Overview

In response to economic, sociocultural and regulatory constraints,the Multiplex emerges as a type of hybrid housing thatis particular to Kuwait, yet not officially recognized by the system. It has become the informal expression of specific livingneeds that is now ubiquitous across the city and more oftenthan not, is rejected as a viable housing type. By shedding lightonto an existing reality that, at times, hides behind the facadesof the single-family villa; The Multiplex's blatant existence cannotbe further ignored. For the first time, everyday living patternsof Kuwaiti families were explored; by delving into the privatespace of the home and documenting daily activities of itsinhabitants. In a welfare-driven state, the villa exemplifies theindividuality and wealth of the oil-rich nation and is one of thepillars of the social contract between citizen and state. However,housing provisions that were viable half a century ago areno longer affordable today nor sustainable for the future. Thisbook is both an analytical documentation of the city's currenthousing nuances, as well as a critique of existing socio-spatialrelationships; that advocates for an alternative way of thinkingabout housing and urban development in Kuwait.

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9783869228204

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Sharifa S. Alshafan is an architect, urban researcher and educator. She has worked as a consultant with the World Bank on multiple urban planning projects and has also been an urban development advisor for several governmental projects. Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea is an architect and researcher. Since 2005, as cofounder of AGi architects, he has led and completed several projects in the fields of building, urban design, planning, and interior & industrial design. Sarah Alfraih is an architect and educator. In 2014, she co-founded Madeenah; a multidisciplinary platform based in Kuwait City, that curates cultural walking tours, and delivers spatial studies on the built environment.

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