Expressing Individuality through Polyvalent Interior Architecture

What interior architecture qualities and strategies enable first year students in university halls of residence to express their individuality as a means to maintain personal wellbeing? The aim of this research is to enable students in their first years of independent living to temporarily express their individuality within temporary pre-existing multi-occupancy accommodation. Through a variety of design research methodologies, this thesis will produce a design proposal that can be used as a precedent for future student accommodation. It will demonstrate successful interior architecture strategies and qualities that have been developed to fit the specific environment of student accommodation and culture. Overall, research showed student housing in Wellington is in need of improvement in order to have better impact on their well-being. The interior architecture of student accommodation in Wellington, provided by universities and private entities, lacks flexibility around personalization and providing common spaces that impact well-being. The lack of flexibility with the interior qualities limits how students can express their individuality in their temporary accommodation. Additionally, the repetitive interiors make it difficult for students to create a sense of individuality. In this context, temporary accommodation is defined as living environments close to university campuses that students occupy for relatively short time periods. This research elucidates the students’ belief that common spaces and facilities offered in their accommodation will have a great impact on their well-being and experience in the halls of residence. Its findings conclude that common spaces in student accommodation have the same impact to their well-being as their bedrooms. Furthermore, and most importantly for the study findings is that adaptable, flexible and polyvalent architecture are helpful strategies to design by in order to enable personalization, a positive living experience and healthy culture for students.