University of Huddersfield Repository Al-Zubaidi, Maha Sabah Salman The sustainability potential of traditional architecture in the Arab world - with reference to domestic buildings in the UAE Original Citation Al-Zubaidi, Maha Sabah Salman (2007) The sustainability potential of traditional architecture in the Arab world - with reference to domestic buildings in the UAE. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/965/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. 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For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ The Sustainability Potential of Traditional Architecture in the Arab World- With Reference to Domestic Buildings in the UAE by Maha Sabah Salman Al-Zubaidi A THESIS Submitted to the University of Huddersfield School of Art, Design, & Architecture in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILISOPHY October 2007 To the Soul of My Father Who passed away a few months before completion of this dissertation To the great man who taught me how to appreciate work, knowledge, and life Acknowledgement The author wishes to express her thankful appreciations to her supervisors, Richard Fellows, Richard Nicholls, and Dr. Magda Sibley for their guidance and support in the development of this research. Grateful appreciations to the author’s examiners Professor Cedric Cullingford and Professor Brian Edwards for the time they spent in reading this dissertation and precious comments and deep discussion they offered during the viva. The author is particularly grateful to Mrs. Pamela Armitage and Dr. Ian Pitchford for their great support, understanding, and cooperation during her work in the University of Huddersfield. Special thanks to Charles Hippisley-Cox, Clive Richardson, and Al-Tayeb Ibrahim Al-Madih for their support and useful comments during her stay in Huddersfield. Thankful appreciations to Ros Hall - Departmental Secretary, Sue Pritchard - Learning Resources Assistance and the secretarial staff at the School of Art, Design, & Architecture and the library and registry office staff in the University of Huddersfield for their cooperation. Thankful appreciations to the author’s dearest friends Dr. Victoria Hands and Marianna Cavada for their reliability, concern, and support. The author wishes to express special gratitude to her husband, Architect Khalid Sabie, and to her children, Samar, Dina, and Ahmed for their incessant love and patience, continuous support, and constant presence. Special appreciation to the author’s dearest mother, her sisters Dr. Nada & Dr. Layla, her brother Ahmed and to their children for their love and care all her life time. The Sustainability Potential of Traditional Architecture in the Arab world- With Reference to Domestic Buildings in the UAE PhD dissertation by Maha Sabah Salman Al-Zubaidi Abstract: This research is advocated to investigate sustainability potential in traditional architecture in the Arab World through developing Sustainability Assessment Method (SAM) appropriate to the natural environment and social values in the region. Problem of this research is the need to formulate a set of guidelines for planning policies and design decisions for contemporary architecture, especially domestic buildings with regard to the potential of sustainability evident in traditional architecture in the Arab World. The research aims to estimate the sustainability potential of traditional architecture in the Arab world, with particular reference to domestic buildings in the United Arab Emirates. To fulfill that aim, this research is concerned in developing Sustainability Environmental Assessment Method (SEAM) and Sustainability Social Assessment Method (SSAM) appropriate for the UAE and the Arab World by investigating existing sustainability assessment methods. This research methodology used Comparative Analysis (CA) for ten houses, five traditional and five contemporary, in the UAE using descriptive, qualitative and spatial analysis for these case studies. Two of these case studies were chosen, one each from the traditional and contemporary categories, to be tested in the empirical part of this study. The two chosen case studies were assessed using the proposed SEAM and SSAM to investigate environmental and social sustainability performance of traditional and contemporary houses and to test appropriateness of the proposed SEAM and SSAM. The research was divided into three parts. The first part aimed to build the theoretical background for sustainability and sustainable architecture review. This part consisted of the introduction and three chapters. The first chapter discussed sustainability as a concept and philosophy of worldwide concern and environment and sustainability dilemma in the Arab world. The second chapter investigated the sustainability potential in Islam and Islamic legislations, and how they were demonstrated in architecture, especially the traditional houses in the Arab World with reference to the UAE. Exploring natural and cultural background of the UAE and architecture development during the 20th century was discussed in the third chapter to formulate the theoretical frame for the research context. The second part, consisting of three chapters, was dedicated to formulate environmental & social sustainability assessment Methods. Investigating the sustainability environmental and social assessment methods to develop Sustainability Environmental Assessment Method (SEAM) and Sustainability Social Assessment Method (SSAM) was discussed in chapters four and five. Environmental and social sustainability dimensions in traditional and contemporary domestic buildings in the UAE were investigated in chapter six using the proposed SEAM and SSAM. The third part was dedicated for planning the research methodology & case study model, testing, and developing the Sustainability Assessment Methods. In chapter seven the research methodology, which is the Comparative Analysis (CA) was discussed. This chapter explained the objectives of the CA, methods of data collection, and methods of data analysis. Chapter eight focused on testing and crystallising the proposed Sustainably Assessment Method (SAM). This chapter introduced a modification of the proposed Sustainability Assessment Methods based on the findings of testing the SAM. Conclusions of the research and discussing major findings were illustrated at chapter nine. This chapter also discussed limitations of the research and pointed the research contribution to knowledge. Finally, the research set sustainable building checklist, formulated several recommendations, and suggested further studies to enrich the subject. Table of Contents Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………. Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………………….. Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………. Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………. …. i List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………………… viii List of Charts……………………………………………………...………………………………… xi List of Tables………………………………………………………...……………………………… xii Glossary of Abbreviation……………………………………………………………………......... xv Glossary of Arabic Terms………………………………………………………………………… xvii Part 1: Theoretical Background Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Statement of the problem………………………………………………………………………. 1 Research aims…………………………………………………………………………………... 3 Research objectives (Main objective, subsidiary objectives)………………………………. 3 Research questions…………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Research hypothesis ………………………………………................................................. 4 Refinement and modification…………………………………………………………………... 4 Scope of research………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Reasons for Choosing the UAE……………………………………………………………….. 5 Research methodology………………………………………………………………………… 6 Research Organization…………………………………………………………………………. 11 Chapters Layout…………………………………………………………………………...……. 12 Literature review and research context…………………………………………………..……. 14 The Need for Studying Traditional Architecture in the Arab World……………………..…. 14 Traditional Architecture, Sustainability & Islam……………………………………………… 17 Architecture in the United Arab Emirates…………………………………………………….. 21 Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Chapter 1: Sustainability and Its Impact on the Arab World Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24 1.1. Sustainability: Concepts and Aspects…………………………………………………….. 24 1.1.1. Sustainability Historical Review………………………………………………………... 25 1.1.1.1. Earth Day & Stockholm Conference…………………………………………… 26 1.1.1.2. Brandt Commission………………………………………………………………. 27 i 1.1.1.3. Brundtland Commission…………………………………………………............ 28 1.1.1.4. Earth Summit……………………………………………………………………... 28 1.1.1.5. Kyoto Protocol……………………………………………………………............ 28 1.1.1.6. World Summit on