Building community in low-income areas : designing a new architectural language for community centers in Jordan

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to develop a vocabulary of principles to be used in the design of future community centers in Jordan. Community centers provide the stage for bringing members of the community together to meet and discuss community issues, and for increasing their sense of community spirit which advances social and economic development. This thesis rethinks the present idea of a community center taking into account the changing social structure and culture, the regional climate and availability of local materials. The principles that evolved may be divided into two categories; spatial vocabulary, which focuses on the relationship and design of spaces that encourage interaction amongst members of the community; and character vocabulary, which focuses on the character reflected by the community center as being the heart of the community. This thesis was investigated through the process of redesigning a community center in one of the housing projects built by the government to house low-income families.