Reterritorializing Chinese Living Space Apartments in Singapore

Abstract

A home can be more than just a house or a place to live in. A home is a place where a person can express his feelings privately (personal) and socially (public). As in Chinese traditional houses, a home can give a concrete form of significant ethical relations between the horizontal hierarchy (within the family) and vertical hierarchy (with God). The shape of the traditional Chinese house has a unique arrangement of space. The house has a wall to protect them from intruders and bad conditions. The family's ancestor altar in the main hall which is connected to the bedrooms reveal the relationship of the family, and the courtyard represents a space to show their relationship with God. The arrangement of the living spaces show how they were reterritorializing their private and public spaces. Due to the flocking of population in Singapore, lack of space and modernity, the Chinese Singaporeans are rapidly replacing one-story traditional homes to multi-leveled apartments. Old and big extended family patterns like in the traditional Chinese houses are no longer present. They are breaking up the family into separate living units and reterritorializing their private and public space. Reterritorializing means migrating their previous territory of space and making a new territory in the new place. The examples of this phenomenon of reterritorializing of space is: putting God's worship outside their apartment's door or the corridor and putting the service area (kitchen) that used to be in the private area to the public area of the house.

Rethinking territoriality concept on public space after pandemic COVID-19

“…The territory defined as a restricted space where a person or group of people uses and maintains it as an exclusive space and involves identification, psychological environmental place, symbolizing it with possessive conduct and organizing objects in the area. While J. Douglas Porteous (1976) in Zubaidi and de Yong [9], [15] defined the concept of territoriality as a spatial behavior that involves special control of space by individuals or groups of users that are intraspecific in nature involving animosity and giving the individual or group of users the policy to use and defend the space. Altman in Lang [14] defined territorial behavior as a mechanism of self-limiting and self-regulating behavior that involves personalizing or claiming a place or object and communicating that the place is already owned by a person or group of user.…”

“…Altman in Lang [14] defined territorial behavior as a mechanism of self-limiting and self-regulating behavior that involves personalizing or claiming a place or object and communicating that the place is already owned by a person or group of user. Delaney in de Yong [8], [9] describe territory as providing security to those inside from those ever present dangers located outside. While Rapoport in de Yong [9], [10] defined territory as area where are claimed or maintained through ruler-symbol and physical attribute.…”

“…Delaney in de Yong [8], [9] describe territory as providing security to those inside from those ever present dangers located outside. While Rapoport in de Yong [9], [10] defined territory as area where are claimed or maintained through ruler-symbol and physical attribute. As the result of this literature review describe that the concept of territoriality is associated with the activity of users and spatial behavior of users while defending space using symbols, identity, and personalization in the space itself.…”

“…These new adaptations in the public space and built environment are changing our way of using the space by limiting the activity and use of the public space and built environment, increasing physical-social distancing between people, and creating territory. Delaney in de Yong [8], [9] described territory as providing security to those inside from those ever present dangers located outside. While Rapoport and Pearson in de Yong [9], [10] defined territory as area where are claimed or maintained through ruler-symbol and physical attribute.…”

“…Delaney in de Yong [8], [9] described territory as providing security to those inside from those ever present dangers located outside. While Rapoport and Pearson in de Yong [9], [10] defined territory as area where are claimed or maintained through ruler-symbol and physical attribute. Before COVID-19, the territory concept applied in the public space is such no boundary or surveillance and less defensible space.…”