Southern Syrian Vernacular Architecture with Lessons for Sustainability

List of figures

List of tables

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter one: Introduction

Introduction

Vernacular dwelling definition

Why the vernacular dwellings?

Why The Southern Syrian Vernacular?

The vernacular architecture in Syria

How different vernacular architecture in Syria is?

Why post occupancy evaluation?

Why “Flourish”?

The POE variables

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Two: The Southern Syrian Vernacular Phenomenon

Introduction

Geographical location and the character of the place

Descriptive overview of the vernacular dwelling

The Construction of the house

The concept of culture

Culture in Southern Syria

The Furniture of the house

Southern Syrian social and cultural life in the 20th Century

Southern Syrian Vernacular dwelling in literature

“The soul of the vernacular "

The living building metaphor

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Three: Vernacular dwelling and culture

Introduction

The vernacular architecture discourse

The vernacular dwelling and culture

The notion of House, Home and Dwelling

Anthropology and the vernacular dwelling

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Four: The sustainability of the vernacular

Introduction

The notion of sustainability

The sustainability of the vernacular

How can architecture be adaptable to climate change and be resilient?

Life satisfaction, well-being, and sustainability

Why health and wellbeing are cornerstones of sustainability?

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Five: The notion of sense of place

Introduction

The notion of the place

Sense of the place definition

Sense of the place in literature

Sense of place assessment

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Six: The Methodology

Introduction

Phenomenology

The philosophical framework (Worldview)

How has the worldview shaped this research?

Fifthly, Data Analysis

The Outcome

Conclusion

Reference list

Chapter Seven: Lessons From the Southern Syrian Vernacular Dwelling Towards a Living Sustainable Architecture

Introduction

Lessons can make modern architecture more sustainable and respectful human needs

Conclusions

Firstly, The significance of the methodological approach and “Flourish” application

Secondly, Transforming Vernacular Knowledge

Finaly, to sum up

Reference list

Appendix

The POE Survey

Index

Biography

Sanaa Alkadi (سناء نجيب القاضي) holds a PhD Degree in Architecture from the Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment, Ulster University with the title An Investigation of the Adaptation of the Southern Syrian Vernacular Dwelling, 2024. Sanaa has an MSc in Urban and Rural Planning from Queen's University, Belfast and she graduated from faculty of Architecture, Damascus University, Syria.

Adnan Alshoufi is an expert in vernacular architecture of Southern Syria. He’s a medical doctor at Ulster hospital, Belfast and graduated from faculty of medicine, Aleppo University, Syria.

Philip Griffiths is chair of Building Physics in the Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Ulster University. He has over 30 years of research experience investigating energy in buildings, thermal comfort and in recent years resource use and circularity. He is the programme lead for Architectural Engineering. He has a PhD in Applied Energy from Cranfield University, MSc in Applied Energy from Cranfield Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s in Applied Science: Resource Sciences from Kingston Polytechnic.

Derek John Clements-Croome, Professor Emeritus, is a leading expert in architectural engineering, intelligent buildings, sustainability, and the impact of the built environment on human health and well-being with his innovative widely adopted “Flourish Model”. He is globally recognised for founding the Intelligent Buildings International journal and the CIBSE Intelligent Buildings Group. Derek has a massive number of publications such as Designing Buildings for People: Sustainable Liveable Architecture, Creating the Productive Workplace, and Intelligent Buildings.