Elucidating the Dimensions of the Concept of Dwelling through a Phenomenological Approach in Informal Settlements: A Case Study of Mehr Housing Settlements in Hamadan, Iran

Abstract

Over the past decades, informal settlements have gradually emerged on the peripheries of cities beyond the framework of formal urban development, giving rise to numerous social, spatial, and environmental challenges. These settlements primarily provide physical accommodation while largely overlooking the broader notion of dwelling as a fundamental human experience. Their dormitory-oriented character has resulted in inadequate attention to the existential, social, and environmental dimensions of residential life. Accordingly, adopting a phenomenological perspective on the concept of dwelling is essential for designing living environments that respond to human needs and enhance residents' quality of life.

The primary objective of this study is to improve the quality of life in such settlements by revisiting the concept of dwelling and identifying design principles that can inform future housing policies. A mixed-methods research design was employed. In the first phase, a qualitative approach was used to identify the key dimensions of the concept of dwelling through systematic coding of the literature. In the second phase, the extracted dimensions were quantitatively evaluated using statistical analyses conducted in SPSS.

The findings indicate that, from the residents' perspective, the concept of dwelling is primarily shaped by four interrelated dimensions, ranked in order of importance: physical–spatial, social, environmental, and perceptual. The study concludes that human beings possess four corresponding levels of needs associated with different dimensions of life, and that achieving the authentic concept of dwelling requires addressing these needs through an integrated framework encompassing physical–spatial quality, social interaction, environmental responsiveness, and perceptual experience. These findings provide a conceptual foundation for developing human-centered design strategies and housing policies aimed at enhancing the livability of informal residential environments.