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A MODULAR DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR ADAPTIVE HUMAN-PET SHARED LIVING
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The relationship between humans, domestic environments, and companion animals has undergone significant transformation in contemporary society. As companion animals increasingly become recognized as integral members of households, residential spaces are required to accommodate more complex relationships, behaviors, and patterns of interaction. At the same time, changing lifestyles, including urbanization, reduced residential areas, remote working patterns, and flexible household structures, have challenged conventional approaches to residential design.
Traditional furniture design has primarily focused on human-centered functions, while pet-related products have generally been developed as independent objects addressing specific animal needs. Although these approaches have improved usability and functionality, they often create fragmented living environments in which human activities and companion animal behaviors are separated rather than integrated. This separation limits spatial adaptability and overlooks the potential of furniture systems to support emotional relationships, shared experiences, and long-term evolution within contemporary homes.
This research explores a shift from viewing furniture as static objects toward understanding furniture as adaptive residential infrastructure capable of responding to changing relationships between humans, companion animals, and domestic environments. Through the development of the Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF), this study proposes a modular design methodology for creating inclusive, flexible, and sustainable shared living environments.
Research Gap and Objective
Existing research in residential design, modular furniture, human-centered design, and pet-oriented products has generated valuable knowledge regarding usability, flexibility, and specialized functional requirements. However, these approaches typically address humans and companion animals as separate design subjects. Human-centered furniture primarily prioritizes human activities, while pet furniture generally exists as an additional category positioned within the home rather than integrated into the overall living system.
Similarly, existing modular design applications often focus on manufacturing efficiency, spatial optimization, customization, or product variation. Although modular systems provide significant opportunities for adaptability, their potential as a strategy for supporting multi-species shared living environments remains insufficiently explored.
This research identifies a critical gap: the absence of a systematic design framework that integrates human needs, companion animal behaviors, spatial adaptability, emotional interaction, and sustainable product evolution within a unified residential design approach.
Therefore, this study addresses the following research question:
How can modular system thinking support the development of adaptive shared living environments that integrate the spatial, functional, and emotional needs of humans and companion animals?
To answer this question, the research introduces the Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF) as a transferable design methodology. Rather than proposing a single furniture solution, the framework establishes a broader approach for designing adaptive residential systems that can evolve alongside changing household conditions.
Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF)
The Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework is developed as a systems-oriented methodology that redefines furniture from an independent object into an adaptive spatial infrastructure. The framework proposes that future residential design should not only satisfy immediate functional requirements but also support continuous adaptation, interaction, and evolution.
The ASLDF consists of five interconnected design dimensions:
1. Shared Spatial Integration
This dimension focuses on integrating human and companion animal activities within a unified domestic environment. Instead of separating pet functions into isolated zones, the framework explores how shared spaces can encourage coexistence, visibility, accessibility, and interaction.
2. Adaptive Modularity
Modularity is considered not only as a manufacturing strategy but as a mechanism for spatial evolution. Through standardized and reconfigurable components, living environments can adjust to different residential layouts, household structures, and changing user requirements without requiring complete replacement.
3. Behavior-Responsive Configuration
The framework emphasizes that spatial organization should respond to actual behavioral patterns rather than predetermined product categories. Human routines, animal movement, resting preferences, and interaction behaviors become essential references for creating adaptive configurations.
4. Emotional Coexistence
Beyond functional performance, shared living environments should support emotional relationships between humans and companion animals. Design is therefore considered a medium for strengthening companionship, interaction, and everyday experiences within the home.
5. Lifecycle Sustainability
The framework promotes long-term sustainability by extending product life through transformation, expansion, and reconfiguration. Instead of replacing furniture when needs change, adaptive systems allow continuous adjustment and reduce material waste.
Together, these five dimensions establish a transferable methodology for designing future residential environments that accommodate diverse forms of living.
Framework Development Methodology
The development of ASLDF follows a Research through Design methodology, where design practice functions as both an investigative process and a means of generating knowledge. The research combines contextual observation, behavioral analysis, modular system development, iterative prototyping, and practical implementation.
The process begins with the examination of contemporary household environments and the changing relationship between humans and companion animals. Through observation of daily activities, spatial conflicts, movement patterns, and interaction behaviors, key opportunities for shared living design are identified.
These insights are translated into spatial strategies and modular principles. Rather than defining fixed furniture forms, the research explores adaptable systems capable of generating multiple configurations according to different living conditions. Prototype development and iterative refinement are then used to evaluate how modular structures can support flexibility, usability, and emotional interaction.
Through this iterative process, design observations are transformed into broader principles, allowing the ASLDF framework to emerge from practical experimentation rather than from theoretical assumptions alone.
Validation Through Design Practice
The ASLDF is validated through the development of a modular human–pet furniture system as a practical proof of concept. The project demonstrates how the framework can be translated into a real residential design application through modular components that support multiple functions, including resting, climbing, feeding, interaction, and spatial organization.
The system applies adaptive modularity by allowing users to freely configure components according to different home environments and changing needs. Rather than creating a fixed pet product, the design establishes an expandable spatial system that can evolve with household conditions.
The project also demonstrates shared spatial integration by combining human and companion animal activities within the same living environment. Circular openings, connected pathways, and multifunctional modules encourage interaction while maintaining independent behavioral choices for both users.
Furthermore, the modular structure supports lifecycle sustainability by enabling adjustment, expansion, and reconfiguration instead of product replacement. This approach extends functional lifespan and provides a more sustainable alternative to conventional furniture models.
As a design implementation of ASLDF, the project demonstrates that modular systems can serve as adaptive residential infrastructure capable of supporting contemporary multi-species living environments.
Preliminary Findings and Design Contribution
The preliminary findings indicate that modular system thinking can provide a valuable strategy for addressing emerging challenges in residential design. By combining spatial adaptability, behavioral responsiveness, emotional interaction, and lifecycle sustainability, the ASLDF expands the role of furniture from functional objects toward dynamic living systems.
The research contributes a conceptual and practical framework for future shared living environments. Although initially explored through human–pet relationships, the principles of ASLDF may be extended to broader residential contexts, including flexible housing, small-space living, aging populations, and future adaptive environments.
Rather than defining furniture as a static product category, this research proposes that future furniture systems should be understood as adaptive infrastructures that continuously support evolving relationships between people, environments, and other living beings.
The study represents an ongoing exploration of how design can respond to increasingly diverse forms of domestic life and provides a foundation for further research into adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable residential systems.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The relationship between humans, domestic environments, and companion animals has undergone significant transformation in contemporary society. As companion animals increasingly become recognized as integral members of households, residential spaces are required to accommodate more complex relationships, behaviors, and patterns of interaction. At the same time, changing lifestyles, including urbanization, reduced residential areas, remote working patterns, and flexible household structures, have challenged conventional approaches to residential design.
Traditional furniture design has primarily focused on human-centered functions, while pet-related products have generally been developed as independent objects addressing specific animal needs. Although these approaches have improved usability and functionality, they often create fragmented living environments in which human activities and companion animal behaviors are separated rather than integrated. This separation limits spatial adaptability and overlooks the potential of furniture systems to support emotional relationships, shared experiences, and long-term evolution within contemporary homes.
This research explores a shift from viewing furniture as static objects toward understanding furniture as adaptive residential infrastructure capable of responding to changing relationships between humans, companion animals, and domestic environments. Through the development of the Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF), this study proposes a modular design methodology for creating inclusive, flexible, and sustainable shared living environments.
Research Gap and Objective
Existing research in residential design, modular furniture, human-centered design, and pet-oriented products has generated valuable knowledge regarding usability, flexibility, and specialized functional requirements. However, these approaches typically address humans and companion animals as separate design subjects. Human-centered furniture primarily prioritizes human activities, while pet furniture generally exists as an additional category positioned within the home rather than integrated into the overall living system.
Similarly, existing modular design applications often focus on manufacturing efficiency, spatial optimization, customization, or product variation. Although modular systems provide significant opportunities for adaptability, their potential as a strategy for supporting multi-species shared living environments remains insufficiently explored.
This research identifies a critical gap: the absence of a systematic design framework that integrates human needs, companion animal behaviors, spatial adaptability, emotional interaction, and sustainable product evolution within a unified residential design approach.
Therefore, this study addresses the following research question:
How can modular system thinking support the development of adaptive shared living environments that integrate the spatial, functional, and emotional needs of humans and companion animals?
To answer this question, the research introduces the Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF) as a transferable design methodology. Rather than proposing a single furniture solution, the framework establishes a broader approach for designing adaptive residential systems that can evolve alongside changing household conditions.
Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework (ASLDF)
The Adaptive Shared Living Design Framework is developed as a systems-oriented methodology that redefines furniture from an independent object into an adaptive spatial infrastructure. The framework proposes that future residential design should not only satisfy immediate functional requirements but also support continuous adaptation, interaction, and evolution.
The ASLDF consists of five interconnected design dimensions:
1. Shared Spatial Integration
This dimension focuses on integrating human and companion animal activities within a unified domestic environment. Instead of separating pet functions into isolated zones, the framework explores how shared spaces can encourage coexistence, visibility, accessibility, and interaction.
2. Adaptive Modularity
Modularity is considered not only as a manufacturing strategy but as a mechanism for spatial evolution. Through standardized and reconfigurable components, living environments can adjust to different residential layouts, household structures, and changing user requirements without requiring complete replacement.
3. Behavior-Responsive Configuration
The framework emphasizes that spatial organization should respond to actual behavioral patterns rather than predetermined product categories. Human routines, animal movement, resting preferences, and interaction behaviors become essential references for creating adaptive configurations.
4. Emotional Coexistence
Beyond functional performance, shared living environments should support emotional relationships between humans and companion animals. Design is therefore considered a medium for strengthening companionship, interaction, and everyday experiences within the home.
5. Lifecycle Sustainability
The framework promotes long-term sustainability by extending product life through transformation, expansion, and reconfiguration. Instead of replacing furniture when needs change, adaptive systems allow continuous adjustment and reduce material waste.
Together, these five dimensions establish a transferable methodology for designing future residential environments that accommodate diverse forms of living.
Framework Development Methodology
The development of ASLDF follows a Research through Design methodology, where design practice functions as both an investigative process and a means of generating knowledge. The research combines contextual observation, behavioral analysis, modular system development, iterative prototyping, and practical implementation.
The process begins with the examination of contemporary household environments and the changing relationship between humans and companion animals. Through observation of daily activities, spatial conflicts, movement patterns, and interaction behaviors, key opportunities for shared living design are identified.
These insights are translated into spatial strategies and modular principles. Rather than defining fixed furniture forms, the research explores adaptable systems capable of generating multiple configurations according to different living conditions. Prototype development and iterative refinement are then used to evaluate how modular structures can support flexibility, usability, and emotional interaction.
Through this iterative process, design observations are transformed into broader principles, allowing the ASLDF framework to emerge from practical experimentation rather than from theoretical assumptions alone.
Validation Through Design Practice
The ASLDF is validated through the development of a modular human–pet furniture system as a practical proof of concept. The project demonstrates how the framework can be translated into a real residential design application through modular components that support multiple functions, including resting, climbing, feeding, interaction, and spatial organization.
The system applies adaptive modularity by allowing users to freely configure components according to different home environments and changing needs. Rather than creating a fixed pet product, the design establishes an expandable spatial system that can evolve with household conditions.
The project also demonstrates shared spatial integration by combining human and companion animal activities within the same living environment. Circular openings, connected pathways, and multifunctional modules encourage interaction while maintaining independent behavioral choices for both users.
Furthermore, the modular structure supports lifecycle sustainability by enabling adjustment, expansion, and reconfiguration instead of product replacement. This approach extends functional lifespan and provides a more sustainable alternative to conventional furniture models.
As a design implementation of ASLDF, the project demonstrates that modular systems can serve as adaptive residential infrastructure capable of supporting contemporary multi-species living environments.
Preliminary Findings and Design Contribution
The preliminary findings indicate that modular system thinking can provide a valuable strategy for addressing emerging challenges in residential design. By combining spatial adaptability, behavioral responsiveness, emotional interaction, and lifecycle sustainability, the ASLDF expands the role of furniture from functional objects toward dynamic living systems.
The research contributes a conceptual and practical framework for future shared living environments. Although initially explored through human–pet relationships, the principles of ASLDF may be extended to broader residential contexts, including flexible housing, small-space living, aging populations, and future adaptive environments.
Rather than defining furniture as a static product category, this research proposes that future furniture systems should be understood as adaptive infrastructures that continuously support evolving relationships between people, environments, and other living beings.
The study represents an ongoing exploration of how design can respond to increasingly diverse forms of domestic life and provides a foundation for further research into adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable residential systems.