Working at home and sustainable living : architecture and planning implications

The goal of this thesis is to determine the correlation between the practice of working at home and the theoretical needs of sustainable living. The author presents a brief synopsis of the present theories of sustainability which he then uses as an evaluative backdrop for the study. Urban transport, architectural design and quality of life issues are addressed. The author conducted an extensive literature review, several case studies and a survey. Conclusions drawn from these studies were used to attempt to envision sustainable home working communities.It was found that sustainability was directly related to whether the home worker telecommutes or operates a home-based business. Home-based business owners continue to be heavily reliant on automobile transportation, while telecommuters make fewer overall trips and travel shorter distances than conventional commuters. Although neither work type demands significant changes to the infrastructure of the typical residence, home-based businesses require more space and more attention to design. Telecommuting has potential adverse side effects of personal isolation and physical strain. To ensure the sustainability of working at home, the practice must be adopted as an integral part of a larger transformation on the scale of the local community