Modifications of Governmental Housing Projects in Kuwait

Paper presented and published in the proceeding of 2009 International Conference on Social Science and Humanities, October 10-12, 2009, Singapore (ICSSH 2009) , pp. 109-114.

The provision of subsidizes housing for citizens is a common practice in Gulf countries as part of the welfare societies. In Kuwait, following the discovery of oil in the middle of the 20th century, many governmental housing projects, containing thousands of housing units, were constructed and distributed to citizens. Immediately after their delivery, modifications and changes were applied on these units by end users. The changes vary from minor to major, interior to exterior, immediate to gradual, and functional to aesthetical. This paper investigates the phenomenon of applying changes and modifications on governmental housing units by end users in Kuwait. This activity causes waste of time and resources that could be better utilized to produce more housing units for other citizens. It is also an evidence of a mismatch between the designs of housing units produced by governmental agencies and expectations and needs of end users. The study focuses on identifying the extent and causes of this phenomenon as well as possible solutions that could benefit both end users and the government. The paper is based on field studies conducted in five governmental housing projects in Kuwait where there have been activities of transformations and modifications of governmental housing units by end users. A survey of changes and modifications was conducted using standardized questionnaire, interviews, photographing and systematic observations. The study concluded that these modifications and changes were made to satisfy social and cultural needs not achieved by the prototypes offered by the government. It also pointed out the ability and willingness of the people to participate in the housing process and production. It stresses the need to develop a new approach to include the people in the process of design and production of housing that would facilitate the production of a more satisfying environment and reduction in cost and time of governmental housing provision.

SOCIO-CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY OF FUTURE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: The Case of the New Kuwait University Campus

Open House International Vol 34, No.1, March 2009 pp. 68-74

This paper investigates factors influencing the shaping of future learning environments. It focuses on the impact of social and cultural requirements on the sustainability of future learning environment. It argues that while today's learning
environments are shaped by yesterday's visions, future learning environments are shaped by toady's' visions that might not be acceptable nor valid for future generations. The case of New Kuwait University City in Shedadiyah is used to illustrate how current social and cultural requirements impact the design of a future university campus and inhibit the production of a sustainable environment. Among several socio-cultural factors, the paper focuses on two significant aspects that have dramatically affected the development of the master plan for the New University City; namely separation of students' sexes and car parking requirements. The first requirement was mandated by a parliament decree to build two separate campuses; one for male students and the other for female students. The implementation of this requirement resulted in the duplication of many educational facilities and immensely increased space and budget requirements. The second requirement reflected dependency on automobiles as primary means of transportation in Kuwait. It resulted in a necessity to allocate large areas of land for vehicular traffic and car parking. These two requirements, as well as other socio-cultural requirements, created a great challenge towards achieving the required level of sustainability. The paper concludes that while recognizing that accommodating clients' social and cultural requirements is necessary for the application of a comprehensive sustainability strategy, these requirements might work against achieving required levels of other aspects of sustainability.

Tall Identity ... Lost Sustainability

Viewpoints Special Edition: Architecture and Urbanism in the Middle East, 2008. pp 37-40.

The Impact of War on the Meaning of Architecture in Kuwait

The International Journal of Architectural Research (Archnet-IJAR), Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 232-246. 2008

The city-state of Kuwait’s oil wealth and strategic location at the cross roads of political conflicts and global interests made it always influenced, directly and indirectly, by wars and armed conflicts in the region. While Kuwait benefited from the sharp increase of oil prices that followed the 1973 Middle East War to finance its modernization and construction plans, its architectural landmarks, governmental and private buildings were targets of destruction and vandalism during the Second Gulf War in 1991. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the war on architecture in Kuwait as a literal and figurative target of the warfare. It attempts to understand the change of Kuwaitis attitudes towards architecture as an outcome of the war aggressions. The paper illustrates that while the war had a physical impact on buildings and structures; it also had a perceptual impact on their meaning as architecture and places. It polarized attitudes towards architecture and its significance; while traditional architecture gained importance and admiration, global styles of architecture became more trendy and fashionable. The paper illustrates the impact of war on the physical as well as the
symbolic aspects of architecture. Another significant impact of the war in Kuwait is the interruption of urban development plans progress that Kuwait enjoyed during the Seventies.

Architecture and the expression of cultural identity in Kuwait

The Journal of Architecture, Volume 12, Number 2, pp. 165-182. 2007

Abstract
The phenomenon of expressing cultural identity in architecture is apparent in many parts of the world: this paper examines it in the context of Kuwait. It focuses on architects, and the strategies they use in expressing cultural identity. The aim is to understand their views and current efforts in this context. In Kuwait, architecture has passed through dramatic transformations during the second half of the twentieth century that were the result of economic, regional and global changes. A survey of the views of eighteen Kuwaiti architects was conducted using focused interviews and a standardised questionnaire. Examples of their projects were analysed to illustrate their views and ways of thinking. The study concluded that there were several strategies employed by Kuwaiti architects to express a Kuwaiti cultural identity in their work. A three- dimensional matrix was developed to illustrate the relationship between the ranges of these strategies and architecture in Kuwait. It is hoped that this matrix will be useful for practitioners and critics of contemporary architecture in Kuwait interested in understanding current trends in achieving a cultural identity in architecture.

Cultural Sustainability and Identity: The Case of Kuwait

The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability. Volume 3, Issue 1, pp.137-144. 2007

This paper investigates the relationship between sustainability and the expression of cultural identity in architecture. It argues that the expression of identity in architecture observed in any countries is an attempt to create architecture that sustains and supports the continuity of cultural and social values. An understanding of this phenomenon is required in order to comprehend its impact on the cultural sustainability of the  built environment. Architecture in Kuwait has passed through
dramatic changes during the second half of the 20th century as a result of rapid planning and development. This paper examines how identity is being expressed in architecture in the context of Kuwait as an attempt to create a more culturally
sustainable environment. The aim of this study was to compare the views of the architects and non-architects regarding the relationship between architecture and cultural identity. The research included a survey of the views of practicing architects in Kuwait using standardized questionnaire and focused interviews and another survey was conducted using a more visual standardized questionnaire to understand the views of non-architects. The comparative analysis of data revealed several differences and commonalities between architects and non-architects views. The study is useful for practitioners and critics to understand the current trend towards achieving cultural identity in contemporary architecture and its impact on the cultural sustainability of the built environment in Kuwait and other Gulf countries.

Towards Sustainable Desert Eco-Tourism in Kuwait: Learning from the Regional Experience

Open House International-OHI: ECOLODGES and ECO-TOURISM, Volume 32, Number 4, pp. 75-82. 2007

The desert was always part of the Arabian culture and a way of life. After the discovery of oil during the 1940's, traditional Arab societies became urbanized and settled in newly constructed cities and towns. The desert became a place to visit for leisure and entertainment by locals and tourists. In Dubai, the desert is used as a tourist attraction for foreigners. In Kuwait, the desert is a seasonal attraction for families and groups during the winter time. This involves informal leisure activities that endanger the fragile desert environment and cause its pollution and degradation. This paper discusses the impact of informal desert tourism activities on the desert sustainability in Kuwait. It warns against the negative impact of current practices on the fragile desert environment as a result of informal local tourism activities. The paper explores successful examples from the region and the world in order to highlight aspects of successful interventions that blend in with the desert context. It suggests sustainable measures to deal with the planning and designing for desert ecotourism facilities that aim at protecting the fragile desert environment from deterioration and eventual extinction.

Socio-Cultural Sustainability and Urban Development in Kuwait

Paper presented in Gulf First Urban Planning and Development Conference 22 - 24 February 2006, Kuwait

This paper investigates the impact of rapid urban development of Kuwait city during the second half of the 20th century in terms of its socio-cultural sustainability. It analyzes the impact of early planning decisions taken during the first planning stages and rapid changes and transformations that occurred during the second half of the 20th century on the sustainability of the contemporary urban environment in Kuwait city. Its goal is to provide lessons regarding the impact of early planning decisions on the socio-cultural sustainability of urban areas, especially for Kuwait city future plans during this important stage of the completion of the Revised 3rd Master Plan. The paper concluded that rapid planned change did not permit the city to develop in a sustainable manner and illustrates the different aspects of this development. It suggests several strategies to be considered during the implementation the revised Master Plan of Kuwait City and during the early planning stages of other cities. Urgent measures that should be taken include; the renovation and reconstruction of badly damaged traditional buildings, the development of mixed use downtown development strategy, the provision of appropriate housing units to encourage of Kuwaitis to live in the downtown, the integration of housing and commercial activities, and implementation of revitalization projects for the downtown area. While the problems of the urban environment in Kuwait might be similar to urban problems found in other parts of the world they require uncommon solutions to avoid the mistake of copying solutions from other parts of the world. They should stem from local context and conditions on the resulted urban environment in terms of its socio-cultural sustainability. The results of rapid urban development of Kuwait city during the second half of the 20th century provides important lessons of the impact of planning on socio-cultural sustainability to other cities and to the future strategic planning of Kuwait city itself.

Globalization and the built environment in Kuwait

Habitat International, Volume 28, Issue 4, Pages 505-519. 2004

This paper discusses the impact of globalization on the built environment and the tension between the forces of globalization and localization as exemplified in the case of Kuwait. It claims that globalization has been active in the countries of the Gulf area since the middle of the 20th century when they witnessed rapid development and change that permitted globalization and localization processes to be more evident and magnified than in other parts of the world. The aim of this paper is to analyze manifestations and consequences of globalization and localization processes in the built environment in Kuwait by tracing the rapid transformation of the built environment in Kuwait during the second half of the 20th century. The paper claims that the clash of styles that exists in the built environment is a product of the tension between globalization and localization processes, and that the dichotomy between the cultural forces currently shaping the built environment, i.e. modern-traditional, Islamic-Western, and local-international, is the result of this tension. While some architects attempt to integrate the local architecture into global cultural trends, others try to revive the traditional architectural style to protect the local identity and heritage. The resulting built environment is chaotic and lacks identity and sense of place. The paper concludes that the processes of globalization and localization are inseparable and that they coexist, like in many other parts of the world, in continuous state of change and interaction. There is a need for an alternative understanding of what global architecture can be; one that understands the essential need to preserve and respect diversity as well as house seemingly disparate philosophies of space, people, and their interactions with and within the built form. This approach should be reflected in professional practice, education and building regulations that govern the production of the built environment.

The Development of Private Housing in Kuwait: The Impact of Building Regulations

Open House International, Volume 27 Number 2, pp. 47-62. 2002

Housing is usually discussed in terms of its social and cultural aspects, its materials and methods of construction, and its method of production and design. Yet, building regulations have great impact on the formation of the built environment in general and housing in specific. This paper discusses the impact of building regulations on the development of private housing in Kuwait It traces their origin, development, and impact on private housing in Kuwait using case studies. It argues that building codes and regulations have a strong impact on housing more than is generally assumed. While social and cultural factors shaped the traditional dwelling in a very strong way, they failed to shape the modern dwelling in the same way due to the overriding impact of building regulations that were imported from other parts of the world. The paper recommends major changes to building regulations in order to allow socio-cultural and environmental factors to play a more prominent role in the shaping of the built environment. It also calls for the adoption of building regulations that help providing more sustainable environments.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF TRADITIONAL RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN EGYPT

IAPS Conference: Culture and Space in the Built Environment Network Second International Symposium of IAPS-CSBE Network Amasya, Turkey - June, 2001

Traditional rural settlements in the Egyptian countryside, the peasants' villages, have been undergoing dramatic physical changes since the beginning of the 20th century. The formation of traditional settlements in the Egyptian countryside was influenced by the natural environment that surrounded them. The Nile had a great influence on shaping the traditional Egyptian settlements. The yearly summer flooding forced the villages away from its banks to higher elevations away from the Nile, occupying the tops of the hills. This condition lasted for thousands of years, until the beginning of the 19th century when Mohamed Ali started the first efforts to control the Nile and its waters. Subsequently more efforts were made to control the Nile ending with the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1961, which ended the yearly summer floodings and freed the village from the control of the Nile. It also allowed for drastic transformations in the traditional settlements morphology to take place.
This paper will focus on the process of transformation and change taking place in Egyptian villages and its impact on the health and life of its inhabitants and the surrounding environment. The village of El-Baraguil, located N-W of Cairo is used as a case study to illustrate the dramatic changes taking place in many Egyptian villages. The maps of the village since 1900 were studied along with site visits and anthropological documentation of environmental pollution taking place in the village. Other villages were also visited and the same pattern of change was evident in all of them.
This paper attempts to raise questions of theoretical implications:
• Should the transformation of the Egyptian village be considered a "normal" evolution of a traditional settlement?
• Are other traditional settlements in other parts of the world evolving in a similar way?
• Is it appropriate to apply building codes and regulations on traditional settlements to control their growth and development?
• Is this transformation the result of an impact of local-regional trends and global change?

Impact of Information Technology on the Design of Schools and Classrooms

Engineering Scientific Journal, Refereed Journal Published by College of Engineering, Ain Shams University. 1998

Post Occupancy Evaluation of Elementary School Buildings in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research, Volume 3 Number 1, pp. 1-12. 1998

Sustainable Architecture in the United Arab Emirates: Past and Present

CAA-IIA International Conference on Urbanisation and Housing - 2-5 October 1997 - GOA - India

This paper compares aspects of sustainability in vernacular and modern architecture in the United Arab Emirates. In vernacular architecture, sustainability is manifested in the design of buildings, use of materials, environmental and social consciousness. There are indeed many lessons to be learned from vernacular architecture in the area. On the other hand, aspects of sustainability are absent from almost all modern buildings in the region for many reasons: rapid development, use of foreign materials, design methods, and construction systems all contribute to the absence of sustainability in modern buildings. Yet, an important aspect contributing to this situation is absence of building codes and regulations enforcing sustainability in the design and construction of buildings.
The aim of this paper is to illustrate aspects of sustainability in vernacular architecture compared to absence of sustainability in modern buildings in the region and discuss prospects of boosting awareness on several levels. To achieve sustainability in future buildings and environments sustainability should be introduced on the following levels:
1. Building codes and regulations
2. Building construction systems and materials
3. Undergraduate and graduate education
4. Design methods and community participation
The paper concludes with recommendations and proposals to amplify awareness and implementation of sustainability measures in the design, construction, and education of architecture in the region.

The Use of Hypertext Systems in Architecture

Dirasat Hundasia, Volume 7 Number 1, pp. 78-95. 1994