Understanding the user perceptions of the public and private threshold in intensive housing design in Wellington, New Zealand

© 2019 and published by the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA). This study investigates user perception of the public and private threshold within intensive housing in Wellington, New Zealand. The specific focus is to investigate the perception within the threshold that is the transitional area between the front door and the street curb. Two Wellington, New Zealand, based housing developments, The Altair complex (Newtown) and Britomart complex (Berhampore), were selected as case studies against specific criteria. These criteria promote a diverse target demographic to increase variability in results. Human experience within the public and private threshold are recorded and collated through a series of semi-structured interviews. The objective of the study is to understand the residents' personal opinion on the space; what works and what doesn't. The results are analysed and relevant literature is integrated to reveal trends and design implications. Ultimately, a set of guidelines and design implications are produced, which can be followed at a design level. These strategies aim to guide the design-phase in future industry projects, therefore, improving the human experience within intensive housing.