Alignment Between Personal and Social Values of Inhabitants and Domestic Interior Designs. Case Study: Al Hussein Housing Project in Irbid, from 1984-2004

Author/Editor

Khawla A. Alaraji

Date

2004

Language

English

Keywords

personal and social values, domestic interior design, Hussein housing project, Irbid, Jordan

Institution

University of Jordan

Advisor

Prof. Salim S. Al-Faqih

Abstract

This study is concerned with the effects of personal and social values of inhabitants on domestic interior designs. The importance of this study stems from the importance of interior spaces as the spaces where most of inhabitants time spent and where different activities, like working, studying, sleeping, and eating are carried out. This study is concerned specifically with house interiors. House interior spaces have generally referred to as the human fact and the social core of the family. The spaces that reflect inhabitant's needs, desires, characteristics, and values.
House interior spaces, as a built environment, are made and designed through the work of designer as a part of the design process. What is concerned here is the role of inhabitants in the design process by changing and molding these spaces to personalize them and make their house as Home. Alignment concept reflects this process and introduces a realistic understanding to house design process. Alignment as a behavioural concept has two aspects; Adaptability and flexibility. These aspects
showed how inhabitants change their living spaces to fit their characteristics, values, and habits.
In considering this concept, Al Hussain Housing project was selected for the field analyses in this study. This case study covers 391 apartment house units, where number of inhabitants have made different changes in their house interior designs to make them better fit their different needs and values. This study-findings have shown the importance of house interior spaces in inhabitant's daily life. While almost all exteriors remain the same.
Under the concept of Alignment, personal and social values of concerned inhabitants such as family's commitment to some social habits, family's ties, privacy, and social and economic status of the family have been analyzed. Besides the changes they have made in their houses, its kinds, and its importance. Then, it has been studied inhabitants feeling of satisfaction after changes, which almost referred to the future
intentions for more changes in house interior design to fit inhabitant's changing needs, and personal and social values and habits.