The Influence of Parking-Derived Structural Grid on Apartment Organisation

In contemporary multi-family housing construction, the structural grid is often influenced or conditionally determined by the dimensional logic of underground parking garages. When transferred to above-ground storeys, it directly defines façade frontage, building depth, and possibilities for apartment organisation. Previous research has mostly examined housing typology, dimensional standards, and structural systems as separate domains, while the influence of parking-derived structural grids has not been systematically analysed within a unified framework. This paper applies an analytical-comparative approach, comparing typical structural grids derived from parking modules with the minimum façade frontages required for different apartment types. The method includes identifying characteristic grid dimensions, defining minimum façade frontages based on normatively prescribed room widths, calculating deviations between required and available dimensions, and analysing individual and combined apartment units according to the criterion of minimal positive deviation, within the Serbian regulatory framework. The results show that the structural grid is a relevant factor in apartment organisation and typological structure. Certain grids enable more rational layouts with minimal spatial adjustments, while others generate dimensional surplus, excessive depth, or typological constraints. The study establishes a link between parking modules, structural grids, and apartment organisation, and proposes an analytical framework for evaluating their dimensional compatibility in multi-family housing design.