Privacy and Segregation in Traditional Domestic Spaces: Space Syntax Analysis of the “Quality of Life” in Islamic Traditional Houses

Introduction: The concept of home goes far beyond physical aspects, and its essence is interwoven with the spiritual nature of humankind. Purpose of the study: This paper aims at examining the spatial formations of five contemporaneous historical Islamic residences in three cities: Cairo, Damascus, and Aleppo. We intend to show that their layouts, which were mainly governed by certain traditions of privacy and visibility, were negatively affected by those factors in terms of functional and psychological efficiency. Methods: The paper utilizes Space Syntax formulas and the UCL Depthmap software to investigate and analyze the spatial configurations of these residences to provide a new comprehension of the life experience and the functional performance in these abodes, which were always regarded as ideal. Results show that the layouts in the five residences offer satisfactory qualities in terms of the privacy level, which is certainly a fundamental human need. However, the hierarchy of access to spaces has negative consequences for psychological requirements and functional efficiency. Conclusions: In order to meet certain social considerations, the spatial configurations in these residences failed to meet other functional and psychological needs of the inhabitants.