Feature: How Did Residential Architecture in the UAE Evolve Since the 19th C.?

Library > Community Presentations

Presenter: Randa Malkawi

Delivered: DC on October 8, 2022

In this afikra feature, Randa Malkawi was wondering about the heritage and history of the middle east and specifically how Emiratis in the UAE lived before skyscrapers. She starts by looking at the 1800s period and specifically "Beit al Arish" or the "Barasti" hut. She then looks at the 1900s era and "Bait Murjan", before going back to residential architecture today and how we can apply traditional methods in contemporary ways.

Sources & Future References

• How Traditional Desert Homes in the UAE Stayed Cool - MyBayut

• THE IMPACT OF HERITAGE ON CONTEMPORARY SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN SOLUTIONS (researchgate.net)

• Building a Zero Energy house for UAE: Traditional Architecture Revisited

• Heritage in the lived environment of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region (researchgate.net)

• Areesh | Ron Hawker - Academia.edu

• The Emirati Sha‘bī House: On Transformations, Adaptation and Modernist Imaginaries (openedition.org)

• Traditional Houses in the UAE | Dreaming in Arabic (wordpress.com)

• Revitalising old traditions using modern innovation - Buro Happold

Note: All community presentations are prepared & presented by non-experts on the subject. They are sharing information in the hopes of spurring interest in that subject.

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About Afikra Community Presentations

Delivered and prepared by afikra Community members, the presentation’s goal is to showcase the presenter’s curiosity and research and share some knowledge on a ‎topic related to the Arab world’s histories and cultures. The presentation is the ‎culmination of the afikra coaching process to help identify a topic, find research, and develop the ‎presentation. afikra presentations come in two forms, a long question-driven afikra Feature, and a short afikra FWD with the purpose of sharing something interesting.