Contemporary Courtyard Houses in Amman Jordan

Traditionally the Islamic Arab world has adopted the courtyard house design because it can satisfy the privacy and social activity requirements of its residents. Likewise it provides many logical architectural solutions to the local environmental problems. These solutions include the integration of a courtyard into the design traditional cultural elements (Malqaf “wind catcher” Mashrabiyyah “wooden screen” Bahra “fountain” and Salsabil “marble water fall”). However in Jordan the western-influenced houses have created cultural and environmental problems which affect the residential quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the reviving of the traditional elements in contemporary houses and its effects on the residents’ quality of life. The study also aims to examine related problems by investigating the influence of contemporary courtyard houses on the residents’ quality of life.