Background and Objectives: Following the rapid growth of urbanisation, providing housing for low-income groups is considered one of the most important issues. Most projects implemented for these groups so far are short of acceptable quality. Given the floor area constraints in affordable housing, designers’ success depends on prioritising the needs of users over individual preferences. The way each space is laid out can affect the resident behaviour, making careful considerations of activities and behaviour all the more crucial, especially when it comes to cultural differences. According to previous studies, the factors affecting the organisation of behaviour fall into two categories: physical-spatial and cultural, with culture in turn influencing the physical-spatial factor. On the other hand, behaviour is organised through physical-spatial environment –including spatial layout and fixed and semi-fixed elements – and cultural components including lifestyle, activities, space use timing, and symbolism. The present study aims to identify the physical-spatial characteristics of behaviour settings and their interrelations in low-income housing, by examining daily activities of individuals. In order to do so, an interconnected network of physical-spatial characteristics of behaviour settings was presented based on current patterns of behaviour and common activities in low-income housing, to give a better understanding to designers.

Materials and Methods: Panjtan neighbourhood in Mashhad’s Region 4 was selected due to its standing at tier 4 (out of 5, for socio-economic status), 10 houses were studied for their characteristics such as housing type (apartments with a living room), ownership, floor area of 80-120 square metres with a maximum width of 7 metres, and an at least a 20-year residence history. Data was collected using two methods: environmental data collection (in the form of maps, sketches, photos, and videos) and unstructured (in-depth) interviews. Since human activities are organised in time (day, night, weekdays, weekends, etc.), a study of behaviour settings was conducted on weekdays, weekends and special religious holidays. The seventh interview did not return any more new data. However, to make sure about data saturation further three interviews were conducted. Multiple interviews were arranged with each participant at different times and occasions over one-year period to achieve a proper understanding of the categories. Data analysis was conducted through the content analysis technique. MAXQDA 2022 software was used to code and categorise the data collected from the interviews. Data coding was carried out in three stages, including open, axial, and selective coding. In the open coding stage, each of the interview statements was placed in a group according to the concept. In the axial coding, common semantic units in the propositions were extracted, followed by selective coding, in which the main concepts of the semantic units were determined and presented in the form of the core physical-spatial characteristic of the behaviour setting.

Results and Conclusion: The findings show that of seven behaviour settings – Living room, reception, yard and roof, kitchen, home-based workspace, bedroom, and front door area – the living space has a wide range of behaviour settings, and is the centre of activities playing an important role in family interactions, and therefore should have the possibility of connecting to the yard or semi-open spaces. Reception (integrated with living space), as a symbol of the homeowner’s dignity, provides the opportunity to create activities such as family gatherings. Maintaining visual privacy in the kitchen space and being spacious are the most important features of this space. Given the living conditions of this group, a space for home-based work that has a proper connection with the living space (especially the kitchen) is one of the most important issues.
The study showed that behaviour settings can take different characteristics due to the type of activity at different times. Therefore, time-dependency directly affects their structure. In the studied group, family gatherings and holding religious ceremonies on a weekly, monthly, or special-occasion basis, significantly affect the physical-spatial characteristics and how bases are organised. Providing sufficient walls to lean against and arranging lower-traffic spaces are among the design solutions that will help in this respect. Open and semi-open spaces, provided comfort is achievable, can be converted into living and working spaces in the warm seasons, and living space settings can be transferred to these spaces. The presence of a roofed balcony (even with a light roof and vegetation) and its connection with the kitchen and cooking space, where the mother can also interact with others while doing work, will lead to the creation of a suitable and usable environment.
A small change in the structure of a behaviour setting, the study indicates, can have a significant impact on the way of life and activities of residents. This work is often done in a simple but intelligent way by residents in their daily lives. The present study provides a practical image of behaviour settings to guide designers toward the right direction. Such work should be done, it is concluded, in real-life environments, with researchers having direct, intimate, and long-term contact with users. This hinders the present result from being generalised and used elsewhere.