The purpose of this study is to identify the planning features of residential complexes that are people-friendly, nature-friendly and ones that improve the quality of the complex through sustainable design elements found in the apartment community space. Eight environment-friendly apartment complexes in the Seoul metropolitan area were researched for case studies. Sustainable design was categorized into three areas a) social sustainability b) economic sustainability c) ecological sustainability. The result of this research is as follows. First, there were variations in the application of sustainable design among the apartment complexes. Apartment complexes with relatively small number of households, consisting of 20~40 pyung (approximately 60.3~120.3㎡) size apartments showed low levels of application. Second, when sustainable design was categorized into three areas social, economic, and ecological sustainability, social sustainability was applied the most while economic sustainability was applied the least to the design. These appeared as different forms of community space, design with space connectivity, utilizing the space beneath the piloti for playing and relaxing. Third, characteristics of sustainable design were more apparent in area planning than facilities planning. Space planning elements such as pedestrian road, barrier free design, promenades within the complex, water space etc were planned in various forms in connection with the other spaces. However, facilities planning elements such as using recyclable material, recycling rain water and ground water and alternative energy facilities showed low levels of sustainable design application.