Architectural Space and The Reproduction of Domestic Ideals: Negotiating Contemporary Domesticity in The Tyneside Flat

Sarhan, Heba (2021) Architectural Space and The Reproduction of Domestic Ideals: Negotiating Contemporary Domesticity in The Tyneside Flat. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

Preview

Text (Doctoral thesis) sarhan.heba_phd_16029411.pdf - Submitted Version Download (10MB) | Preview

Abstract

Potential mismatch between the domestic ideals embedded in the design of commonplace in domestic architecture and the reality of domestic practices has been widely acknowledged in research into housing. The problem is that evidence from social sciences research indicate a conflict between contemporary family domestic practices and the one shared space model developed during the second half of the twentieth century. This conflict is accompanied with limited knowledge about the dwelling that represents the contemporary family life. By questioning how contemporary domesticity negotiates commonplace domestic architecture, this thesis seeks to explore the contemporary dwelling model through idiosyncratic domestic practices. Relying on multimodal methods, experiences of six families living with their children in the Tyneside flats were explored and captured the physical and tangible dimensions of the spatiality of domestic practices. The findings reveal the spatial needs associated with the contemporary home life through the complexity of the shared family space and the variety of spatial relationships between the personal and the shared space. The boundaries of the family privacy were also revealed through the acceptance of the overlap between the private sphere and the surrounding semi-public space. The reproduction of domestic ideals in commonplace in this case was seen in relationship to aspects affecting the inhabitants’ power in taking actions on space. The contribution to knowledge is depicting the dwelling model that represents the reality of contemporary home living in the UK. Such an alternative understanding of the dwelling model also contributes in filling the knowledge gap between commonplace as abstract representation of domestic ideals and the representation of the reality of contextual and cultural dimensions shaping domestic life. The proposed contributions offer an approach for mitigating the tension between the designed space and reality of domestic life

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads