This study presents a design approach that relates humanizing concepts to the environmental quality of multifamily housing. The conception of a more humane and sustainable dwelling suggests interdisciplinary theoretical engagement as a contribution to the design process. Selected patterns among those identified by Christopher Alexander and colleagues in 1977 were interpreted as design parameters that can be comprised by humanizing concepts, whose relevance was verified through the analysis of a comprehensive set of award-winning designs. These concepts require effective compatibility among the different possibilities suggested by the design parameters, and are equally fundamental for design quality as a whole. The synthetic and open character of the approach, combined with programming and site specificities allow for and recommend further contributions towards the consolidation of a humanizing knowledge base for the design process that fosters the improvement of more sustainable multifamily housing solutions.
Multifamily housing; Design process; Humanization; Sustainability