The provision and use of communal spaces in high-rise residential buildings for social interaction, findings from in-depth interviews

This study aims to examine the communal spaces in low-income high-rise residential buildings and their impacts on social interactions. Whether or not high-rise housing is suitable for people’s needs depends not only on the apartment unit or building but also on the immediate surroundings of the housing estate. This study, therefore, will investigate social interaction in the communal space within the building (circulation areas and shared facilities) and the immediate surroundings (outdoor spaces). In-depth interviews were undertaken in 2019 to investigate residents’ social interactions and space uses for different forms of social interactions, drawing on four different high-rise building complexes in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. The findings of this study show that residents’ social interaction takes place spontaneously in common spaces adjunct to their homes and buildings (e.g. corridors, lift lobbies, and front yards). The lack of shared spaces and the spaces misused in these housing have been seen to create conflicts and annoyance among residents.