Abstract :
This paper examines the relationship between social structure and the built environment of Al-Alkhalaf, a traditional community in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Characteristics of the tribal way of life are discussed, leading to an examination of their influence on the built form, as well as on several community institutions. The important role of genealogy in the Arab culture is also demonstrated through construction of a genealogical tree of the sub-tribe inhabiting Al-Alkhalaf which is superimposed on the developed schematic layout of the settlement. The paper is envisioned to contribute to the study of residential groups, interaction patterns, land tenure and conceptions of social space. It concludes that todayʹs architect and planner cannot ignore the complex interaction of the social and physical environment and, indeed, should not abandon the traditional values of society in the rush of modernity.
