A Design Guide for Contemporary Saudi Arabian Homes in Riyadh
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Citation: Almehrej, Majid Ibrahim (2015) A Design Guide for Contemporary Saudi Arabian Homes in Riyadh. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University. This version was downloaded from Northumbria Research Link: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/29622/ Northumbria University has developed Northumbria Research Link (NRL) to enable users to access the University’s research output. Copyright © and moral rights for items on NRL are retained by the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. Single copies of full items can be reproduced, displayed or performed, and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided the authors, title and full bibliographic details are given, as well as a hyperlink and/or URL to the original metadata page. The content must not be changed in any way. Full items must not be sold commercially in any format or medium without formal permission of the copyright holder. The full policy is available online: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/policies.html A DESIGN GUIDE FOR CONTEMPORARY SAUDI ARABIAN HOMES IN RIYADH M I ALMEHREJ PhD 2015 A DESIGN GUIDE FOR CONTEMPORARY SAUDI ARABIAN HOMES IN RIYADH MAJID IBRAHIM ALMEHREJ A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Research undertaken in Department of Architecture and the Built Environment January 2015 In the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the most merciful ii Abstract Abstract The traditional form of the Arab house was dictated by both its climate and the culture of its inhabitants. Islamic values, as well as socio-economic factors, have played critical roles in ordering and forming the built environment. However, the mid-1950s marked the beginning of Saudi Arabia's first rapid economic growth as a result of the discovery of oil, which dramatically increased the wealth and prosperity of the population, resulting in a new lifestyle. This period witnessed the introduction of the grid layout street pattern and the detached villa house type constructed in reinforced concrete, with large windows and balconies. This is still the prevalent style in Saudi Arabia and the central province in particular. While the traditional courtyard house created its own privacy and microclimate, this contemporary type is a solid building with a narrow open space between it and the next house. The initial investigation for this research revealed that the villa style creates fundamental problems for Saudi families, especially in terms of lack of privacy; and the air-conditioning has negative implications for the climate. The theoretical framework investigates the principles of cultures that are associated with the home, in order to clarify its concept and fundamental principles; illustrate the influence of culture on house form; and finally, demonstrate the nature of both the courtyard and villa house types. The methodology uses a survey strategy with questionnaires, interviews and building analysis. This study aims to highlight the need for a specific contemporary home style where both the treatment of place and the house design meet all the needs of Saudi households. The output of this research will be some guidance for house design that could satisfy 21st century aspirations, yet still respect Islamic culture and traditional values. iii Table of Contents Table of Contents List of tables and figures .................................................................................................................... vii List of accompanying material ........................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... xiv Author's declaration ........................................................................................................................... xvi Glossary ............................................................................................................................................ xix Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ......................................................................................................2 1.2 Variation in architecture style and urban pattern .........................................................................2 1.3 Climate in Saudi Arabia ..............................................................................................................8 1.4 The beginning of the evolution ....................................................................................................9 1.5 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Aim and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 13 1.6.1 Aim ............................................................................................................................ 13 1.6.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 13 1.7 Scope of the research ............................................................................................................... 13 1.8 Thesis structure ........................................................................................................................ 14 Chapter 2: Home: Notion and Fundamental Principles ............................................................... 15 2.1 Introduction: Theoretical framework - culture ........................................................................... 16 2.2 Home: Notion and fundamental principles ................................................................................ 21 2.2.1 Human needs ............................................................................................................ 22 2.2.2 Place ......................................................................................................................... 24 2.2.3 House ........................................................................................................................ 32 2.3 Home: the combination of human needs, place, and house ...................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Home and the influence of culture ............................................................................ 38 3.1 Introduction: Islamic culture and the built environment .............................................................. 39 3.2 The notion of house and home ................................................................................................. 41 3.3 Islamic culture and human needs ............................................................................................. 41 3.3.1 Shelter – climatic comfort .......................................................................................... 41 iv Table of Contents 3.3.2 Safety and security .................................................................................................... 43 3.3.3 Privacy ...................................................................................................................... 44 3.3.4 Status ........................................................................................................................ 45 3.3.5 External appearance ................................................................................................. 46 3.4 Islamic culture and place .......................................................................................................... 46 3.4.1 Attachment ................................................................................................................ 46 3.4.2 Identity....................................................................................................................... 47 3.4.3 Symbolism ................................................................................................................. 47 3.4.4 Location ..................................................................................................................... 48 3.4.5 Environment .............................................................................................................. 48 3.5 Islamic Culture and House ........................................................................................................ 49 3.5.1 Types ........................................................................................................................ 50 3.5.2 Thresholds ................................................................................................................ 50 3.5.3 Internal Arrangement ................................................................................................. 50 3.5.4 Nature of spaces ....................................................................................................... 50 3.5.5 Materials and construction ......................................................................................... 51 3.6 Saudi Arabian Culture ............................................................................................................... 51 3.7 Summary .................................................................................................................................