How does flexible design promote resource efficiency for housing? A study of Khulna, Bangladesh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance and significance of design strategies to enhance flexibility as an in-built design concept of residential building in developing countries. The study considers potential directions of building design in developing countries to ensure maximum benefits of resource utilization. Design/methodology/approach – The study approaches using the qualitative data collection method, mostly based on interviews of local residents. Layouts of residential buildings that have been renovated for several reasons, such as the changes in family size over the last 30 years, have been studied. The concept of zone and margin, based on the theoretical framework developed by Dutch architect, John Habraken, is compared and tested in residential buildings in the city of Khulna. Findings – This paper shows that people change floor layouts of their buildings over time for different reasons; for example, 29 percent of people change plans in order to accommodate more peop...