The concept of family is significantly changing. The traditional structure in which grandparents, parents and children all lived in the same house gradually gave way to the nuclear family, and nowadays even that structure cannot truly be called the norm.
Seen particularly in urban areas, the newest form of the family is that of people choosing to live alone.
Many would argue that one person does not make a family, but we feel we are witnessing a new social structure by positively expressing living alone also a family. Traditionally, links with the local community were thought to be formed through ones family, but as exemplified by the internet communities, a new social framework has appeared, in which people make contact directly with individuals around the world and join their circles without going through any particular local or national community. It can be said that the traditional social networks through families based on marriages and bloodlines are giving way to a new structure because of this ever-growing "individualization" of human beings.
A housing unit designed for one person would be totally different from a house designed for a family. The fact that a person is living alone does not mean that that person does not have any social contact. People spend time with their partners and friends, and via the internet they may have contact with countless people around the world. A one-person home becomes a flexible space for all different kinds of social interactions.
In other words, a one-person home is not a space just for the person who lives there. In the course of the day, many different relationships may grow. A new definition of living alone is born through an investigation into this space.
In section C of the DT Design Awards, we would like to discover new concepts of one-person home, which do not mean simply building housing units which are the right size for one person, but which are more in tune with this new age of individual lifestyles.
Living spaces are highly influenced by local and national cultures. Therefore, we have not set any general rules and conditions for this assignment.
Under the overall theme of "Universality through Individuality", proposals in this section should be for interiors specially designed for yourself in line with your own culture and personal needs, and within that, we will look for universal themes for single living.
No rules have been drawn up regarding the area of the dwelling, ceiling height or environment, etc. Feel free to decide these in accordance with your ideas.
However, your proposal must be for a viable and constructible home. We are not looking for dream visions. We would like to turn your proposals into real one-person homes.
