The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally transformed residential patterns, turning homes into hybrid spaces for work, education, recreation, and healthcare activities. This study aims to rethink post-pandemic home architecture by identifying a key adaptability feature for home confinement and proposing a theoretical model of residential adaptation under such conditions. The research data were derived from the analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews, 84 architectural documents, and 132 research sources, using grounded theory in three stages of coding.

Structural factors for residential adaptation were identified in the theoretical model developed based on the paradigm of causality. In response to these conditions, residents initiated actions to rearrange spatial elements within the home and alter their interrelations. The rearrangement of spatial elements resulted from substituting urban functions within the home and a heightened sensitivity to spatial details. The relationships among spaces were modified through strategies of boundary-making or boundary-breaking. Boundary-making involved the creation of spatial hierarchies and improvements in spatial circulation and layout while boundary-breaking addressed demands for spatial flexibility and expansion. These actions led to the emergence of new transitional spaces between existing areas of the home, termed "Liminal spaces." These spaces, discovered or created through residents' actions, were free from predefined labels of function or user and were inherently adaptable to accommodate new activities and needs. Interestingly, similar boundary-expanded spaces appear to have existed in traditional Iranian homes, where spaces were not labeled based on specific activities—perhaps contributing to the comfort and ease of living in such homes.

The "post-pandemic home," characterized by the presence of Liminal spaces, can be referred to as a "boundary home." This type of home introduces significant socio-spatial distinctions between residents and the home itself. Notable effects include increased resident agency, enhanced spatial usability, greater attentiveness to others, improved resilience and fluidity, and stronger connections to the natural environment. From a topological perspective, these homes feature more fluid functional domains, and from a morphological standpoint, they exhibit greater porosity. This study proposes a post-pandemic home architecture that involves retracting existing spaces to create Liminal spaces, facilitating intermediate choices across various spatial spectrums—such as interaction versus individual seclusion or contamination versus cleanliness—and thereby addressing similar future crises effectively.