The Appropriate Home: Can We Design “Appropriate” Residential Environments? by Shehayeb, D., Turgut Yildiz, H. & Kellett, P. (Eds.) (2007). HBRC: Cairo, Egypt. (ISBN 977-17-4798-3). Proceedings of the First HBRC & IAPS-CSBE Network Joint Symposium., Jun 2007
The aim of this paper is to discern lessons that would guide the design and planning process of r... more The aim of this paper is to discern lessons that would guide the design and planning process of residential environments. As a continuation of previous work discussing the social dimension of dwelling/home design, including near-home spaces, and the significance of sharing the same physical boundaries as a basis for community formation, this paper draws from the findings of an empirical research project funded by the National Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt, and conducted at the Housing and Building research Centre. The issue in question is which design and planning features of the outdoor spaces and streets of a neighbourhood affect certain aspects of social interaction and how. We present a model of social interaction that sets forth two critical objectives in neighbourhood design. The empirical data analysis sheds the light on the role of the built environment in influencing social interaction among residents directly and indirectly through providing reasons for being in the neighbourhood’s streets and open spaces, and fulfilling the requirements that make different resident groups spend more time in such spaces. The findings reinforce the model presented confirms that this role is inherent in the built environment’s potential along two dimensions; its’ potential to allow opportunities to “meet”, and opportunities to “control” social interaction with other occupants. The significance of this model is therefore to better guide the design and planning of urban neighbourhoods by putting forth these two, usually hidden factors, as clear objectives for future neighbourhood design.
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Specific to Cairo, of course, our research project has regional applications throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Made possible by a Getty Collaborative Research Grant and administered by the University of California, LA, this is a collaborative research project whereby scholars from different disciplines research the history of the cemetery and monument zone of Sayyidi Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti from a number of perspectives.
A first outcome is a thorough documentation of this monument zone, both of the architecture of its monuments and the surrounding urban fabric and a historical study of its development through time. A second outcome is a methodology for the study of contested multi-functional historical zones in Egypt and the region. Results are disseminated via the website, and via an academic monograph to be authored by the three core team members of the project.
http://www.suyuti.net/index.php
The objective of this paper is to present a theoretical framework integrating findings from disparate studies that address: perceptions of the designed environment, the relation between the perceived environment and behavior, and those that relate socio-psychological processes to physical characteristics and users in the home environment, including the particularities of the Egyptian case to capture the fundamentals of the appropriate home.
A literature review led to the identifying the key issues related to the design of home environment and complementing them with the Egyptian empirical studies. Based on this analysis, a comprehensive model was developed addressing the problem of designing the appropriate home as a function of its users' characteristics, their needs, and behavior.
Specific to Cairo, of course, our research project has regional applications throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Made possible by a Getty Collaborative Research Grant and administered by the University of California, LA, this is a collaborative research project whereby scholars from different disciplines research the history of the cemetery and monument zone of Sayyidi Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti from a number of perspectives.
A first outcome is a thorough documentation of this monument zone, both of the architecture of its monuments and the surrounding urban fabric and a historical study of its development through time. A second outcome is a methodology for the study of contested multi-functional historical zones in Egypt and the region. Results are disseminated via the website, and via an academic monograph to be authored by the three core team members of the project.
http://www.suyuti.net/index.php
The objective of this paper is to present a theoretical framework integrating findings from disparate studies that address: perceptions of the designed environment, the relation between the perceived environment and behavior, and those that relate socio-psychological processes to physical characteristics and users in the home environment, including the particularities of the Egyptian case to capture the fundamentals of the appropriate home.
A literature review led to the identifying the key issues related to the design of home environment and complementing them with the Egyptian empirical studies. Based on this analysis, a comprehensive model was developed addressing the problem of designing the appropriate home as a function of its users' characteristics, their needs, and behavior.