Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Azin Ahmadi ¹
• Yaser Goldust ²
• Vida Makani ³

¹ Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

² Department of Architecture,, Faculty of Arts and Architecture University of Mazandaran,, Babolsar, Iran

³ Depatment of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

Abstract

With the expansion of apartment living and increasing residential density, attention to the quality of sociable spaces in residential complexes has emerged as a major concern in environmental design and management. Various studies have been conducted over the years to identify the factors affecting sociability in residential complexes design. However, owing to the context-specific nature of this concept, considerable diversity in perspectives and a lack of consensus among researchers remain evident. Accordingly, the present study seeks to address this knowledge gap and converge the fragmented findings of the existing literature by developing a classified list of the factors affecting sociability in residential complex design. In terms of its nature, this study falls within the category of qualitative research and adopts a meta-synthesis approach. The research population comprised Persian-language studies published in the National Publications Database between 2011 and 2025. The screening process was conducted sequentially at the title, abstract, and full-text levels. Of the 88 studies initially identified, 45 studies were ultimately included in the coding stage following screening, application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality assessment. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings indicated that, following the integration of semantically similar items and the removal of redundancies, the factors affecting sociability could be formulated into 21 concepts, which were organized into eight categories: legibility, social presence, conviviality, diversity, user health, facilities, aesthetic, and sense of place attachment. By converging the fragmented findings of previous studies, the results of this research can provide a useful basis for researchers, designers, and housing policymakers in decision-making related to the design of sociable spaces in residential complexes.

Keywords

• Sociability
• Residential Complexes
• Meta-synthesis
• Persian Language Research

Main Subjects

• Urban Design