The Evolution of Apartment Layouts... "Now Is the Era of Bespoke"

Consumers Choose Floor Plans and Modify Interior Layouts
Market Shifts from Supplier-Centered to Consumer-Centered

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Wanyong] Apartment interior floor plans are becoming more diverse. Instead of standardized layouts like 2-bay or 4-bay, apartments with customizable floor plans that residents can choose from are emerging one after another. These are so-called 'Bespoke Floor Plan' apartments. This evolution in floor plans reflects construction companies' differentiation strategies aimed at satisfying increasingly discerning consumers.

According to the construction industry on the 18th, major construction companies are competing to introduce customized floor plan designs. Most recently, SK Ecoplant launched its premium housing brand 'DEFINE' and introduced residential products featuring groundbreaking floor plans. At the time of sale, customers can directly select one of various floor plan structures tailored to their lifestyle, and even after moving in, they can modify all interior layouts, including the kitchen and bathroom.

Some construction companies have even created brands dedicated to customized floor plan designs. DL E&C’s 'C2 House' is one such example. It offers differentiated spatial designs that allow free opening or partitioning of spaces by leaving only the minimum necessary load-bearing walls in the master bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

Hyundai Construction has developed 'Transforming Wall & Furniture' to expand and efficiently utilize limited residential spaces beyond just differentiating floor plans. This system allows walls to be moved to expand and change indoor spaces and can be used for various purposes such as dining, telecommuting, and storage. It can be moved with the push of a button without upper or lower rails and is designed to withstand heavy loads.

The emergence of these customized floor plan apartments signifies a shift from a supplier-centered market to a consumer-centered one. Apartments built in the past, although varying slightly by era, were constructed with uniform floor plan structures.

In the 1990s, when apartments firmly established themselves as residential facilities, 2-bay, 3-room layouts (based on 84㎡ exclusive area) were predominant. In the 2000s, as more consumers desired multiple rooms and living spaces, the 84㎡ layout evolved into a 3-bay structure.

From the mid-2010s, consumer-centered changes in apartment floor plans began in earnest. Even within the same 84㎡ exclusive area, floor plans enhancing space utilization such as 3-bay, 4-bay, and 4.5-bay appeared. Especially considering housewives’ preferences, increasing various storage spaces and using movable walls in floor plans gained popularity among customers, leading to today’s consumer-centered customized floor plans.

The construction industry anticipates that as consumers’ lifestyles become more diverse and individualistic, the evolution of customized floor plans will accelerate further.

An SK Ecoplant official said, “Even residents living in the same apartment have different living patterns and ways of utilizing space,” adding, “As consumers’ expectations for space utilization rise, the evolution of apartment floor plans will continue.”