framework for the implementation of a virtual design studio model in ...

UAE, the vernacular architecture reflected the traditional life style and
the customs of UAE citizens.
The lack of communication and transportation system in the early 1970s
resulted in the difficulty of moving building materials from one place to
another. In return, the people in these areas depended on elementary
materials for buildings. These materials were taken from the desert or
the surrounding plants like the palm tree. The palm tree was used in
building houses in the area near by the sea and these houses were then
called „alareesh‟. While deeper in the desert people depended mainly
on clay (al jas) with ordinary stone as a material for building their
houses. Tents were also heavily used among Bedouin as it was
practical for their unsettled life style. Privacy is one of the most
important and dominating factors in the social life of the UAE and other
Gulf countries. The effect of privacy was obvious on the way the
buildings were designed. From the horizontal perspective the isolation of
men and women leisure spaces was obvious at this time. The female
private areas are usually covered and the entrance of the house was
separated from the rest of the rooms by a wall. One of the main
features of UAE architecture during this time was the use of the wind-
towers (al Barajeel) which were used for ventilation purposes in all of the
building in the UAE (see figure 2.2). The main characteristic of the
UAE‟s architecture is the change through time and the effect of
development on the UAE architecture style.
Figure 2.2: Wind towers (Al Barajeel) in the UAE Early Architecture
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