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

The concept of universal design has become an essential requirement for environmental design, due to the growing population of the aged, and the increasing needs of people with disabilities. This study aims to propose a universal design guideline for apartment housing units that can be adapted to both a general household and a household with elderly or disabled individuals. This design process encompasses literary reviews, and includes the measurements of the dimensions and facilities of currently available apartment housing. The three domestic universal guidelines were reviewed, and a universal design checklist for apartment housing units was developed. Afterward, the individual elements and inclusive factors of universal design, for apartment housing units, were collected and examined according to the each functional space within the home. The results and conclusions are as follows: 1) The factors of universal design are diversified by the division of the functional spaces within the home, such as the private space, the work space and the entertaining space. 2) Due to the lack of space and storage, wheelchairs cannot be used in most currently available apartment types; this problem can be resolved by applying flexibility and optional adaptation. The solutions for the above are additional design factors that will enable more convenient usage and elaborate design.