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Go to Editorial ManagerPlanning standards in most countries especially in Iraq have become old and inadequate and do not fulfill the growing needs of people in the meanwhile. Also, it does not provide solutions for the society problems since it does not came from deep and modern study of the society needs and problems. In Iraq, there is a clear neglect of the urban spaces in residential buildings. As the challenges of 21st century, climate change, pollution and health crises requires infrastructure which is capable of keeping up with people needs and capable of providing healthy life, wellbeing and economic recovery. The study explores the efficiency of urban spaces in one of the Iraqi new residential complexes which is Alamal residential complex to determine the factors that affect urban spaces in vertical residential buildings in Iraq. The evaluation of the spaces was done by using direct observation method and questionnaire method. Results revealed that the spaces in such residential complex were active and efficient but it needs more spaces to be available since vertical residential buildings have high density of people. Also, there was a good care of urban spaces that fulfill the needs of children to play and also spaces which are friendly to old people. Most participants in the questionnaire have declared that the public urban space (space 3) was the most used, most favored space since it has many activities and facilities which support social activities between people living in the residential complex.
Heritage buildings are part of the connection between the past and the present. By paying attention to their occupancy, we keep the present and future generations in touch with what our ancestors achieved, hence sustaining them being part of the living heritage. Restoration and renovation procedures must be carried out to make them capable of meeting contemporary needs, However, it is essential to recognize the architectural characteristics that resonate with long term occupants. This research focuses on the effect of design characteristics on the psychological relationship between heritage buildings and their occupants, through case studies of two heritage buildings in Baghdad. The first is the previous Theological college building of Al al-Bayt University of the 1920s, now the College of education for girls, and the second is the 19th century Ottoman Al-Qishla building. The study relies on conducting a questionnaire for the occupants about their response to design characteristics of each building. The questionnaire concluded that the design characteristics of the heritage building have a significant impact on the psychological response of its occupants. The majority of respondents indicated that characteristics such as clarity of function, clarity of elements, sense of security, privacy, and flexibility, were satisfactory. The majority of respondents expressed appreciation for heritage buildings, as well as positive evaluations and appreciation for the reflection of the past in these buildings, indicating that “architectural characteristics of the heritage building” has a significant impact on the psychological connection felt by the occupants of the heritage building.
Three decades of empirical research have proven that well-being in humans is stimulated by designs that link people to natural elements and landscapes. Environmental psychology research also revealed that these characteristics can lower stress and anxiety while having a positive impact on human productivity. therefore, there were more recent interest from theorists and architects to discover approaches to re-connect the constructed environment with the natural components. One of the most current theories of re-communication and its use in architecture is called "biophilia.". Therefore, the research problem is the lack of knowledge of biophilic architecture and what are the most prominent features affecting the user. the research aims to shed light on the basics of this design theory as well as testing its design patters in the educational environment to find out which attributes are most effective for users in improving productivity and well-being By adopting the quantitative descriptive approach and based on a questionnaire for the purpose of adopting it in design and to aid in the practical application of the Biophilia idea by designers and architects. The research concluded that there are design features that are more important than others for educational buildings, such as (day light, water, air, plants, landscapes, mobility, integrating the parts to create the whole).
In recent decades, Iraq has witnessed several military operations. This has led to huge damages to the infrastructure of some main cities. The traditional construction methods seem not to be able to fulfill the rapid reconstruction works needed, while prefabricated building systems seem to be promising. This paper aims at evaluating the possibilities of using prefabrication systems for schools building as a pilot study for wider adoption. An extensive literature review was carried out to identify the features of construction prefabrication and its requirements. Then a thorough investigation of the possibilities of adopting this approach in Iraq and the major expected obstacles was carried out. A questionnaire survey has been conducted with (96) stakeholders who have experience in prefabricated building projects. The results showed that the highest rating of benefits went to time and productivity, while the highest rating of obstacles went to lack of government support. Therefore the top proposed action included the adoption of a clear governmental strategy for change. Finally, the respondents agreed that school building is the most suitable type of projects to start with.
This study focused on the urban transformations resulting from the removal processes taking place in the urban fabric of sacred city centers, under the pretext of increasing urban capacity due to the density of use, which leads to the removal of important parts of the traditional urban fabric and adding them to the public urban space. To determine the amount of usage densities that the area can accommodate represented by the case study, which is the center of the holy city of Najaf: the study was based on using a quantitative measurement approach to test the hypothesis using a multivariable density measurement tool. A space matrix capable of measuring densities, accessibility, and diversity in the fabric during three time periods, a historical period 1900, 1990, and the current time 2024, to know the amount of changes that have occurred in the fabric. A qualitative measurement tool, which is a random sample questionnaire, was used to measure perceived density to find out which fabrics within the city center are more accommodating of congestion. The research has found that high and advanced accessibility through an integrated fabric with high connectivity that makes the city spaces work as one space leads to an increase in flows. It works to reduce the momentum in the city center and thus preserve the traditional urban fabric that must be emptied for pedestrians, as it represents the only fabric with The human scale at the level of the city as a whole (i.e. a fabric that is comfortable for pedestrians) also represents the identity of the area, and to accommodate the densities, the percentage of building density must be increased outside the traditional fabric.