In his study conducted in 2009, Gür aimed to measure the satisfaction levels of users who lived in houses built by the Mass Housing Administration in Bursa. The study showed that the users were unhappy with their houses due to specific spatial and structural problems. Gür also provided suggestions for future improvements in the design of these houses. Lee & Jeong conducted a study in 2020 to investigate the effect of residential environment features on user satisfaction in Seoul, Korea. They examined the relationship between housing-environment satisfaction and social environment factors such as accessibility, comfort, security, and location attachment. The study found that place attachment, especially accessibility, positively affected housing satisfaction. The production of high-quality housing was also found to be important in ensuring the architectural sustainability of the house. In Adriaanse (2007)'s comprehensive research on residential environment satisfaction in the Netherlands in 2007, he used multivariate analysis techniques to analyze data collected from a housing demand survey he conducted with users. The study found that the user's relationship with their social environment was satisfaction's most critical component. Çanakçıoğlu (2021) discussed the significance that residents attach to social-environmental relationships in their homes and pointed out that they do not favor urban transformation as they are content with their neighborly relationships. Another study in Bursa, Turkey, examined the relationship between happiness and user satisfaction. It was concluded that residents' satisfaction with their housing and neighborhood relations impacted their perception of happiness (Gür et al., 2020). Berköz & Kellekçi (2007) researched determining the satisfaction of Bahçeşehir mass housing residents with their housing and environment and identifying the necessary conditions for their satisfaction. They concluded that the housing environment is equally important as the housing quality for the residents and that physical, social, and economic factors affect both. Kellekçi & Berköz (2006) conducted another study to determine the factors affecting satisfaction with housing and environmental quality in the Istanbul Metropolitan area public housing. They found that the location of the house, residents' opinions about the environment and recreational areas, structural and environmental security, neighborly relations, and the physical appearance of the residential areas are the factors that most significantly increase the quality and, therefore, the residents' satisfaction. Y ou et al. (2022) found that immigrants living in affordable
