Women's Satisfaction of Daylight in Contemporary Jeddah's Flats

Abstract

For inhabitants of residential buildings in Saudi Arabia, daylight levels are generally considered to be sufficient (Dahlan and Mohamed 2010). While there are a number of studies that analyse the light conditions as a general parameter for dwellers in cities (Boubekri 2008, Edwards and Torcellini 2002, Gou, Lau, and Qian 2013, Kim and Kim 2010), there seems to be a lack of attention to the specific case of women. In their lifetime, women spend considerable time inside homes. Moreover, the window is an architectural element that embodies a complex combination of religious, cultural, and environmental questions in Saudi Arabia. This study examines women satisfaction with daylight level in their living space in middle class residential flats in Jeddah. Twenty three women between the ages 20-50 who live in contemporary flats in Jeddah were interviewed in semi-structure interviews. This research examines women's real use of daylight in their homes, by questioning the general understanding that daylight is provided at a sufficient level. This paper provides an insight into women's satisfaction with regards to the daylight provided in their daily life by demonstrating qualitative evidence. Results strongly indicates that women are not satisfied with daylight due to many reasons according to window location and glass type. This research seeks to make significant contribution to the gap in knowledge regarding women and daylight in Saudi culture that requires high level of privacy.