Traditional house of Jeddah: a study of the interaction between climate, form and living patterns

Abstract

The traditional house of Jeddah evolved out of a deep understanding and respect for climate. The thesis describes an investigation of the dynamic interaction between the climate, the form of the traditional house of Jeddah and the living patterns of its occupants. The hypothesis behind the study was that the use of space in the traditional house was closely related to, if not dominated by, a need to maximise thermal comfort. To test the hypothesis, thermal measurements have been carried out in one of the few remaining traditional houses of Jeddah in order to compare and evaluate the thermal conditions in different levels and spaces, and to relate them to the occupants' space-use patterns obtained through interviews conducted by the author with elderly men who had lived in traditional houses. The results provide strong support for the initial hypothesis.

In order to set the research in context, some essential background is given on the development of the old town of Jeddah, its socio-spatial structure, and the nature of its traditional houses. The house is viewed in relation to the whole town, quarters, and the way public urban spaces were distributed and used in residential and civic parts of the town.

The study ends with a brief review of the modern residential environment of Jeddah offered by private villas, and an evaluation of the modern villa in the light of what has been learnt about the traditional house. This enables some suggestions to be offered about the development of a new attitude in designing private houses in Jeddah.