Study of spatial organization of the contemporary residential apartments in Dhaka with special attention to gender aspect

Abstract

Houses carry cultural information in their form and space configuration and the relationship of gender and its social connotation as a cultural factor has an imprint on the morphology of house form. This study is an attempt to investigate the spatial organization of the contemporary residential apartments in Dhaka with special attention to gender aspect focusing on women of middle income group. The spatial organisation of the urban houses of Dhaka has undergone through a continual transformation during the last few decades. Due to rapid urbanization and constraint of space in urban areas in Dhaka and with the advancement of the society, the urban life resulted in a change in the pattern of residential space and in its organization. From the Introvert courtyard type houses that prevailed from the early stages of urbanization in Dhaka, the inhabitants have experienced the Extrovert pavilion type bungalows and the Consolidated walkup flats in later phases consecutively. Presently the city is being expanded vertically and people are becoming used to living in multistoried compact apartments within a limited space. The symbolic gender aspects like segregation, privacy and dominance of women has been holding a pivotal role in domestic spatial organization of the urban houses in Dhaka which have gone through a transformation due to the socio-economic changes, Status of women has changed with their education and participation in the economic activities. The extent of activity of women expanded from household activities to the outer world, which impacts on their attitude at home, making them more confident in decision making process. Considering socio-economic status of women, this study intends to understand the symbolic and spatial requirements of the contemporary middle income group (MIG) women in Dhaka. The argument of this research relates socio-symbolic and spatial interpretation of middle income group apartments and demonstrates how social status and domestic spaces are related. Questionnaire interview of the female heads of the MIG apartments compliments Space Syntax method analysis and it is seen that spatial organization follows a pattern and symbolic cultural factors are followed in a defined way with respect to gender aspects. Activity analysis of the family members identifies certain spaces as gendered spaces, which are used by a gender extensively, and shared spaces which are used by both genders. Socio-economic status of women that have gradually changed through time has a reflection on symbolic aspects like segregation, privacy and dominance of the female members in the family. Segregation of gendered spaces is difficult to be maintained in the present tailor-made compact middle income group apartments and women still prefer to occupy space where their privacy is not hampered while at the same time they can have dominance over the adjacent spaces from their working spaces. The opinion of present day women is studied analytically and it has been identified that women, although have a changed role in the family, are seen to perform activities in their household spaces in more or less similar ways. In spite of morphological changes of domestic space organization from traditional introvert types to the present day context, the concept of segregation and privacy has been addressed differently by the recent women users and visual dominance over the adjacent spaces tends to resume its position that was evident in the traditional courtyard type living.