Modular and Flexible Residential Architecture: A Systematic Review

Growing urbanization, housing affordability pressures, and increasing sustainability demands have positioned modular and flexible design strategies as central approaches in contemporary residential architecture. Modularity enhances construction efficiency, reduces material waste, and accelerates delivery through the use of prefabricated, standardized components. Flexibility, in turn, enables spaces to adapt in configuration and function over time, responding to the evolving needs of occupants and communities. Following PRISMA 2020 guidance, a systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect academic databases resulting in 2140 records. After duplicate removal and sequential screening, 98 studies were included in the final review. The selected literature spans peer-reviewed journal articles and documented case studies, with emphasis on publications from 2015 onwards. The review identifies key advantages of modular and flexible residential systems, including cost-effectiveness, reduced environmental impact, and improved user satisfaction, while also highlighting persistent challenges such as regulatory barriers, standardization constraints, and limited interdisciplinary integration. The review contributes three synthesis outputs: a typology of modular residential systems, a critical comparison of modular–flexible strategies, and a cross-scale conceptual framework linking production logic, occupant adaptation, and sustainability outcomes. The findings underscore the potential of hybrid strategies that combine modular construction with flexible design principles to produce residential environments that are resilient, adaptable, and sustainable. The review provides structured insights and evidence-based recommendations for architects, planners, and policymakers involved in the development of future housing systems.