Master thesis, Master of science in Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design with specialization in Business Administration Field of research: Business Administration, School of Business & Economics University: Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden Course code: 5FE07E Semester: Spring 2017 Author: Elias Gentili Examiner: Saara Taalas Tutor: Lena Olaison Title: Exploring Wellbeing in Small and Unconventional Dwellings Subtitle: Understanding living in small and unconventional dwellings through a multi- dimensional perspective of space Background: Urbanization and densification is happening in practically all parts of the world. Cities are becoming bigger, and questions about accessibility to the urban areas is a concern. Difficulties in finding affordable accommodation is one, and another one is wellbeing in homes. With the recent interests in the increasing tiny house movement, living solutions that are affordable, simple, and small are gaining in popularity. This is happening partly as a reaction to that the average home size in many parts of the western world have been increasing dramatically in the last decades. Both building regulation institutions and research are often connecting small space living with negative effects on wellbeing. But the tiny house movement seem to show that people can live well also in small dwellings outside of such regulations. The question of what brings wellbeing to a homes has never been more relevant, and the area of small and unconventional housing is lacking research. Research question: What is wellbeing living in small and unconventional homes? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of wellbeing in small and unconventional homes. The objective of this research is to provide a holistic understanding of wellbeing in such homes, by going beyond firstspace and secondspace dimensions, into a thirdspace perspective. Method: Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and observations of people chosing to live in small and unconventional dwellings. A thematical analysis strategy suitable for new concept development was adopted. An abductive approach was applied in order to frame the study being multi disciplinary, and in order to obtain increased understandings of the study phenomenon. However, the study focused heavily on the empirical data from my study. Conclusion: This study found that the wellbeing is experienced as a totality of different dimensions: not only does the physical dwelling in itself provide for wellbeing, but also dimensions relating to thoughts, meanings and lived experiences they associate to their dwellings. A holistic perspective is what best can provide an understanding of their experienced wellbeing, where physical, mental and lived dimensions are combined. Furthermore was found that the dwellings can work as facilitators to achieve wellbeing on several levels both relating to their inner space in their dwellings, bringing in other spatialities, and for their lives as a whole. Keywords: Small space living, tiny house movement, experienced wellbeing at home, housing beyond traditions and conventions, influences of spatialities, spatial theory
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-67430 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Gentili, Elias |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för organisation och entreprenörskap (OE) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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