Objective: This study systematically examines the relationship between folding architecture, horizontality, and social sustainability, with particular attention to their contribution to inclusive and human-centered environments.
Method: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, literature was searched in Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. ResearchGate was used only to retrieve full-text versions of studies identified through the main search sources. After screening against predefined eligibility criteria, 38 studies were included and analyzed thematically.
Results: The synthesis identified distinct but complementary roles for folding and horizontality. Folding was associated primarily with spatial flexibility, permeability, adaptability, and layered spatial organization, whereas horizontality was associated with decentralization, distributed accessibility, reduced spatial hierarchy, and spatial equity. Their overlap was most evident where flexible and permeable configurations supported interaction, participation, inclusion, cultural identity, and belonging. The review also identified intermediate behavioral mechanisms through which spatial configurations may influence social outcomes, including opportunities for movement and encounter, flexibility of use, participatory processes, and contextual responsiveness.
Conclusions: Folding architecture and horizontality should be understood as complementary and partially overlapping rather than hierarchical approaches. Their contribution to social sustainability depends on contextual conditions, user needs, and the translation of formal and organizational principles into accessible and socially responsive environments. Because the available evidence remains largely conceptual and qualitative, further comparative and empirical research using measurable social indicators is needed across diverse cultural and geographic settings.