Observing Spatial Change in Malaysian Terraced House Design Through the Context of Working from Home

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many individuals and families to work from home (WFH), a condition where employees perform their role from home instead of in an office environment, hence increasing the need for appropriate home workspaces and improved work-life balance. In Malaysia, the terrace house represents the most prevalent housing type for Malaysian middle-income families, but its space limitation, lack of natural lighting and ventilation, and rigid planning provide challenges for accommodating WFH requirements. This study intends to investigate the impact of working from home (WFH) on the spatial design of Malaysian terraced houses. By using qualitative case study method, this study explores such an impact on nine double-storey terraced houses located in Shah Alam and Puncak Alam townships. The terraced type of selection involved modified and unmodified conditions ranging from the link, intermediate, end lot and corner units. Further, the respondents are the homeowners, characterized as a nuclear family which belongs to a middle-class group of higher educational sectors that is compatible with the nature of WFH.  Through interview and house observation, this study applied content analysis and comparative study as analytical methods. The findings suggest that the success of WFH in terraced houses is determined by the notion of ‘dedicated shared workspace’, which is influenced by lifestyle preferences, spatial perception and spatial proximity. Such a condition indicates a reconciliation between dedicated and shared spaces, where it provides specificity within an integrated space and promotes commonality in individuality, which is beneficial for the development of a particular organization, in this case, household growth.