International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

Rethinking the Territory of the Home in the Internet Age: A Conceptual Framework for the Interaction Between the Physical Body and Cyberspace

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Negar Faramarzi Fard 1
Ehsan Gholamzadeh 1
Yasser Amir Sardari 2
1 Department of Architecture, Bo.C., Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran
2 Department of Architecture, Do.C., Islamic Azad University, Doroud, Iran
10.22034/ijumes.2026.2094271.1384
Abstract
The expansion of virtual platforms and the pervasive penetration of internet infrastructures into everyday life have brought the physical boundaries of the home into a new phase of transformation, so that the territory of dwelling is no longer defined merely within the limits of walls and material demarcations, but is formed and extended in a continuous connection with cyberspace. The present research therefore aims to rethink the concept of the home’s territory in the internet age and to explain the manner of interaction between the physical body and cyberspace. Methodologically, the study is designed as a qualitative conceptual investigation that combines an integrative literature review with a theory-synthesis approach to conceptual model building. Sources published between 1966 and 2024 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The findings show that the boundaries of the home in the internet age have shifted from a rigid, linear state to a permeable, multilayered, and networked structure, and that the territory of dwelling takes shape as a hybrid condition between physical and cyber space. On this basis, the article presents a conceptual model of the hybrid home territory comprising three levels: physical, digital, and interactive. The model is articulated through four theoretical propositions and introduces the notion of the digital threshold as the mediating mechanism that couples the physical and digital territorial layers. This model can provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the contemporary transformations of the home and for rethinking the spatial organization of the home in the internet age.

Graphical Abstract

Rethinking the Territory of the Home in the Internet Age: A Conceptual Framework for the Interaction Between the Physical Body and Cyberspace

Highlights

●        Rethinks the home’s territory in the internet age as a hybrid condition.

●        Home boundaries shift from rigid and linear to permeable and networked.

●        Cyberspace extends rather than erases the home’s physical boundaries.

●        Proposes a three-level model: physical, digital and interactive layers.

●        Territory emerges from the interplay of built form and network.

Keywords
Architectural territory
boundary
cyberspace
digital threshold
home territory
hybrid space
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International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 July 2026

  • Receive Date 14 April 2026
  • Revise Date 01 July 2026
  • Accept Date 20 July 2026