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The Beirut Dozen: traditional domestic garden as spatial and cultural mediator

Makhzoumi, J.; Zako, R.; (2007) The Beirut Dozen: traditional domestic garden as spatial and cultural mediator. In: Kubat, A.S. and Ertekin, O. and Guney, Y.I. and Eyuboglu, E., (eds.) Proceedings of the 6th International Space Syntax Symposium, Istanbul 12-15 June 2007. ITU Faculty of Architectur: Istanbul, Turkey. Green open access

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Abstract

Traditional domestic gardens in Beirut are associated with the detached house typology that appear in the second half of the nineteenth century. Inspired by rural origins, the domestic garden nevertheless evolved by taking on new spatial and cultural dimensions. This study explores these dimensions. The aim is to investigate the role of the urban domestic garden to determine whether it was intended as an appendage to the house or conceived and perceived independently. Space syntax analysis is applied to 12 central-hall, detached houses to investigate garden morphology in relation to house interior configuration and the public domain beyond. The findings demonstrate that far from passive backdrop, the domestic garden served as a spatial and cultural mediator, negotiating private domain and public realm, house and city, tradition and innovation. Analyzing garden spatial characteristics and house alignment point to the garden's role as a 'refuge', visually screening the house and its residents, and equally as a 'prospect' advantaging insiders over outsiders.

Type: Proceedings paper
Title: The Beirut Dozen: traditional domestic garden as spatial and cultural mediator
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://www.spacesyntaxistanbul.itu.edu.tr/papers.h...
Language: English
UCL classification:
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/3295
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