At home: home design and recreation

Abstract

Research has shown that recreation-time is dominated by activities within the home setting (70% of recreation-time). The present study explored three main facets of home-based recreation: what activities took place within the home setting; which spaces used were for these activities; what influence the design of the space had on recreation. The home-based activities were found to be similar to those identified in previous research, although there were variations in detail. The interior spaces mainly used were lounge, dining room, and bedrooms, while lawn and garden were the most used outdoor spaces. The nature of use appeared to be determined more by the management of space, life-cycle stage, and lifestyle of the occupants than by the space design.