The city of Al-Madina Al-Monawarah – the second religious Islamic center represents one of Moslem cities that have been affected by socio/economic changes that took place during last decades. These changes had direct impact on the urban form of Al-Madina, and it’s social structure as well.
This research has clarified the contradiction between the traditional and modern approaches of house designs in Al-Madina Al-Monawarah. As economic and technological developments have direct implications on the cultural / environmental relations, the problem faced here is how can new houses and communities be designed in a way that will be compatible with the social and ethnic heritage without creating any turbulence in cultures. Here it is assumed that the growing of globalization and standardization in home design could encourage the social segregation.
Urban Planners and Designers should appreciate the potential of creating urbanity. The urban fabric, as a whole, should create the possibility of accidental contact, confrontation and discoveries of the different. It is, therefore, essential for any designer to understand the sensitive or relative culture / environment and its gradual application in the design process, which can be facilitated by broadening the base of user or home owner participation in the process. As such, this research supports an open-ended design, rather than sticking to a limited framework. But, it is still argued that there are four main urban components that are related to Al-Madina’s culture: Privacy, people tendency to live in homogenous groups, good neighbourhood, and finally the dominance of the Mosque upon the urban fabric and visual image.
|
