Sara Kaurin

BEYOND THE ROOM

Beyond the Room explores the gap between how residential architecture is designed and how it is actually lived in. The thesis began with an investigation into comfort, not as a visual or stylistic quality, but as a condition of everyday life. An attempt to identify a universal definition of comfort quickly failed. Conversations with different people revealed that comfort is highly individual and shaped by personal habits, routines, and experiences. This realization marked a turning point in the project.

The focus shifted from abstract standards to everyday behavior. Morning routines, bodily rhythms, small gestures, and evening rituals became central to the investigation. These actions quietly structure how spaces are used, yet they are largely ignored in conventional housing design. In parallel, the thesis examines the development of housing standardization, from early norms to contemporary, market-driven metrics. Within this system, housing is reduced to measurable parameters such as area, efficiency, and cost, while the dweller is treated as a neutral user. Individual preferences, rituals, and personal comfort are not part of this framework.

To better understand this disconnection, the project analyzes lived spaces, including my own current and former apartments. These studies revealed recurring needs and frustrations that could not be addressed through standardized layouts. Comfort emerged as situational and changeable, influenced by memory, routine, and daily behavior. Despite this, residential architecture continues to rely on universal solutions, exposing a structural limitation in current design approaches.

In response, Beyond the Room proposes a procedural design method that places lived experience at the center of the design process. The method consists of three steps: documenting lived spaces through recorded walkthroughs, organizing and prioritizing spatial needs based on observed behavior, and translating these priorities into iterative design proposals. Personal objects that accompany the dweller from one home to another are treated as integral design elements rather than afterthoughts.

The method does not prescribe a specific aesthetic or architectural language. Instead, it provides a structured approach that supports individual design decisions while preserving architectural authorship. The thesis concludes with the design of five residential units, each shaped by different priorities and exhibiting a distinct spatial and visual character. Together, they demonstrate an alternative approach to housing design one that grows directly from the life of the dweller.

Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien