DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE HOUSE DESIGN IN SAUDI ARABIA: Questioning the Socio-cultural Parameters DR. MASHSARY ABDULLA AL-NAIM Associate Professor Vice Rector, Prince Mohammed University

mugallat also used as dining room but people never call it ‘dining room’ later) Living room (the chairs and sofas added A villa constructed after 1975

A number of villas constructed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. a) A villa (designed in 1977) shows the development of the living room. b) A villa (designed in late 1970’s) shows how the house became two storeys (bedrooms transferred to first floor). c) A villa (designed in early 1980’s) shows how the staircase became closer to the living room. A B C

 Entry from main street Family Living room Front stage (communal) Middle (private) Clean activities Majlis Semi-clean activities Staircas e Mugallat Setback (front garden) Passagewa y Kitchen Toilet Back (Semi-private) Back setback side setback In some cases the majlis and mugallat are connected by a passageway connected directly to the front setback A sharp segregation found between guest and family parts Multi- purpose or bedroom Women Majlis Dirty activities Bedrooms Storage Added later The number of bedrooms depends on the size of the house The organisation of internal domestic space of the contemporary house of the late 1970’s (The women’s majlis was one of the room in the ground floor. There was no specific room for it).

A number of stone facades (also notice the pavement in front of the house facade which is used to emphasize the visual characteristics of the contemporary private home in Saudi Arabia).

Granite facades with some visual symbols (mainly palm trees and Quranic calligraphy).

A number of gateways constructe d in the late 1970s reflect the growth of the individual perceptual identity

Development of private home in the early 1980s. a) The staircase moved to the living room and the women’s majlis became well identified. b) The majlis hall associated with the mugallat (was to be used on occasions as one space). c) The living room is half covered and half open to the first floor rooms.

 Entry from main street Family living room Front stage (communal) Middle stage (private) Clean activities Majlis Semi-clean activities Staircas e Mugallat Setback (front garden) Passage - way Kitchen Toilet Back (Semi-private) Back setback Side setback A sharp segregation found between guest and family parts Multi- purpose or bedroom Women Majlis Dirty activities Bedrooms Storage Added later The number of bedrooms depends on the size of the house In some cases the mugallat approached from the majlis hall Entrance Storag e The organization of internal domestic space of the contemporary house of the early 1980s.

Development of the private home in the late 1980s. a) The living room became two storeys in height and moved towards the front stage. b) the house form started taking fantastic forms. c) The living room confirmed its position between the middle and the front stages. The house firmly developed its spatial organisation by developing the two entrance halls.

A private home constructed in the late 1980s

 Entry from main street Family living room Front stage (communal) Middle stage (private) Clean activities Majlis Semi-clean activities Staircas e Mugallat Setback (front garden) Passage - way Kitchen Toilet Back (Semi-private) Back setback Side setback A sharp segregation found between guest and family parts Multi- purpose or bedroom Women’s Majlis Dirty activities Bedrooms Storage Added later Divided into three clusters, for boys, for girls, and for parents In some cases the mugallat aproached from the majlis hall Entrance Developmen t of an entry zone for the women’s majlis The access from the side setback to the living room became less important Storag e The organisation of internal domestic space of the contemporary house of the late 1980s. The living room and women’s majlis became more symbolic and displaced towards the front stage.

A number of gates constructed in the first half of the 1980s. a) A gate decorated with ceramic tiles. b) The traditional coffee pot image drawn on the main door to indicate the guest door. c) A gate and a fence show the Saudi symbol. d) Notice the sign in the side of the gate, which indicates the guest door. Also, the sign in the top which carries the expression of ‘In the Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful’.

Two examples showing how the staircase split from the living room in the 1990s houses.

A villa constructed in the early 1990s

A number of villas constructed in the first half of the 1990s showing the re-establishment of the symbolic role of the staircase

 Entry from main street Family Living room Front stage (communal) Middle (private) Clean activities Majlis Semi-clean activities Mugallat Setback (Front garden) Small hall Include the main staircase Kitchen Toilet Back (Semi-private) Back setback Side setback A sharp segregation found between guest and family parts Multi- purpose or bedroom Women Majlis Dirty activities Bedroom s The number of bedrooms depends on the size of the house In some cases the mugallat approached from the majlis hall Entrance Storag e Entrance Passag e-way Dirty kitche n The kitchen started to move towards the living room Arabic majlis In some houses only The organisation of internal domestic space of the contemporary house of the early1990s. The living room and women majlis became more symbolic and displaced towards the front stage.

A number of villas constructed in the early 1990s showing the treatment of the central areas which are always occupied by the living spaces. Also, they show how the kitchen became very close to the living spaces

The recent development of the private home in Saudi Arabia. a) The kitchen associated with a food corner and opened to the family living spaces. b)The kitchen associated with the living room. c) The kitchen associated with the living spaces

 Entry from main street Family Living room Front stage (communal) Middle (private) Clean activities Majlis Semi-clean activities Mugallat Setback (Front garden) Small hall Include the main staircase Kitchen Toilet Back (Semi-private) Back setback Side setback A sharp segregation found between guest and family parts Multi- purpose or bedroom Women’s majlis Dirty activities Bedroom s The number of bedrooms depends on the size of the house In some cases the mugallat approached from the majlis hall Entrance Storag e Entrance Passag e-way Dirty kitche n Arabic majlis In some houses only Family dining (breakf ast corner The organization of internal domestic space of the recent contemporary house (after 1995). The living room and women majlis became more symbolic and displaced towards the front stage

A number of gates constructed in the early 1990s. The gate was used to personalize the house

Conclusion