DEALING WITH THE INCOMPATIBLE1
by
KHALED S. ASFOUR
Bachelor of Art in Architecture
Cairo University
Giza, Egypt
1983
SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE STUDIES
At the
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
June 1987
c
Khaled S.
Asfour
1987
The author hereby grants to M.I.T. permission
to reproduce and to distribute publicly copies
of this thesis document in whole or in part.
Signature
of
author_
F__
Khaled S. Asfour
Department of Architecture
April, 1987
Certified by
Professor Ronald Lewcock
Aga Khan Professor of Architecture
& Design for Islamic Societies
Thesis Supervisor
Accepted by
ivrot enscssJJulian Beinart
Chairmi'rof Departmental Committee for
Graduate Students
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
JUN 0 8 1987
LIBRARES
gcvk-"
DEALING WITH THE INCOMPATIBLE!
by
KHALED S. ASFOUR
Submitted to the Department of Architecture
on May 15, 1987
in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
Degree of Master of Science in Architecture Studies
ABSTRACT
The thesis attempts to study the urban structure of
a traditional quarter in Cairo through a sociological
In order to pursue this study it is
point of view.
necessary to understand the relationship between the
built form and its users. From this understanding stems
the approach of how to discern the social study in a way
that could be useful and apprehendable to the architect.
Before undertaking the case study, examples of
other sociological studies are extracted to demonstrate
the connection between behavioral patterns of the users
and their built environment. These preliminary examples
show how the built form, together with the disposion of
social
be understood through
its elements, could
studies.
The problem facing the architect that will be
social
revealed through the research is that the
of
different layers
deals with
scientist mainly
interactions between the members of the community,
without showing how this interaction resonates with the
built form. Consequently the architect may find a great
difficulty in trying to incorporate social studies into
of
from there, the sense
And
design criteria.
In this regard, the research
incompatiblity emerges.
attempts to bridge the gap created by the lack of
social
two disciplines:
communication between the
design.
science and urban
Thesis Supervisor: Ronald Lewcock
Title: Aga Khan Professor of Architecture
& Design for Islamic Societies
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Chapter One:
The relationship between built
Environment and User
Chapter two:
The use of Social Studies by
Architects
Chapter Three:
15
The Case Study: El Sukkariya
Quarter in Old Cairo
Chapter Four:
Summary of Recommendations
75
Chapter Five:
Reflections_
80
Bibliography
86
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The thesis has come to
following people:
fruition with the
help of
the
Ronald Lewcock, my advisor during the two years of
I
the thesis.
as well as
the Masters degree
acknowledge his support and guidance, as well as his
unrivaled patience with my English.
**
*A Sandra Howell, my advisor for the sociological part
of my study. I deeply appreciate her indispensable,
and sharp criticism as well as her valuable advice to
Her continuous encouragement at times of
my work.
despair cannot be forgotten.
Stanford Anderson, whose theory and discussions
inspired my writings and generated my analysis.
A*
AA Oleg Grabar, whose intuitive, on the spot, criticism
was always a source of my profound admiration for him.
AA Nawal Nadim,
research.
whose thesis was the major source of my
Francois Vigier, whose studio
took was helpful to my thesis.
A* Mona Serageldin and
I
A Aliva Abdel Hadi, Madeha El Safti and Muhamad Ahmad,
who gave me their valuable piece of research that
proved to be beneficial.
A* Hazem Saved, about whom I
seeking advice and help.
always felt confident
in
Tanya Gardiner-Scott who
English into a legible form.
tried hard
shape
my
AA
to
Alamuddin whosi brain-storming sessions were
responsible for organising and focusing my thoughts
it
my spirit at times when
as well as raising
couldn't be raised.
A* Hana
5
CHAPTER ONE
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND USER.
form for
How do we --as architects-- design a built
a
built
the
with
of interaction
levels
all
social
dynamic
trace
and
patterns
behavioral
if we
Even
existing habitat?
change in
its
as
well
as
background
social
its
consideration
into
taking
community,
needs
or
issue becomes apparent, yet more difficult
to
the community's
we predict
environment, can
anticipate its behavior toward the new design?
The
dealing
handle, when
quarters. This
in
with communities
the community
the more
is because
traditional
has
distinct social or cultural patterns, the more difficult
it is to anticipate its attitude to newly built form.
survival
of
that has been more
or
augmented by the
This difficulty is
a society in a built environment
less frozen since the fifteenth century, one consequence
of
it
has
compared
to
that
is
which
characteristics
These
environment.
architect not
to
highly
distinctive
the
contemporary
characteristics
ignore
them since
persuade
--no
matter
objective he is-- he cannot but notice their
the
how
connection
with the behavioral patterns of the community.
In
other words, the traditional community and
built form
pose problems
to the
architect since
its
both
have distinctive features, and have survived until now.
Moreover,
they
pose
problems because
of
the
difficulty in
tracing
built form--
--community or
appears
to
which of
the
is more
for
architect,
two
the
components
effective. If- it
example,
that
the
environment has less effect on the behavioral pattern of
the community, then he is relieved from copying the
environment
and
can
eventually
find
old
modifications
(derived from the original model) to which the community
is likely to respond.
architect is in a
If the case is the opposite,
more difficult
position;
the
if he
is
still keen on on maintaining the social behavior he once
community, he
admired in the
choice
doesn't have much
about changing the environment since, in this case,
the
environment is more influential.
Moving along this line of thought may be misleading
however. This is because the relation between
and
built form
simplistic nor
is neither
another simultaneously and
clear-cut.
one
relationship do affect
of this
The two components
community
time.
consecutively through
to
Thus the mode of influence shifts from one component
planner
the other, leaving the architect and the social
in
conflict,
disputing
Consequently, whatever
more
the
be the result
interacting waves
ebbing and
components. Multiple
may find
in
of a long sequence
of
status researchers
one community may
layers
one.
effective
flowing between
of constraints
the
have
two
been
erected
components; this
which
situation
in the
has resulted
Trying
the time of the study.
researchers may find at
two
the
over
continuously
dismantled
and
surviving
to attribute the resultant environment to the
community and vice versa without tracing the history
be
would
disastrous
More
interpretation.
mistaken
a
to
lead
may
interaction
their
of
the
implication of such a static interpretation in designing
criteria for new
living
of
patterns
giving no
constraints, thus
constraints.
The
designing
chains
some
unlock
to
tends
proposals,
and
unconsciously when
architect, consciously or
new
set of
tied to a
configuration are
usage
space
of
modes
and
certain
This is because
built form.
ground for
such modes
of
of
living to persist (because they were conditioned by such
constraints).
it
sensitively
Yet
the
may
be
new
built
derived
from
form,
however
the
original
environment, fails to provide the grounds for the former
social interaction.
This, in my opinion, is worse
than
ignoring completely the original habitat and its users.
On
difficult
a deeper
level,
resolve.
to
is
more
analyse
the
the relationship
to
Attempting
relationship, scholars more or less agree that it is not
"deterministic"
environment
but
allows
rather
certain
"possibilistic";
modes
of
activities
the
and
interactions
choose and
from
adopt,
which
the
community
according
can
their
to
possibly
socio-cultural
needs. (Rapoport 1977, p.2)
Stanford Anderson has extended such an interpretation.
He
names
the
built
environment
including "influential"
"influential"
adopted by
the
users;
The
unrealized
"latent"
is
environment
the
environment.
and
the
that
it is the
"latent" one, on
potential
"assimilated by the
potential
portions.
portion
realized
It
The
which
is
potential
the other hand,
environment
users".
one,
which
is
is
not
can be recognized
but
unexploited, or unrecognized but theoretically possible
(Anderson 1975, p.24).
The interesting part of this interpretation is the
last part, i.e. the
This
"latent environment".
allows
the environment to be flexible enough to accommodate the
dynamic change
changed.
This
of the
community without
"bit" of the
really
being
environment, which is not
used by the community but recognized, is crucial for the
architect to discover. It
the architect can work
is only in that portion
more freely
improve the built form with the
in the
desired behavioral
Moreover, he
can also use
pressures and constraints
and effectively
that
to
minimum possible change
patterns of
such a
the
portion in
community.
defusing
that were undesirable in
the
10
original habitat.
is how we can detect such
The question, then,
portion in
knows that what is
is
by
remaining portion of
by
present,
and is
now
an
trace
the
the latent environment, i.e.,
the
which
is
One
the
of
portion
recognized
latent
words,
,past and
latent
was once
environment.
influential
other
In
tracing
the
of
consumption
of consumption
what
define
way
the community and
environment.
the
comparing the modes
one can
Another
p.25).
the
of
the development
of
in
history of
looking into the
portion
influential in one may be latent
1975,
another (Anderson
architect
the
where
communities
similar
analysis of
cross
is through
One way
the environment.
a
can
latent
then
part
unexploited.
A direct
tangible
denotation of
the
latent
environment may be seen in the case of the vacant strips
of land
lakes in
overlooking the
tracing their
history,
one
Fatimid
can understand
Cairo.
that
By
such
recognized but unused potentials of the environment came
to be exploited in a
(the Mamluk
period).
because similar
later
stage of the city's
Such potential
plots had
was
been exploited
recognized
(overlooking
the river) in a specific mode, and the vacant lots
waiting for similar intervention.
growth
were
11
As
for the
second
environment, unrecognized
portion
but
of
the
theoretically
latent
feasible,
this is more difficult to deal with. There exists in the
environment the capacity to accommodate certain modes of
interaction that are beyond the awareness of the
users.
Nevetheless, these modes may be appropriate for them
use.
In this case, it is more likely that history
eventually reveal such hidden potentials.
accommodated
means of transportation; now,
means are almost replaced by motorcycles.
accommodated
transportation. The
have
imagined
This
such
example
has
form of the fifteenth century
shows that the built
successfully
will
In a medieval
city like Marrakesh, the built environment
mules and camels as
a
such
theoretically feasible.
quicker
means
of
century user
could
not
much
fifteenth
to
it
was
Although such a portion of
the
a
yet
capability;
latent potential
may
from
the
architect in its
development, the eventual outcome
may
demand
greater effort
set
of
constraints that may have immeasurable repercussions
on
be subject
to
failure
for
it
poses
a
new
the community.
The
theory
environment is
fails to explain
unexploited
of potential,
logical
to accept
environments that
portion,
ie.
those
effective and
and verify,
have no
that
latent
but
it
recognized
are
fully
limit, how
can reach
the environment
If
"influential".
then can it
such
the
changes in
accept further
a
community?
On re-examining the theory one discovers a possible
has
that the community also
weakness when one realizes
its own potentials, partly "influential" in terms of the
environment and
partly "latent".
undergoes change
(which might
If
the
environment
to
involuntary
be due
forces), the community uses its unexploited potential to
the newly
re-adapt itself to
In
existing conditions.
by
other words, the relationship is determined not only
components has its own potentials
Each of the two
together to give an "influential" relationship. It
becomes apparent
components is
the
that
potential
"influential" (or
more
one
of
and,
interact
the two potentials
time, parts of
only
the
of
exploited)
when
that of the other component is seriously lacking or
functioning.
In other
words, it
for
compensate
existence of
accept its
the
the
other.
"latent" potential
presence
in the
not
"equilibrium"
is an
that is achieved, where the potentials of one
tend to
a
participant.
two-way system with the users as the other
at a given
it is
environment, but
of the built
the potentials
To
in the
environment is
component
ignore
the
user
and
somehow
deterministic attitude, although not a direct one.
a
Based on this
readdress
the
analysis of the theory, I wish
question
of
further experience changes
it runs out
the user puts
how
bridge the gap created
environment
when
potentials. In this
case,
potential into practice
to
by the environment. In Darb
Ahmar quarter in Old Cairo, the houses are
becoming dilapidated,
can
introduced by the user
of its "latent"
his "latent"
the
to
leaving
continuously
the inhabitants
much smaller area in which to live.
el-
with
a
The willingness
to
accept living in an area which is more dense than it was
is
originally ie. accepting a lower standard of living,
a manifestation of the user's latent potential now being
ln the
put into practice.
more serious case when
latent potential of the user also runs short, the
relationship must
collapse between
the two
the
whole
components
--the user and the built environment.
Looking at the relationship with this
is encouraging to the
perspective
architect because he is able
only to capitalize on the latent potential of the
not
built
environment but also on that of the community as well.
This perspective is also helpful in
that there are two
understanding
layers to behavioral patterns.
One
layer is inherently embedded in the community, i.e.
the
"influential" potential that has been reacting with
the
14
constraints generated by
two layers are the
the community,
before he
of
recent
the built environment.
These
elements of change and constancy
With such
design decisions.
in
aware
be
architect must
which the
makes his
is
practice due to
put into
also influential, but
the community)
acquired by
other potential (lately
The
over time.
successive changes
built form despite
awareness, the architect should be optimistic about
an
the
reaction of the users to his design.
reveals
outcome of this analysis
To conclude, the
of the built environment and
that the relationship
the
user is more of an "equilibrium", where the potential of
one
component
Furthermore,
influence may
hence it
is
interaction.
compensates
within
this
one component
shift from
important to
Finally,
equilibrium,
the
mode
the
to the
the history
know
study
other.
the
of
that
for
shows
of
other;
their
of
the
that
behavioral patterns of the user can be either attributed
to constraints
in
background. Through
the
the
environment or
analysis
of
to
those
his
ethnic
patterns,
elements of both change and constancy are unveiled.
15
CHAPTER TWO
THE USE OF SOCIAL STUDIES BY ARCHITECTS.
16
The approach of "equilibrium" between the user
the
built
environment
reveals
the
and
importance
of
including social studies in the analysis of the existing
built
environment
proposed
one.
architects--
and
The
handle
at
the
question
these
design
is:
stage
how
studies
can
to
of
the
we
--as
make
them
beneficial at both stages?
Social scientists,
reveal its social
the
people
of
when studying
to
characteristics, tend to analyse
the
community
interact
different relationships --individuals
family in a neighbourhood, etc.
architect can
a community
relate
community to the built
the
how
according
to
in a family or
a
From these studies, the
behavioral patterns
environment.
of
He should be
the
able
to trace how different elements of the built environment
interact with the scenario constructed of the
community
by the social scientists.
Whithin
this setting, he
differentiate between
should then
behavioral
patterns
ethnic backgrounds and those related to the
of the built environment.
they persist through
him
direct
feedback
nevertheless they
the community.
be able
to
related
to
constraints
He must also study how
time. Although
into
provide a
his
this may not
design
much
give
solutions,
profound understanding
of
Hence design
solutions may
have greater
validity
and
viability.
To
highlight the first type of behavioral
an example is given.
pattern,
H. Gans points out, in his
social
study of the Italian community that used to live in
West End
of Boston,
that children
at
an early,
the
even
pre-school age start to communicate with peers they meet
in the streets.
"from this time
on ...
children form
cliques
or gangs [where3 they play together and learn
the lore of childhood.(p.37)...The departure
of the children from home to peer group
functions to
support
the
adult-centered
family...The children's need to behave like
children must take place outside the view of
adults."
(Gans 1982, p.57)
This is because inside the house:
"As
soon
as
they
are
weaned
and
toilet-trained, they are expected to behave
themselves in ways pleasing to adults...:to
show
a corner,
or to
play quietly in
themselves off to other adults to demonstrate
the physical and psychological virtues of
their parents...CThusJ in the case of an
acculturating ethnic group, the segregation of
children and adults also reduces some of the
conflict that would otherwise result from
the
culture clashes between children and
(Gans pp.56-57)
parents."
Knowing these facts, the architect must consider the
children's behavior
strong peer
group
further
informed
forming
peer
in streets
community,
that
groups)
this
grows
to be
crucial in
especially
behavioral
with
the
when
this
he
(of
pattern
child,
is
to
be
18
manifested continuously on streets, and that
"Emany) friendship ties ...formed mainly in
throughout
childhood and adolescence last
(Gans p.39)
life."
for
such
should
it
and
prevail,
to
activity
allow
in his new design must
Hence the architect
be
considered inappropriate to development goals to repress
this behavior by ,for
fast
example, promoting heavy or
infiltration of car mobility in residential streets.
such
case,
a
childhood.
environment in which they can manifest their
deeply
By this act, the architect will have prevented a
ethnic
rooted
the Italian
original environment of
in
the
community and
was
persisted
once
that
behavior
safe
same
the
have
not
do
children
In
partly responsible for their cohesion.
to Gans (p.57), is the
Worse than that, according
increased conflict that results from "culture
clashes"
between
otherwise reduced
and
children
by
children
departure of
the
that
and
parents
is
from
their homes to peer group activity in streets.
It
is
a central
solutions like providing
use
neighbourhood
children's
for streets is
not expected to
while
Gans
describes
the
furthermore,
that
playground for
the
note,
interesting to
as
work.
childrens'
a
substitution
This is
and
because
teenagers'
19
active presence in the street, he notes that the
"West End's
lone playground
was
fairly
dilapidated and usually deserted. "(Gans ,p.14)
heavy or fast
car in filtration
ivity
-eet
childr en activity
repres sed
GANS VERBAL ANALYSIS
OF THE STREET-LIFE OF
WEST END
RECOMMENDATIONS
SOCIAL STUDIES
INSENSITIVE TO
be
This example shows that some behavioral patterns can
motivated by
the
ethnic
background of
the
to
user;
ignore such a background can produce immeasurable damage
since
the
repercussions
affect
the
core
characteristics possessed by the community.
further reveals
social study can
how
the
the
The example
descriptive analysis
be transformed
of
of
by the architect
the
into
guidelines and recommendations and --if nothing else-can lead him to exclude design alternatives that are not
20
supportive of
community, no
the
matter how
they
may
appear otherwise logical to him.
With my other example, I will discuss how
environment can
social patterns.
work
congruence
in
the built
user's
the
with
The architect, in this context, has to
link the verbal analysis of the social scientist to
the
fabric used by the user.
account
The social
other an
two
of
is
this case
community outside
communities: 6ne rural
Sefrou (Morocco), the
in
the walls
of
inside
urban community
the walls of the same city.
The first community is a Berber rural one of twenty
families living in one of several settlements
scattered
The community is partially
portrayed
around the city.
as follows:
Each Friday evening, after prayers at the
duwwar's (local name for settlement3...mosque,
the adult men ... gather at the home of one of
The gathering is highly
their number ...
informal, with
on all
going
scattered conversations
over the room
as the
twenty ...
men
lounge barefoot on the mats and cushions,
tea
drinking...mint
and
smoking
eating
...Someone mentions that he needs a bit more
water for his garden and others note who might
have a portion that could be borrowed for the
appropriate
time
slot
...
Later
someone
mentions that the teacher of their mosque
with
and
be paid,
to
due
school is
considerable joking ... several of the men who
have been doing well in the sheep trade are
cajoled into paying a larger portion of his
Before
fees than they paid last year.
midnight, the men begin to wander out of the
room...with no particular acknowledgments to
their host...back towards their own houses."
(Giertz 1979, p.38)
This report accounts for not only the space usage of the
reception hall but also suggests a landuse pattern
is congenial
school,
mosque and
notion of
have
i.e. they
own
have their
their own
of
set
neighbouring
those found in the
services separate from
settlements.
They
community.
to the
that
This pattern of landuse coincides with the
independence,
settlement
the
economic agricultural base
has
own
its
if
capable of protecting it
its inhabitants are threatened.
agricultural zone
built environment
service
ONE BERBER SETTLEMENT
This independent notion,
group, is even
among the people
reflected in
one
or the feeling of
the "familial
of the settlement
atmosphere"
in which they
help
each other financially.
This example
is distinctive
in revealing
the
concept of grouping and homogeneity among the people
of
the community that necessitates the presence of sets
of
22
services used mainly by them.
The
same concept of
grouping can also be
traced
inside the urban fabric of Sefrou.
"Until well into the Protectorate most of the
houses in a particular derb (quarter) were
occupied by a group of relatives."
(Geertz, p. 62)
By examining one quarter formed by a
Adlun, we
find that
it is structured
family called
in a
way to
elements necessary
self-sufficient in
the service
living: the mosque
(including the
school), the
be
for
public
fountain, the public bath and the cemetery of the family
as well as different shops for daily use situated
the main spine of
desire to be
along
the quarter (Geertz, p.318-19).
perceived as
one big family
The
necessitates
the possession of an environment that is independent
its elements from
how the people
other quarters.
of Adlun
Thus the case
make their setting
in
shows
a part
of
their own social drama (Geertz, p.21).
Furthermore, within the quarter itself, the desire
to socialize prevails
the
built
among relatives, and elements
environment
help
"coincidental" sociability.
water fountain are there
similarly, the mosque and
to
Thus
create
this
the public
daily
bath
for women to meet and
in
and
gossip;
the coffee-shop are for
men,
the corners and thresholds for teenagers, and the alleys
and cul-de-sacs for children.
23
shp
shp
0
ua~snd
w~aaa
PM
long the main spine
to C. Geertz)
13courtesy
-3
N
I
.32
34
0
26.
333 1:13029232
00
TAKSEUT
a
6000
0
C
0
To
969
78-0
"SP6-Gat
67-
5
53
M h
-5
T
C,7
xrAD
0
Figure 1.Portion of Sefrou medina showing Derb Adlun. Gray area is approximate
extent of buildings surrounding Derb Adlun. White squares are larger courryards.
Cross-hatching indicates covered passageways. M, Adlun mosque; AC, Adlur
cemetery; B. Adlun bath; F. fountain.
quarter
the physical
Consequently,
of
Adlun
resonates with the family in whole, thus giving them the
unified identity they want to convey to the outer world;
and in Part, thus promoting desirable social interaction
among relatives.
It is interesting to note that, in a later stage of
was no longer fully
development, the quarter
by the
same
family;
for
some of
inhabited
had
them
migrated
outside the city wall and were replaced by other
users.
Nevertheless, the
"concept
of
To
L-tAwed
D6d e
the
darb
as
a
social
and
the medina still
(Geertz, p.63)
geographical subdivision of
remains significant."
Moreover, the "familial" atmosphere that prevails in the
kinsmen,
alone, but in terms of intertwined networks of
neighbours
affines and
in
change
dynamic
as well
despite
built
the
Is
community.
the
In
(Geertz, p.338).
same characteristics prevail,
other words, the
family
in terms of conjugal
neighbourhood is no longer
Or is
environment reponsible for such preservation?
the remaining inhabitants (with their
the influence of
new
strong coherence to the built environment) over the
Or is it
dwellers?
influx
they
inhabitants reside
of
long
environment has
because the
whenever
been associated with such characteristics that
a new
it
the
follow
unspoken rules?
To
other
may go to the
answer this question, we
to be taken from social studies,
aspect of what is
"image" with which the user conceives his habitat.
"image"
I
about
speaking
am
and its
p.41). In
between people
which the
words,
other
and
former
physical
sum or
characteristics in
it
in part
is the
conceive
the latter
environment
(Rapoport,
of
contact
(p.43),
through
point
their environment
The
individual's
is the
of the
conceptual representation
the
and
behave
in
consistent and observable ways (p.45).
The "attitude
to
space"
is always
connected
to
the
25
by people
attitude comes along
with "conceptions" and
the
through
is
And it
intimacy.
friendliness, and
"feelings"
satisfaction,
self-identity,
security,
like
This
spaces.
of their
"images" constructed
methods of the ethnographer-social scientist that
these
on the
other
"concepts"
and
those "feelings"
relate
to
hand, has
The architect,
revealed.
attitudes are
formulated by the user to the actual environment and its
and
form)
built
the
Furthermore,
from
desirable images
to separate
ones, and to
architectural
pattern,
the images created.
accordingly work out
he has
of
density
and
scale
style,
landuse
(e.g.
characteristics
undesirable
note their hierarchical importance and the
preferences of the community.
environment
resonate in different ways
be used
in new
schemes to
To
environment.
sets
different
into
the
architect will have analysed
Eventually, the
elements
of
which
can
with the user and which
achieve
the new
deprive
a more
design
responsive
of
these
elements that evoke desirable images to the community is
a
major
step
towards
destroying
its
socio-cultural
behavior.
To
highlight the second
given in which the
environment
is
approach, an example
opinion of a dweller concerning
reflected
in
Gans'
social
study
is
his
of
26
Boston's West End.
"I like the noise people make. In summer
people have their windows open, and every one
can hear everyone else, but nobody cares what
anybody is saying: they leave their neighbours
alone. In the suburbs people are nosier; when
a car comes up the street, all windows go up
to see who is visiting whom." (Gans, p.21)
the feeling of the suburbs is
Although
overdrawn,
towards
the opinion reflects the "attitude" of the user
a certain characteristic of the environment, namely
high density of
this high
the built form.
"likes"
The user here
a"feeling of
density, and
the
appreciation"
is
expressed. The "attitude" towards the noted high density
--surprising as
to
it may be
user justifies this by
minding one's business. The
notion that "everyone
highlights his
is of
the architect--
can hear
further
every one." He
comparing his
argument by
the
case to
the
suburban dweller who is "nosier" because he is in a much
quieter environment where
a casual street activity
can
arouse his curiosity.
Thus
the
"image" here
--through his opinion --
and
that
"everyone
that the
user
portrays
is the "noise that people make"
can
hear
everyone";
"characteristic" in the environment that transmits
an "image" is the high density of built environment.
the
such
In
other words, this "image", the ability to hear the noisy
people, is the point of contact between the user and his
27
"image" is connected to
the
because the former generates
the
environment. Moreover, the
"feeling" of likeness
"attitude" of minding one's business.
Thus, to put such a dweller into a suburb (i.e. low
density) means
not
has in
"feeling -of satisfaction" he
of
minding
architect by his act
which
the
the user to sustain
the environment interacts with
the
Hence
business.
one's
the
density
his high
blocking a channel through
environment, but also
"attitude"
from
the user
only depriving
"image"
will manage to distort an
that was once conceived and appreciated by the user.
To conclude, I wish to readress the issue of
we can
as
studies
the social
architects handle
how
from
The following
which we can benefit in the design stage.
approach should be adopted:
AA
studies
social
the
Study
on
done
the
community.
AA Note
behavioral
pattern
has an ethnic background or is developed
because
to what
extent the
of constraints in the built environment.
A*
Relate
the behavioral
pattern to
the
built
environment and note how they interact together.
AA Trace
the
dynamic
change of
over time and see to what extent the
is receptive to such
community
the
environment
change. Is there a
"latent
28
environment"?
AA Reveal the
images perceived by the
and the characteristics
of their environment
the
environment
community
that
caused
these
of
"images".
Moreover, note connected attitudes and feelings.
This approach can yield to information that can help
the architect
to
develop
recommendations
and
design
guidelines for planning a new responsive environment for
the community under study.
will highlight this issue.
The next part of the
thesis
29
CHAPTER THREE
THE CASE STUDY: EL SUKKARIYA QUARTER IN OLD CAIRO
30
this section,
In
my
demonstrate how
I will
approach to social science can be useful in projecting a
of one
realistic image
of this
The outcome
series of
study will
recommendations,
diagrams that are, I
be
form.
its built
community and
in the
guidelines
and
a
form of
conceptual
community
hope, responsive to the
under study.
in
The case study is in Old Cairo, specifically
one quarter by
for
the name of
El Sukkariya.
reasons
The
choosing this area are that I know it very well and
a detailed social study of it was done by Nawal Nadim.
Recommendations derived from these studies should
not be taken as final proposals, but rather initial ones
that
are
to
subject
community,
eleven years ago.
for
be taken as solutions
importantly, they should not
its present
More
development.
further
Nadim's study
since
done
was
Hence further social study should
pursued before questioning
thesis
of the
the validity
be
research.
The limitations of my research should not
the reader's
attention
off
the
main
of
course
useful
to an
architect
in designing
environment sensitive to the user's needs.
the
studies
thesis, which is the attempt to show how social
can be
shift
a
built
31
The quarter under study is a part of what is
called "Medieval Cairo".
of quarters;
each
was
Historically, Cairo
homogeneous
social
community
characteristics
some
sharing
consisted
separate
the majority of the
entity. In each quarter,
was
a
considered
now
(eg,
social, ethnicreligious, etc) with which the quarter is
identified.
leader who ran
Politically,
its
own
and represented
the
Moreover, it
had
quarter
each
its administration
had
community to the higher
authorities.
its younger members who
defended the place in times
danger.
courtesy to Serageldin M.
BOUDARIES OF THE QUARTER UNDER STUDY
(EL SUKKARIYA)
of
32
The city fabric
was thus composed of a number
socio-political entities
which defined gates acted
linked
from
spines
the
as the threshold between
the quarters
communities of
by major
and those
of
outside
in the
world.
"(These gates) reflected ...an entire society
in which diverse groups existed perpetually in
uneasy symbiosis and uncertain security..."
(Abu Lughud 1971, p.67)
Al Maqrizi --a
gives
fifteenth century historian--
an account of different quarters of Cairo which explains
how
the
built
form
strongly
denoted
particular
communities.
" [The) quarter of Baha el Dein: ...It was
known originally by Al Rihaniya and Waziriya
quarter. The name denotes two communities
composed of group soldiers, among others in
the army of the Fatimid rulers [eleventh
centuryJ...In this quarter they built their
magnificent houses and numerous shops and
workshops.. .Later they were killed and their
houses were burnt because of their revolt
against Saladin..." (pp.2-3)
It is noteworthy that when the Ayyubid ruler decided
abolish this
community,
razed their built form.
a form
of punishment;
he not
only killed
them
This act may be interpreted
nevertheless,
it reflects
latter
denoted
the presence
but
as
the
built
inseparable relationship between the user and the
environment. The
to
of
the
former.
This strong link between
the user and his
quarter
33
lessened
was a
reasons. One
(1820).
reign
Muhamad Ali's
created to
opportunities were
Numerous job
age
the industrial
consequence of
with
entered
that Cairo
several
for
centuries
the
over
gradually
attract
a
native
massive influx of migrants from rural areas. The
city at that time was the only logical place for them to
Moreover, the life cycle
settle in (Abu Lughud, p.125).
of
these
move out
inhabitants tended
to
European districts
that were
Hence the
end,
to
about
was
quarters
(p.117).
highly esteemed
longer
were no
native city
quarters of the
planned
newly
to the
rich
the
as
strictly composed of homogeneous communities of extended
families
distinctive
shared
that
groups
or
characteristics.
Another reason is the change in the
administrative
organisation of the city that was started by the
Expedition
conceived
The
(1798).
of
members of the
as
political
the
entities
Governorate.
longer
no
administered
by
el Hara), but
rather
sections which, in turn,
formed
community (Sheikh
grouped to form larger
were
quarters
French
(p.84)
More
crucial
was
the
"Sheikh el Hara", who
was
no more than a "clerk without honor" by the end of
the
diminishing authority of the
nineteenth
century.
His
vital
role
was
gradually
transferred to the well disciplined police force (p.71),
34
initiated by Muhamad Ali to maintain security in streets
Along
organization
with
A
the changes
of
integrity
of
some
city (1875)
that
the quarters
and
their
were cut right through
individuality. Major routes
native city that were
administrative
imposition
the native
physical interventions in
disregarded the
the
came
(p.87)
the
in
insensitive to the boundaries
of
Moreover, by that time, the
the quarters (pp.110 -113).
quarter and
the
alleys had
gates of
the
(p.85).
These interventions
were in
been
dismantled
response to
the
desire to "open up" the city to wheeled traffic.
iMap of Cairo in
dentury
* Other administrative reforms were: cancelling the role
of the "muhtasib" and diminishing the power of the
"kadi".
35
administrative
Consequently, because of social,
interventions ,
and physical
weakened by the
entity was
quarter as an
the strong
image of
the
turn of
the
century.
Nevertheless, life in these quarters has
preserved
a lot of medieval characteristics until now, along
with
in
this
its
quarter
Sukkariya
El
changes.
dynamic
regard is a good example.
in the
Like any quarter
this
time
migrants from
influx of
witnessed the
from
it was
old city, El
the
oasis.
divided into
accordingly is mainly
Sukkariya
oasis people) (Nadim 1975,
first accepted inferior
groupsA
two ethnic
p.53).
(the
The latter group
beans
cooked
using the
furnace
the quarter. Consequently, their
at
other
jobs (mainly serving the
group, p.73), but gradually they started their
public bath of
quarter
The
(sons of the city), and "Waheya"
"Awlad el Balad"
of preparing
Cairo,
outside
business
of
the
status
The
two
groups share a built environment that is similar to
the
improved vis-a-vis
rest of the
that of the
old city.
other group.
Eighty percent of the
families
live in one or two-room lodging units; fifty percent
of
the latrines are shared and have no water or electricity
supply (pp.62-63). The lodging
A
There are
other ethnic groups
from "Upper Egypt".
may vary from shacks
like Copts and
of
People
36
one storey to
three storey
structures of concrete
and
bricks.
EL SUKKARIYA QUARTER
(LANDUSE)
The blocks of the two groups cluster around one
thoroughfare that
Cairo and ends with
starts
from the
main spine
three branches of dead-end
central
of
old
alleys.
the quarter, shops, as
Along this thoroughfare of
present to accommodate forty
as workshops, are
working members
of the
percent
the
Among
community.
of the
well
residential blocks of the quarter is a historic
complex
(rab') that was originally commercial and residential in
function; now it
El
residential (Nefisa
is completely
Other annexed historic dependencies are a public
Beda).
source
and a public water
bath (partially functioning)
that is now closed.
the
On plotting the ethnological distribution of
two main
groups, one finds
another with
separately from one
a
that contains
tendency to
mix
of both
form clusters
tend to
that they
cluster
zone
an intermediate
of
was not
natural
The
them.
the
based on
only
desire to live near people of similar ethnic origins but
also because of
"...their prejudices each Egroup3 holds
the other." (p.74)
Hence,
ethnic groups,
still
the
although
Waheya people
but
on
distribution
tend to
today
a
also
smaller
grouping
scale..
illustrates
cluster near
diverse
contains
principle of
the medieval
maintained,
ethnological
quarter
about
that
the economic
is
This
the
base
(the furnace) on which their survival is based (p.50).
In
addition, the location
of the
Waheya is more
towards the interior zones of the quarter where there is
38
greater
privacy
their ethnic characteristic
(i.e.
more
protective
may
This
(p.108).
of
of being more
their
with
coincide
women
conservative
female
and
children, p.75).
ETHNOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION
(based on Nadira's discription)
semi-public
serai-orivate
A.,
Mosque of
This disposition of landuse elements allowed the
Waheya
of the alley more than those
living
people to make use
in the
outer
blocks
(p.108).
This
is because,
by
39
comparing the landuse map with the ethnological one, the
residents of the
are more
outer blocks
vulnerable
to
(mainly Awlad el
intruders who
can
Balad)
enter
the
passage to buy from shops found there.
playing of children
DETAIL OF CUL-DE-SAC
In the latter case, activities that should occur in
thoroughfare occur in
the inner
open spaces of
the
blocks
number two and three and the corridors of the historical
40
complex (p.109).
Hence
landuse character is,
notion of privacy,
the built environment with
in this
and thus
its
case, disruptive to
restrictive to
the
behavioral
patterns.
By comparing
this
quarter with
a
similar
traditional
one,
phenomenon.
The use of the "Gazar" alley as a space for
"El
Husayniya",
externalized domestic activities
playground for children,
we
note
the
same
(like storage), and
only starts
beyond the
a
shops
found at the entrance to the alley.
DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES ARE ONLY PRESENT IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS NO
SHOPS AND WORKSHOPS
(courtesy to M. Ahmad)
Carboard and cane boxes
redn
Butcher
this
Doorway to building owned
by the butcher,
Wrought iron
pace used for parking bicycles.
space by
F.
0
made of
/-Space
used by children for
playing football or riding
bicycles.
a
Doorway
to building, with two
leaves,
made of
One
aluays 'ept
HARET
EL ,GA. A
open.
.
I
Doorway to building owned by
the butcher, made of wrought iron.
-.rought iron
is
leaf of the doorway
Balcony
( height from street
level l.00m, width 1.00 m )
with wooden shutters.Laundry
hangs on a line outside the
balcony.
41
In other words, these activities take place
private zone of the
by the shops
alley rather than the area
where it is
in the
flanked
vulnerable to strangers.
By
studying another alley in the same quarter, we find that
domestic activities have entirely disappeared because of
the complete occupation of the space by workshops. Hence
the notion of privacy
is no longer there, although
the
alley is a dead-end one. (*)
Entrance to 4 story
ketal cutting and forming workshop,
5 steps lower than the level of the
.htfa , occupies the basement of an
old building built in stone,
NEW
..
hrea
building
,-
.staircase,
5 steps,
in yellow marble..
used as an exterision
Lrea used to store sacks
of raw material.
P
PF L-.Partition,
7
made of wood,
painted green.
onother entrance to cardboard
manufacturing workshop. a.rea
next to the door is used to
store empty sacks.
kLntrance gate to a 5 storeycoreytM.And
courtesy to M.
building, 3r.high, 'ith wrought
iron gates.
DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES ARE NOT PRESENT IN THE CUL-DE-SAC
OCCUPIED BY S' TOPS AND WORKSHOPS.
Ahmad
FOR IT
IS COMPLETELY
AAhmed, Muhamad. "Elements of Urban Structure: Coments
on Physical Appearance and Spatial Organization. Case
Study: El Husayniya." Report submitted to University of
Berlin Summer 1984. (Unpublished)
42
It is clear from this
notion of
mixed landuse
comparative study that the
becomes undesirable
beyond
certain point. This is due to the presence of shops
a cul-de-sac, giving
the space of
function as
it one
to accept any mode of
from being flexible, ready
it
usage
Such a limitation
by the surrounding residents.
in
predominant
thus preventing
mall and
a commercial
a
occurs
because of the decrease in the level of privacy.
To
conclude,
of the
the analysis
ethnological
the Waheya
chose
their setting in the built environment to fulfill
their
Awlad el Balad.
conservative
the
Balad,
of
zones
Awlad
thoroughfare;
their
thus
quarter
the
nevertheless,
from
it
operating
offered
In
built environment was "influential",
yet
courtyards and
part of its "latent potential" was utilized by Awlad
Balad.
Hence
the
analysis shows
the
multi
El
layered
response of the built environment to different modes
interaction.
is
built
reveals how the
el Balad
were
corridors.
alternatives like inner
this case the
El
the setting
environment restricted
along
Awlad
inner
the
Moreover,
logical.
their
Ethnically, they
furnace).
than
from
a distance
Economically, they were close to
source of income (the
grouping around
to keep
they needed
needs. Socially,
more
shows how
the two groups
setting of
of
43
Based on the former analysis, recommendations for
the distribution of commercial activities ought to favor
the presence
of shops up
street hierarchy.
semi-public level
of
Nevertheless, if shops are placed
in
semi-private alleys they
serve
the
to the
community
should have
of
the
the potential
quarter
rather
to
than
encouraging the intrusion of outsider.
This is done
by
signalling
the
is
to
semi-private,
the
and
noticeable (A).
stranger
that
his
that
presence
Moreover, shops
specialized
in
consumable
items
their
will
not
intrude.
Similarly, workshops
that they
will involve
is
instantly
should not be
merchandise,
that
place
but
tempt
should be
only minimal
highly
have
daily
strangers
to
selected
so
interaction
with
customers if they are located in semi-private alleys.
It is interesting
to note
that, although
the
Waheya's food preparation takes place inside their semiprivate domain,
the marketing
place outside the quarter.
of their
product
That is to say, the
takes
actual
contact with customers (strangers) is separate from
the
work place; hence the notion of privacy respected by the
community of the quarter is not violated.
Consequently,
this food production,
persists
in
quarter without disturbing
the
the inner zones
of the
though largescale,
(A)Conceptual images of the quarter are discussed later.
44
that
This may lead us to think
rest of the community.
workshops that deal with
basis
customers on a frequent
of
manufacture
should accordingly be located closer to the
semi-public
the
quarter.
Another recommendation deals with the
possibility
socialization
allowing
activities
in the
in
place
inside
than
rather
streets
of
product
their
and sell
and
multi-storey
open
domestic
externalized
spaces
besides
the
thoroughfare of the quarter, such as and courtyards.
It is noteworthy that
,for
people of the rab'
example, perceive their corridor the way the rest of the
community perceives the thoroughfare or dead-end
of
their
quarter.
thoroughfare and
Although
the corridor
the
alleys
cul-de-sac,
are different
forms
the
of
spaces, yet all witness the same activities (p.109).
courtesy to Serageldin M.
CUL-DE-SAC
THOROUGHFARE OF THE QUARTER
45
This is
because
private
/
of
flanked
by
Moreover, natural elements like
sun
are
spaces
the
flood
effectively
air
and
spaces
semi-private
residential units.
and
category
into the
fall
they all
possible
Provided with these features, it is
presence.
their
with
to apply the idea of having multi-storey spaces open
the sky
units,
or horizontally)
(vertically
and
to
spaces
the
expect
to
lodging
between
the
to
respond
behavioral patterns of the community.
these communal
In addition,
the
directly outside
housewives can
same
time
as
units, where
the
on their
dwellings at
the
socializing
and
their
performing
externalized domestic activities in the open air.
their frequent movement to
and from their units
Hence
should
be directly through the space used for interaction.
shift such space away
be
the
doors of
keep an eye
spaces should
from in front of their
To
doorsteps
may not encourage this behavioral pattern to prevail
in
the new designated areas.
To put the
following plans show
The house is composed
recommendation into a diagram,
how this
idea could be
the
realised.
of twenty-two lodging units
that
gather around different open spaces on different levels.
Open spaces
should not be conceived of as waste
or
extra areas, but rather communal areas for more than one
46
third
ground
semi-private alley
two-room unit
interaction with the alley
CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM OF A MULTI-STOREY DWELLING
THAT INCORPORATES MANY OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE
OLD QUARTER
lodging
where
domestic
activities
occur
along
with
socialization.
The
design,
in other
words, is an attempt
reflect the ethnic need for socialization and the
to
47
with
performance of domestic activities in the open air
neighbours.
To understand the vitality of these recommendations,
it is
behavior
an ethnic
spaces is
passages as semi-private
and
the cul-de-sac
that using
relevant to know
that has not changed much since medieval times.
external
by various means: entrance passages were bent,
doors
windows and
ones, parapet
with
screened
cul-de-sac in
privacy of
insured
the privacy of the houses was
At that time,
staggered relative
were
roofs were
or
extension of
the
part of
the
some
and shared
the dwelling
were
The passage
fine lattice woodwork.
was an
facing
openings
raised window
such a setting
to
sanctity that the house possessed. In this setting ,too,
the privacy of individual houses was as important as the
privacy of the quarter as a whole.
Nowadays,
spaces
that
used to
domestic activities
house.
externalized
witness
these
be done
the
inside
The space outside the house is now part of it;
and the halo of privacy that used to surround the
along with
other words,
the space
what
is
no
outside is
dynamic
in
house
longer there.
the
outside
space
perception is the change from its being an extension
the house's sanctity and privacy to an extension of
In
of
the
house's unveiled activities. What is always constant, on
48
the
other
hand,
is the
level
of
street
hierarchy
--semi-private.
On the level of the quarter, it is the "collective
privacy" of the
(in
relation
surrounding community that is
to
the
other
quarters),
retained
while
the
individualistic one of the family (in relation to
other
families in the quarter) has ceased.
The
generally
disappearance
attributed
massive influx
of
to
of
crowdedness
rural
built
privacy
generated
migrants seeking
opportunities in the capital.
original
individual
environment
is
by
a
better
job
Under such pressure,
the
was
divided
into
livable spaces to accommodate the new comers.
lesser
In
other
words, the built environment released some of its latent
potential to adapt itself to new conditions.
the users have released
part of their latent
Similarly,
potential
to reach an equilibrium with the built environment.
Manifestations
of such latent potential of
the
environment are many, one of which is accepting the lack
of privacy.
Not
adapt themselves to
only did
members
this scarce
of this
community
level of privacy
from
neighbours; in fact they are more than familiar with it.
"They like to hear and be heard...enjoy seeing
seen."
(p.130)
and do
not
mind being
In
Najib
Mahfuz's
(A)
novel
"Al
Sukkariya",
Naima
49
expresses her
longer be able to spend
mother soothes
The
opposite.
upper
flats
her daughter and
allows
added
newly
the
in
living
neighbours
wants.
the roof whenever she
her to use
the
exposed to
will be
no
their
some time on the roof of
because they
This is
house.
she will
mother that
concern to her
not
She does
mind the neighbour's gaze.(AA)
this attitude,
Consequently,
externalized
towards performing
seems due
to
constraints
Or
were initiated
activities,
the
environment
imposed by
is it
patterns
that these behavioral
by the
or highlighted
these
to
patterns
behavioral
these
constraints?
household
The question is, should we continue to
(lack of space).
attribute
that
along with
and
constraints
then departed to be part of the charactaristics embedded
in this
community?
these behavioral
this
community
And, if
this is
provided
of
dwelling
larger
with
would
families
if the
patterns prevail
were
the case,
spaces?
Sociologist
anthropologist
Nawal
socialization patterns
Madeha
Nadim
el
agree
will continue
and
Social
that
these
Safti
among
neighbours
through
Cairo.
of
quarters
old
the
in
life
social
his novels
*A Mahfuz N. El Sukkariva, p.7, Dar Misr Egypt, 1956.
* Mahfuz is a contemporary novelist who depicts
outside
with
home most
stay at
This is because wives
dwellings.(A)
their
surrounding
spaces
day,
of the
managing the daily domestic affairs while their husbands
(p.154).
are away earning money or entertaining friends
Consequently, the lodging
with the
unit is primarily
hardly
husband, who
the
not with
wife, and
identified
stays at home (p.130). In fact,
the
"the less time a husband spends at home
higher he is ranked." (p.128)
Hence, working in the thoroughfare of the quarter or any
outside space also gives the women a chance to socialize
and
pass
day
their
activities (p.108).
larger
dwelling
their
finishing
while
domestic
Accordingly, the issue of providing
the
abolish
not
does
space
externalization of household activities since the latter
is connected to the desire for socialization.
Based on the former
that recommendations
that
behavioral patterns either
analysis, it is now
clear
preserving
these
focus
by sorting the location
and
advocating
the
type of
shops
inside
the quarter
idea of
multi
storey
open
achieve built
on
form responsive
or
spaces
to the
are
important
community
to
under
study.
Another behavioral pattern
A
The author interviewed
that seems to
both of them in December
be
1986
51
affected by the constraints of the built environment
the interior
space usage of
the dwelling
is
units.
The
main criterion that governs space usage in the rooms
of
the units is flexibilty; the space is used for more than
one function --sleeping, socializing, eating,
studying,
and sometimes even cooking. This flexibility in usage is
reflected in
"place".
the
title given
to these
rooms,
namely
That is to say, no special names like
"living
rooms" or "bedrooms" are designated.
The furniture
flexibilty in usage.
sofa.
Both are
in this
Each unit must
used for
sitting on.
small round
wooden
cooking and
studying; when
the storage
The
table
more than
third major
that
is
not in
reflects
have a bed and
sleeping (by
person) and
under the bed.
context also
used
use,
a
one
piece is
a
for
eating,
it is
stored
The fourth major piece is a cupboard for
of different
house utensils
(pp.131-132).
It is interesting to note that newly-wed couples furnish
their home
with
additional
pieces of
furniture
those of the guest room, for example, armchairs,
of drawers
and tables.
raised, and space
pieces.
leaving
the couples
occupies space
only
the
chests
passes, children
remains constant,
selling furniture that
use (p.133),
As time
like
major,
and has
more
are
start
limited
flexible
52
L2110
A.
EXAMPLE OF DWELLING UNIT IN A TRADITIONAL QUARTER SHOWING THE MAIN
ELEMENTS OF FURNITURE
(courtesy to Abdel Hadi A.)
this concept of flexibilty
in
space usage and furniture ONLY through lack of space
is
To account for
not correct, for it can be traced back to medieval
era.
was used for daily living as
well
The room in the past
as eating
and sleeping.
Beds and
tables were
packed
53
away after usage (A) giving
(AA). In other
related to
space to sit or
words, this mode
manners
circulate
of space usage can
and customs
deeply rooted
in
be
the
community since the Middle Ages.
In addition, Nadim --through her
the
preference
dwellings.
of
the
community
They don't feel
When asked how
for
the need
they will use
study-- reveals
these
"small"
for more
rooms.
an additional room,
they
express their idea of using it as a guest room open only
to visitors --and not for daily use (p.128)1
To the
the one
architect, this may seem confusing.
hand,
spaces; on
the community
the
other,
specialized rooms such
prefers
they
as
want
On
multi-functional
to
acquire
guest rooms.
highly
Furthermore,
the desire to partition the space contradicts the notion
of
flexibility
in
conflicting sets
transition, it
of
easily maintain
ideas
may suggest
this
the
partitioned space
smaller
usage.
Although
is understandable.
community express
into
space
(p. 108).
ones,
if
The
preference
standard
of
so
society
users of
that
have
this
can
of
the
dividing the
the
in
they
cleanliness
Thus
they
a
these
option,
space
is
(A) Lane, E. An account of the Manners and Customs of
the Modern Egyptians 1833-38. East and West Publication
1836.
(A*) Ibrahim, L. "Residential Architecture in Mamluk
Cairo" in Muqarnas 2. Yale Univ. Press 1984.
psychologically encouraging in the sense that it allows
them to finish their housework without feeling tired- or
burdened.
In addition, partitioning the space into two, for
example, may
they possess
pride that
satisfy their
a
home of two "places" rather than one.
Recommendations based on this study
should focus
on dwelling standards that shouldn't be derived straight
More
from international guidelines.
important is
the
attitude towards improvements; they should be related to
the actual conditions of the environment rather than
an
abstract concept of a utopia, ie. "what ought to be."
This notion of
among the members
together.
Their
They exhibit
furniture in
quarter to be
of the
interact
example.
is a
good
menus if
they
are of
like a
a
community when they
boastful nature
their food
esteemed items
found
"relativity" is evidently
highly
duck (p.12 8 ), or display
parade along
the thoroughfare
their
the
of
and visually inspected
seen, counted
the members of the community.
by
The parade is accompanied
by music to attract the attention (p.123).
This boastful message is
the spectators when they
standard of consumption by
being displayed. In other
only apprehended among
unanimously agree on a
common
which they can rate what
words, the tendency to
is
"show
55
off" is always related
to what is commonly accepted
the norm. For example,
if the spectators cannot
the type
familiar to
them, they
is
based
relate
what
is
the display
as
furniture to
evaluation
the
Consequently,
which
upon
of
will interpret
"alien".
"foreign" or
process
or style
food
of
as
of
feeling
the
impressiveness or mockery will no longer take place, and
communication between the
will
the display
viewer and
cease to exist.
This example may explain the cultural
these people
have although
stability
with
in friction
they are
other cultures different to theirs (due to the nature of
their work).
experience to
They hardly ever transfer outside cultural
their quarter (p.86).
the
if we want the dialogue between
Similarly,
two components to continue,
the standards and norms
of
the dwelling should project from what is "known" to this
community and improvements
must be
their
"related" to
environment.
approach
this
Following
improvements", several
dwelling unit can be
recommendations
of
"relative
concerning
made: The average number of
the
rooms
per dwelling should be two since it reflects the desired
standard as voiced by the community. The architect, when
designing, should
keep the
forms of
the rooms
simple
56
(closer to
different alternatives of
expected.
arrangment is
change in
space
Designating additional
space
preparation
for the kitchen is not neccessary since the
takes place
of meals
annexed spaces
because
differently
dwelling
raising children;
they are
than when
for
allow
This is
space use.
perceive their
newly-wed couples
as to
so
squared rectangle)
a
in other
rooms
and in
Although
(pp 127-129).
external
are
bathrooms
currently shared by numerous dwellings, it is preferable
to minimize
of sharing
phenomenon
this
for
hygienic
reasons.
To
conclude,
seriously taken
dwelling
unit;
these recommendations
into consideration
they
reflect
the
should
community about its environment, and its modes of
usage, which cannot be ignored.
gateway of the quarter
courtesy to Serageldin M.
the
when designing
expectations
cul-de-sac
be
of
a
space
The last set of recommendations is concerned
with
the "image" with which members of the community conceive
their built environment.
As I mentioned earlier (on p?)
the image is the conceptual representation of the
environment
by
the
user.
connected with feelings
towards the space.
built
representation
This
and substantiated by
It also has to
is
attitudes
be related to
the
physical characteristics found in the neighbourhood.
Through Nadim's
questionnaire, members of
the
quarter expressed their feelings towards their locality.
"Here if you wear rags, it makes no difference
for people know who you are," said an elderly
woman.
"All children know each other and parents
come
village all
is like a
too... it
together," said a mother (p.68).
The feeling expressed is that of familiarity,
intimacy,
and friendliness towards neighbours.
"Undoubtedly there are cleaner streets in
which to live, but in the hara (quarter) you
can raise sheep, goats and poultry," said a
middle aged woman (p.68).
The woman
expresses
her feeling
of
satisfaction
and
belonging to the place.
"When living in a street, the mother wouldn't
allow her child to play in it for fear of
cars," said a mother.
"....to live in a hara (quarter), especially a
dead-end one, is like living in one's own
no
is controlled,
The place
kingdom.
a
such
The minute
outsiders can intrude.
the
person enters bab el hara (the gateway of
quarter) he is noticed," said a man (p.69).
58
The feelings expressed
here are
those of security
and
confidence.
It is understandable that
the questionnaire might
be subjective; nevertheless,
it reflects some
expressed
the
by
members
emphasized by
their
of
attitude
relevant to discuss the
community
feelings
which
towards space.
way they use
It
the spine of
are
is
the
quarter in this regard.
For shop owners, the spine is an extension of their
merchandise display
extra space
addition,
or working
for storing
the
spine
area.
their tools and
is
often
used
purposes like weddings or funerals.
the area
where
Recreation is
the spine
another
It
product.
for
use
In
ceremonial
three
of the
lanes.
spine
for
children, as well as adults, at any time of the day.
the morning,
women
domestic activities;
socialize
their
while
completing
children play
cliques and are free to enter any house.
the
quarter,
while
dwellings into the street
men
take
in
In the evening
chairs
and gather for
In
their
together
adolescents form groups and play football in the
of
an
This takes placein
branches into
mode of
is also
from
center
their
entertainment
and conversation (pp.110-111).
The spine also witnesses the free movement of women
socializing with men (p 180).
Otherwise, they tend
to
husbands if
from their
ask permission
they intend
leave the premises of their quarter (p. 15).
have to dress in
through the
soon as they
extra clothing as
of the
gateway
They
the
quarter into
to
also
cross
outside
world (pp. 177-178).
These
with
attitudes towards the spine resonate
feelings of security, contentment, belonging familiarity
and friendliness.
The image that is conceived according
to these attitudes and feelings is that of a "big house"
of n which each individual is a member.
place
narrow untidy
streets, with
to an
--
with
a ghetto
like
may look
outsider, the
Whereas,
residents noisy,
the
ill
mannered and never minding their own business, living in
dilapidated dwelling
place,
the
units --
is
quarter
reference; it is their
more
to the
natives of
a
just
than
frame
entire world in which they
their identity. It is a place where a family
the
of
find
atmosphere
governs their interrelationships. In such an atmosphere
the residents of the
involved in one another's lives (p. 118).
celebration
is
(including friends
emotionally
quarter easily become
announced,
of
all
from outside)
gather
wedding
If a
the
residents
to share
the
event, and similar support from the quarter occurs place
if a death strikes someone's family.
Yehya el
Haqqi, in his
novel Kandel Um
Hashim
60
Hashim A),
(The Lantern of Um
scantily dressed girl
walking along
quarter asking for help.
stories instantly
depicts
a scenario of
the center of
Dwellers living in the
respond
by "raining"
upon
a
the
upper
her
old
clothes and rags from their windows (p 12).The immediate
response of the upper dwellers to the girl is
motivated
by her failure to maintain the minimum accepted standard
of poverty.
The
act reflects the atmosphere of
mutual
help that prevails among the members of the community.
In El
Sukkariya quarter, this
mutual help
further evident whenever some poor residents lose
dwelling, due to cracking
which leads to its
is
their
collapse.
Members of the quarter soon erect a temporary shelter to
house the family (p 99).
Another form of mutual help is
the gratuitous
of unneeded
purchase
goods
from
women who sell simple
items like candy at the
of their dwellings, a
purchase motivated by the
poor
doorstep
desire
to help them financially (p 56).
This conceptual image of the quarter, as conceived
by
its
inhabitants,
characteristics in
particular system of
is
the built
sustained
form
by
certain
--for example,
landuse, its architectural
its
style,
its scale, and its critical density.
(A) El Haqqi is a contemporary novelist who depicts life
in traditional quarters through his novels.
sustain the
One of the characteristics that helps to
feeling of privacy is the controlled, limited access
to
El Suqqariya, in this regard, has only one
the quarter.
under surveillance
is
entrance that
person (p.187) --a
door of the gate
p.15).
the
physical
Although the
the
there, the frame of
is no longer
a threshold that
conceived of as
gate is still
designated
has persisted since
habit that
medieval era (Lane 1836,
a
by
serves
both functions:
"To inform Esomeone3 that one is passing from
a space which is public where one's presence
is not
questioned
...
to
which
a place
is
private and where one's presence requires
justification... thus forces an outsider to
the realization that he is intruding on a
,p.64)
(Newman 19
semi-private domain."
further sustained by the
The feeling of privacy is
urban structure of the quarter.
one spine
This is done by
several dead-end
that branches into
having
alleys.
The spine in this way doesn't encourage the intrusion of
any through
hence
the
traffic, either
daily
social
pedestrian or
life
of
the
automobile;
spine
is
not
disrupted.
More emphatic is the shift
spine, thus signalling to
in the axis of the main
the intruder standing at
doorway of the thoroughfare that it is a dead end
(A) The privacy I am referring to is the
privacy" I have discussed on page 48.
the
or an
"collective
62
visual stop thus discouraging
strangers from entering the quarter
staggered side allows for
more corners
gradual shift in axis.. .more sympathetic
to pedestrians
STUDY OF THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE OF THE QUARTER
intertwining axis that doesn't promise any easy way
through.
also widens at one
The thoroughfare of the quarter
point, a junction of three alleys, to accommodate events
in which all the community participates.
considered the most important one when
peripheral ones, the entrance
the cul-de-sac.
focal point
experience a
community.
in
This
the
sense of
In
other
This space
is
compared to
the
space of the quarter
and
is because the
quarter where
enclosure and
words, there
junction is
the
gather
and
belonging to
the
people
exists
along
the
63
length of the thoroughfare of the quarter a hierarchy in
space perception.
(for it is all more
This hierarchy is not one of
privacy
or less a semi-private space),
but
of importance.
HIERARCHAL IMPORTANCE IN SPACE PERCEPTION
IN THE THOROUGHFARE OF THE QUARTER
This hierarchy serves to preserve the collective privacy
of
the
community
and
to
sustain
the
notion
of
introvertedness that prevails in the quarter.
Another characteristic in the built environment of
the quarter is the
presence of the shopping area
close
to the entrance of
the thoroughfare on the main
public
64
to relieve
the
pressure that has mounted due to the crowdedness of
the
street.
This landuse
community.
This
where neighbours
pattern
is because,
helps
in such
interfere so much
an
into one
affairs, it becomes impossible not to share
another's
possessions
To counter-balance this habit
they have in excess.
that prevails,
borrowing and
sharing
developed the
attitude of
not
domestic item; instead, they
to satisfy
environment
consumable
depend on near-by
their daily needs
have
housewives
storing any
of
markets
(pp78-79). Therefore
the
landuse pattern in this context generates the feeling of
reliability among
the community
the housewives of
and
offers them a practical solution to this problem.
Consequently,
proved to
change
be
in
solutions
flexible enough
the
community.
evolve,
and
environment
the traditional
the
has
to
accommodate
dynamic
Where
problems
emerge,
traditional
environment
remains constant in both cases.
Another
characteristic of the environment
stregnthens the feeling
of belonging and
self-identity
is its physical appearance --the scale and style of
architecture.
The
next two
pages demonstrate a
that has been done on those two aspects.
compose the architectural style
which
its
study
Elements
that
of the place have
been
identified; their types have been sorted out, and
their
65
FACADE
I
ELEMENTS
PROPORTIONS
1.75
1.12
1.0
F
1o
71~
1.0
MASHRABEYA
10
WINDOWS
1.0'
ft
-TOTAL.
.ME*O--4
j4-
I.PROJECTED
ROOM
HOUSE
DOORWAY
STREET SECTION
r7 7LL
I
II
I
(I)
4
w.
w
4
4
-ammumfoommum
mommummmoves
on
I 'Ll
Igo:
UMM"Immus:
---- --- ----
woow
-
w
W0<
67
proportions analysed.
we
The question that arises is to what extent can
when
extrapolate from the local vocabulary...especially
modern
we know that it may not function properly due to
The width, for example,
circumstances and requirements?
the easy mobility of an
for
quarter cannot make
passage of the
of the current
ambulance or a fire brigade,
a
modern neccessity that cannot
be ignored (A).
Widening
new proposals,
while trying to
maintain
the street in
in
the ratio in relation to building height will result
However, this is not
an additional number of floors.
a
This
desirable idea from a sociological point of view.
is because any number of storeys higher than three above
ground
level
(as
communication more
in
the
existing
remote between
the upper storeys and the street.
makes
fabric)
residents living
Women and girls
social studies reveal-- use their windows and
in
--as
balconies
to watch all of the events happening in the thoroughfare
of the quarter --fights, weddings (Nadim, pp. 119 -120),
funerals (p. 124),
and even
football
games
(p.181).
During such sight interaction, verbal communication
also take place.
Therefore
this "window activity"
may
is
crucial for women who cannot interact at street-level in
(A) Although service vehicles that can maneuver inside
the traditional fabric are being developed, nevertheless
widening is inevitable for other types of vehicles.
68
the evening
when men
entertain (p.111).
gather to
In
other words, balconies and windows shouldn't exceed four
have
storeys above ground level so as to allow women to
at
a continous interaction with events at street-level
times when they are not able to be there physically.
It is a difficult task to satisfy this social need
the proportions of
while attempting to maintain
width in relation to
street
same
building height, and, at the
time, accommodating the emergency penetration of service
vehicles.
Concerning the types of elements that distinguish
more
El Sukkariya built form from others, they are even
of scale.
problematic than the question
these elements is the
An example
mashrabeya (a screened
window of latticed turnery woodwork).
projected
At times when the
individual privacy of the residence was as important
the collective
privacy of the
was a logical social device
the outside
world without
quarter, the
that allowed
being
seen.
of the
highly questionable.
mashrabeya as a
It is
as
mashrabiva
women to
see
Now that
the
individual privacy of the dwelling has ceased to
the presence
of
exist,
social device
relevant to mention
is
that,
when girls reach a marrigeable age,
...the tactic involved ...is not to isolate
girls or prevent them from communicating with
69
girl
men, but to make sure that no unmarried
has an affair with a man." (p.182)
no place in contemporary
and a mashrabeya has
On
before,
open to each other than
Families are thus more
the other hand,
society.
logical
the quarter, we find that the balconies are the
substitution
Consequently,
the
can the balconies alone
help
mashrabeva(s).
for
of
looking at the street facade
question that evolves is:
to preserve the character of the place?
Or do
we still
need the mashrabeya as an "image reminder"?
of dilemma, in which
Attempting to solve this type
the validity of
an image carries
weight as opposed
architect
that of the real function of the element, the
may perhaps determine that it is a question of
rather than compromise.
question that
need to
to
priority
"Which is more important?" is a
before finding
any
be determined by
the
be answered
solution.
Another
aspect that should
community is the question of density.
to note that
the community
density; it varies from one
other (pp.53 -56).
It is interesting
doesn't have a
homogeneous
side of the quarter to
Which of these densities should
the
be
taken as an acceptable standard?
How does the community
perceive these varied densities?
Studies have revealed,
for example,
that
the
community
regards
living in the Rab' of Nefisa el Beda as an
the
people
extreme case
70
an opinion on
the favorable norm
they are able
to criticize the
the
needed before
rab' as an
overcrowded
interaction between
that
members
allow
will
comfortable
without
community
of the
is
right
the
decide on
architect can
density
a
for
which
over and above
Consequently, further investigation
place to live.
figure
have
In other words, people
of overcrowdedness (p.71).
causing any strain.
The last characteristic I wish to discuss is that
which generates the familial atmosphere in the
quarter.
It is the common background that is shared by members of
irrespective
the community
economic
of their
status.
Based on this common background, people are able to
"share values, ideas and norms; understand and
respond to the same symbols, agree about child
-rearing, interaction, density and lifestyle
--and hence leisure, food, clothing style,
manners and rules." ( Rapoport, p.256)
background
This common
(80%)
can be
based
upon' occupation
of the working class are connected to handicraft,
(Nadim, p.61), origin (60%
Balad and 30%
of the members are Awlad
have
or kinship (62%
are Waheya, p.53),
el
relatives living in the quarters, p.59).
Unlike the
background is
but
from
earlier characteristics, the
not derived from
the
participates in
community
casting
the built
itself.
his image
The
common
environment,
also
user
perception
of
the
71
quarter; therefore the mechanism that is involved in the
one way deterministic
image-making process is not
from
the point of view of the built form.
a shared background
This characteristic of having
the community
stresses
for reducing
is important
may
experience in their built environment (Rapoport, p.260).
latent
community are
encouraged
to adapt
can
potential
latent
that
solutions
the
themselves
to
the
is facing
he
problem
by
the rest
of
the community.
are
derived
in
response
to
from manners and
implemented because they stem
the
and
strengthens
outside pressures.
the common
in
background
Thus common
survival
majority of
a
society
its
onging
is
And
certain
the
helps
customs
community.
cultural
resistance
to
This continuity comes to a halt when
background
weakens and
attitude starts to develop.
between traditional
members of
the
collectively
constraints become widely acknowledged and
shared by
when
place
take
only
manifesting
The
the
that
individual feels
actually shared
of
environment.
constraints posed by the
of
members
the
potential,
Through their
an
individualistic
And that is the
quarters and
modern
difference
ones and
--as is generally supposed-- that of lower standards
not
of
social class.
It is relevant
at this point to compare
the
study
community under
social
higher in
with another
This
class.
is
one that
much
in
community lives
a
settlement they have built along the Mediterranian coast
west of Alexandria
into
The settlement came
(Egypt).
existence when a group of affluent doctors bought a vast
land from
area of
started dividing
carefully,
known clients.
To this
and
group
very
important to choose the buyers
not only because the transaction was
based upon mutual trust (since there was no legal
for these
then
They
smaller portions
their land into
sold it to relatives and
of doctors, it was
of the area.
the Arabs
investments) but
because they
only
basis
were keen
to
create a homogeneous community sharing common values and
necessary that members
of
what mattered was the level
of
It was not
accepted norms.
this community be rich;
intelectual education.
The outcome of this criterion in
choosing clients was a community with a high
percentage
common
behavioral
highly sociable,
of doctors,
with
patterns of living and similar modes of interaction with
their own built form (A).
What is similar
and
that
of
the
to both the community of doctors
traditional
quarter
is
the
image
perceived by each of their environment (the image of
(A)
He
an
The author interviewed Dr. Said Laban in January 87.
settlement.
founders of this
of the
is one
entity where a familial and friendly atmospher prevails).
What is also
similar
is the
perceived image, the common
concept
underlying
the
background each of the
two
communities has.
-.-
garden
8 meter wide street
DOCTORS'
COMMUNITY IN WEST ALEXANDRIA
EXAMPLE OF THE FABRIC
the
with
the other hand--
What is different --on
physical elements in the
built
environment that helps in
weaving the perceived
image.
Streets, for example, are
not places for
doctors' example is the
as
in
quarter with
their
thoroughfare
are
in
flowers
the
in
gathering
colorful dress,
like
traditional
of the
The inhabitants
overlooking them.
terraces
and
gardens
but
quarter,
Sukkariya
socialization
doctors'
the
gardens --a source of entertainment and pleasure to
In
community.
his
existence in
regard
is
the
to
climate.
guest
room
The
the
doctors'
the
homeowner because
ability
persistent
the desert
like
garden in
of every
the pride
community is
represents
addition, the
the
it
maintain
its
garden in
this
for
the
furniture
Sukkariya community --a source of pride.
To conclude, the cross-cultural analysis shows how
natural and favorable the
desire is to cluster to
homogeneous settlements.
The
different characteristics
in
study
form
also reveals
how
forms
may
various built
tend to compose similar images for different communities
It is the responsibility of the architect to
understand
these characteristics and their conceived images
in each case, if
he is keen
on providing a
built form to the community under study.
formed
responsive
75
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations concerning
the urban
the
structure of
quarter:
AA
with
have a defined thoroughfare
The quarter should
one entry, to give a sense of collective privacy.
A* The thoroughfare of the quarter should discourage the
intrusion of any
through traffic (either pedestrian
or
automobile) so as not to disrupt its daily social life.
the
This is done by providing systems of cul-de-sac and
continuous shift in axis.
AA
The thoroughfare should
intersection of
events in
one alley)
than
more
the community
which all
notion
sustaining the
have a focal point (eg.
of
the
accommodate
to
participates,
thus
of
the
along
the
the introvertedness
quarter.
AA Commercial
activity
be
should
located
public spine outside the quarter, yet easily
accessible
quarter since
housewives
from the thoroughfare
depend heavily on
of the
"nearby" shops
The shops should not
for their daily
be located along the
use.
thoroughfare
for its expected disturbance to the "collective privacy"
of the quarter.
Recommendations concerning the dwelling unit:
AA The design of
houses should take into account
open-
for
allow
socialization
the house)
floor of
spaces (in each
-air communal
domestic
performing
while
to
activities.
AA
storeys
not exceed more than four
The height should
to allow for sight, as well as verbal communication with
street life.
AA The
The
dwelling unit should
rooms
should
preferably
rectangles in shape
rooms.
average two
be on
close
be
squared
to
to maintain maximum flexibility
in
space usage.
AA
for
Spaces designated to kitchens may be designed
solely
place
while
Food
cooking.
takes
preparation
socializing with neighbours in communal places.
AA
Bathrooms should not be shared by dwelling units
for
hygienic reasons.
the physical
Recommendations concerning
appearance
of
the quarter.
AA These recommendations are not fully formulated due to
a
lack
of
information
research needs
to be
in
social
pursued on
the
stdies;
further
way a
community
perceives the physical appearance of its quarter.
78
Recommendations concerning the community.
AA The
a
have
quarter should
the
of
people
background that ties them together socially and
This background
a familial atmosphere.
status only does
basis of economic
among
interaction
collective
recommendation is the
structure of
dwelling
grouping a
mention that
relevant to
most
the- proposed
is
units,
to
It
is
the
community on
not help to
create
people.
This
its
important one,
quarter,
based
creates
can be due
occupation.
education or
origin, intellectual
common
on
since
the
as
its
well
as
collective
the
characteristics and behavioral patterns of the community
rather than individualistic
shared background
recommendations
is not
becomes
ones. If the principle
of
set
of
implied, the
meaningless.
whole
The
next
pages
summarize these recommendations in conceptual diagrams.
79
I
shops
display area of shops
DETAIL OF THE CONCEPT OF A
SHOPPING MALL RUNNING THROUGH
THE CENTER OF A TOWN
access
II
roads
thoroughfare of the quarter
center of the auarter
2
shopping mall of the town
location for school, mosque...
quarter
vehicular spine
r --
- ~-
-
--
SECTION OF A TOWN, SHOWING THE
SHOPPING MALL FLANKED BY QUARTERS
bent axis to discourage
intruders
(visually)
DETAIL OF A QUARTER SHOWING THE
OF CUL-DE-SACS
80
CHAPTER FIVE
REFLECTIONS
The
using
the architect, when
thesis reveals how
social studies, may make some effort to reach meaningful
community
that suit the
built form
guidelines for the
under study.
the
necessary
it
found
author
studies,
attempt to utilize social
As part of the
look
to
the
into
relationship between the user and the built environment.
The relationship appears to belong to an
Sukkariya
equilibrium is evident in
This
other.
that of the
The
quarter.
of
division
families, and the acceptance
El
original
the
number
of
of lesser living space
on
greater
accommodate
to
residential blocks
for
compensates
one component
potential of
where the
"equilibrium",
the part of the families, reflects the latent potentials
being
(user/ built environment) now
of both components
released to attain a new equilibrium.
In
kinds of
addition, the study reveals that there are
patterns:
behavioral
background, the
other
built environment.
revealed how
one
In
type
one related
to
two
ethnic
in
the
El Sukkariya case study, it
was
related
to constraints
of behavioral
The
through time to become
the other.
of domestic activities
was initially
pattern
shifted
externalization
motivated by
the
lack of internal space; it is now deeply embedded in the
community as
part of
their ethnic
quality
associated
82
with a specific pattern of socialization.
the author had great difficulty
In some cases
In this regard, the history of
importance.
their
or even sensing
categorizing behavioral patterns
interaction
By
between the user and built environment was helpful.
privacy: that of
two levels of
family has
the family and that
Today,
whole.
as a
the quarter
diminished, while
that of
the
community,
the
the quarter
has
changes
maintaining
importance of
of
of
the privacy
prevailed. Consequently, by tracing the dynamic
in the
were
revealed that there
it was
looking into history,
in
the
collective privacy of the quarter in the new design came
to the
of the
attention
mashrabiya
author, while
individual
denoting
like
elements
became
privacy
questionable.
The thesis also deals with the question of
"conceptual
image"
feelings towards
social studies.
of
the
quarter.
space
are
traced with
extracted
Attitudes
the
and
help
of
The characteristics of the community or
built form that help
are
the
to sustain the "conceptual
to
formulate
new
image"
guidelines.
Through the analysis of sociological research,
was apparent in some instances that the community
study was in transition.
The question that arises
how can an architect deal with this situation?
it
under
is:
Yehya el
in
Haqqi in one of his novels reflects such transitions
her worry
The daughter voices
thought.
able to see
neighbours will be
new
that the
on
her while wandering
mother
The
top of her house; her mother does not mind.
tradition,
in this sense, is the symbol of the past and
change.
while the daughter is a symbol of modernity and
Here we have two different perceptions of privacy in the
architect is
the
same family;
deeply
are to be followed, those
Which set of thoughts
rooted in their manners
two.
the
lost between
have
and customs or those that
to
been newly introduced? These questions are difficult
answers.
the
On a deeper level, the author encountered
an
difficulty of transforming these social studies into
architect.
apprehendable form to the
with
The problem
social studies is that they are descriptive and verbally
The
analysed.
must
architect
analysis on designs
for the built
the
overlay
form.
verbal
accomplished, it is easy to deduce recommendations
the
understand
relationship
that
reflect
architect to
medium he
the
understands.
mean in bridging
analysis
social
visualize
the gap
between
the
through
is an
between the two
diagrams
helps
also
social studies
This attempt
and
built
the
Moreover, sketching
environment and the user.
is
Once this
the
a
effective
disciplines;
84
a
dialogue
the
between
architect
and
social
the
scientist is finally made possible.
What also
helped to
conscientious attempt
places.
because
place in corridors of
to look
attention
socialization among
to
defined
the
the
to
for example when
Nawal
women
took
the rab' and cul-de-sacs as
well
as the thoroughfare of the quarter.
is motivated
to
community
his
spaces,
out that
the
immensely applauded by
holds
it
importance of certain
Nadim points
the
an effort is
Such
architect
of
gap, was
social anthropologist
by the
interaction
relate the
bridge the
into the
Hence the architect
characteristics of
the
spaces that promoted such a pattern of behavior in order
to incorporate them in new designs.
The last point the author wishes to make is
in trying
to
merge the
two disciplines
that
together,
it
became necessary to reflect such policy in the technique
of presenting the
the social
thesis.
studies,
the
While the author
relevant
urban
presented
spaces
were
analysed and in doing so the interaction between the two
disciplines was noted.
derived
set
of
From this
recommendations.
process
the
author
Therefore
the
methodology of matching the two disciplines together, as
a technique
of
presentation
was
appropriate
to
author in his attempt to deal with the incompatible.
the
85
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