Rethinking life Post Pendamic: Would reviving the courtyard make a difference?

Abstract

In the Islamic world and in Bahrain particularly, the architectural practice nowadays is very much affected by architects and architecture from the west. Some argue that this acts as a way of maintaining the colonial imperial and economic interests that were operating during the last two centuries. According to some thinkers, Islamic architecture nowadays is neglected, overlooked and considered an old and conventional style from the past, which does not necessarily fit into the contemporaneous life conditions. As a result of this, most of the architectural features and components in the Islamic world, like the courtyard, became not needed anymore. In fact, such component which incorporated socio-cultural and environmental values, had been substituted with sealed, air-conditioned spaces. The local vernacular architecture in |Bahrain as well as the whole cultural identity had been changed, and could not fight against the massive change in the way of life that emerged alongside the extensive wealth, especially in the Arabian part of the Islamic world. This paper discusses the value of the courtyard as an element that could be revived to contribute to the people's lives post pandemic, which revealed a serious need for changing domestic places to facilitate the newly emerging needs.