Every era produces its own vocabulary : an analysis of the apartment typology

Abstract

"There is no doubt whatsoever about the influence of architecture and structure upon human character and action. We make our buildings and afterwards they make us. They regulate the course of our lives" (Churchill, 1924). The aim of the study is to probe into and attempt to unveil the reasons why the apartment has developed into the most popular building typology in the Maltese islands. Architecture acts as a storyteller portraying the lifestyles of the inhabitant that are imprinted both visibly and invisibly in the built fabric. Therefore, the study will investigate how architecture communicates values and norms, that are ultimately mirrored in one's lifestyle and subsequently engraved in the built fabric. The study adopts a deductive approach to research. Given the transdisciplinary nature of the study, interlacing into the sociocultural and economic fields, it was necessary to apply a mixed method of research as a tool to answer the research question. The explanatory sequential design tool was adopted where the quantitative phase took place first by distributing a survey after which the qualitative phase followed based on the results obtained. From the research carried out, it resulted that cultural background, economic power, status and career are all ingredients that formulate values and behaviour, which in turn are reflected in lifestyle. Lifestyle is ultimately mirrored in housing typologies through various aspects: spatial organisation, the sizes and spaces within the layout, as well as the significance and affordance of each room. Lifestyle is not static since the sociocultural and economic scenarios are constantly evolving. This is reflected in the way housing is morphed both from an internal layout (significance of rooms) and also externally (streetscapes, skylines). This link between lifestyle and housing was analysed further through the lifestyle theories, which though still applicable, cannot be interpreted in their raw form. One can deduce that the apartment typology is and will continue to be the most prevalent typology since it is affordable by a range of income brackets and is compatible with the current lifestyle. The research carried out portrays how apartment typologies became more utilitarian as well as how the outdoors is perceived as an extension of the home.