Reinterpreting Apartment Balconies in 1990s Korean Housing - A Micro-Scale Spatial Analysis of Aging in Place Based on Henri Lefebvre‘s Theory of the Production of Space -

Kyong Won Kim; Yeol Hong Cheon

doi:10.6107/JKHA.2026.37.3.151

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2026 Vol.37, Issue 3 Preview Page

Research Article

Reinterpreting Apartment Balconies in 1990s Korean Housing - A Micro-Scale Spatial Analysis of Aging in Place Based on Henri Lefebvre‘s Theory of the Production of Space - 1990년대 한국 아파트 발코니의 공간과 노인 거주자의 일상적 전유에 관한 연구 - 르페브르의 공간생산 이론을 중심으로 한 노인주거의 미시공간 분석 -

25 June 2026. pp. 151-160

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Abstract

This exploratory pilot study applies Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space to reinterpret apartment balconies in 1990s Korean slab-type housing as micro-scale spatial resources for Aging in Place (AIP). The balcony is reconceptualized as an interstitial space where the gap between planned representation and lived practice generates new spatial meanings. Based on a survey of 50 elderly households (aged 65+) in Gwangju and follow-up interviews with five residents, non-parametric analyses examined relationships between spatial perception, psychological well-being, and residential intention. Given the limited sample, this study aims to generate hypotheses rather than test population-level claims. Three key findings emerged: (1) the primary motivation for maintaining non-extended balconies appeared to be storage need (68% vs. 25%, p = .007); (2) depressive symptoms were significantly associated with perceiving one’s balcony use as deviating from design intent (ρ = +.521, p < .001), suggesting psychological stability as a possible precondition for differential space formation; and (3) appropriation perception was the only variable significantly linked to residential intention (rpb = +.322, p = .022). These findings tentatively extend Lefebvre’s differential space concept to the micro-scale of domestic environments.

Keywords

Aging in Place (AIP)

Elderly Housing

Apartment Balcony

Production of Space

키워드

지역사회 계속거주(AIP)

노인주거

아파트 발코니

공간생산

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Information

Publisher :The Korean Housing Association
Publisher(Ko) :한국주거학회
Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Housing Association
Journal Title(Ko) :한국주거학회논문집
Volume : 37
No :3
Pages :151-160
Received Date : 2026-05-14
Revised Date : 2026-06-07
Accepted Date : 2026-06-08
DOI :https://doi.org/10.6107/JKHA.2026.37.3.151

Journal of the Korean Housing Association ISSN:2234-3571(Print) 2234-2257(Online) 한국주거학회논문집

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