The Adaptive Home: Supplementary Space Design for an Uncertain Future

This book aims to provide a comprehensive guide for architects, urban planners, and developer on designing and retrofitting multi-family housing to meet the evolving needs of residents in a post-COVID world.

Drawing on extensive research and case studies, it illustrates how the concept of "supplementary space" can be integrated into multi-family dwellings to enhance adaptability and resilience. The book demonstrates how emerging needs, such as working from home, can be accommodated through innovative design strategies that promote flexibility without compromising the overall integrity of the living space. Using a systems approach and the principles of Open Building, this work presents practical guidelines for incorporating supplementary spaces into various housing typologies. It explores how these adaptable spaces can be materialized using industrialized building systems and Design for Disassembly (DfD) approaches, ensuring long-term sustainability and reducing waste. The book also addresses the critical balance between individual needs and collective living in multi-family housing, offering solutions that enhance privacy, productivity, and well-being.

By bridging theory and practice, this book seeks to transform how we conceive and construct multi-family housing. It provides a roadmap for creating homes that can evolve with changing lifestyles, demographic shifts, and unforeseen global challenges. Ultimately, this work aims to contribute to the development of more resilient, sustainable, and human-centered urban environments that can adapt to future needs while improving the quality of life for residents.

Sam Moshaver is an Assistant Professor in the School of Architecture at Florida International University's College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts in Miami, where he contributes to both teaching and research in interior design and architecture. He holds a PhD in Environmental Design from the Université de Montréal, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective to his scholarship. His research centers on design methods and environment–behavior studies, with particular emphasis on flexibility in housing and the ways in which the built environment shapes human experience and well-being. As Director of the CoDEC Research Lab (Collaboratory for Design, Environment, and Cognition) within FIU's School of Architecture, Dr. Moshaver leads interdisciplinary investigations at the intersection of design, human factors, and cognitive science. His current projects include student housing for individuals with developmental disabilities (supported by the American Society of Interior Designers), neurodiversity in workplace environments, and the integration of digital media into design pedagogy and studio education.

Bertug Ozarisoy is an Assistant Professor in Architectural Engineering in the College of Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and He is a Visiting Fellow in the College of Technology and Environment at the London Southbank University (LSBU). His work bridges architectural design, building performance evaluation and energy policy, with particular emphasis on passive cooling and thermal comfort. He has authored books with Routledge including Transgressive Design Strategies for Utopian Cities and Energy Policy Design in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin and contributes regularly to journals on energy efficiency and thermal comfort.