Enhancing the Quality of Life through Design: Guidelines to Fostering Place Attachment in Bahraini Buildings

Noor Saleh Alalawi; Islam Hamdi Elghonaimy

doi:10.38027/jsalutogenic_vol4no1_5

Authors

Noor Saleh Alalawi Department of Architecture and Interior Design, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, Bahrain Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8308-8481
Islam Hamdi Elghonaimy Department of Architecture and Interior Design, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, Bahrain Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1044-249X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38027/jsalutogenic_vol4no1_5

Keywords:

place attachment, quality of life, sustainability, phenomenology, well-being

Abstract

Designers' primary objective is to propose solutions that enhance occupants' quality of life. Therefore, fostering place attachment is key to attracting users and significantly contributes to achieving this objective. The new typology of the EduCare building – a multifunctional building that blends education, healthcare, and wellness spaces and is considered a new trend in sustainable building typology in Bahrain - reflects this concept. This paper investigates the architectural factors that impact place attachment in buildings in Bahrain using a sample of 194 participants. A quantitative questionnaire is utilized to systematically measure and quantify the public's perceptions and preferences. Regression and frequency analyses are used to visualize the impact of different architectural factors on place attachment sustainability. The findings highlight the significance of biophilic elements, social interaction spaces, shared facilities, and comfort in enhancing building place attachment. The presented recommendations provide valuable insights for designers and stakeholders in designing multi-functional buildings to improve users’ experiences and foster place attachment.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alalawi , N. & Elghonaimy, I. (2024). Analysing the Social Impacts of Urbanization on Traditional and Contemporary Trading Environments: The Case of Bahrain . Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 8(1), 79–101. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2024.v8n1-5

AlSaeed, S., (2021). The role of theme parks in creating sustainable development. BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development, 3(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.54729/2789-8334.1048

Al-Shami, H. W., Al-Alwan, H. A., & Abdulkareem, T. A. (2024). Cultural sustainability in urban third places: Assessing the impact of 'Co-operation in Science and Technology' in cultural third places. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(3), 102465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2023.102465

Aqeel, A., (2024), Understanding the Parameters of Influence in Public Space Design, In Proceeding of the international Conference in Emerging Technologies for Sustainability and Intelligent Systems (ICETSIS 2024) (Vol: 1), IEEE. http://doi.org/10.1109/ICETSIS61505.2024.10459434, Bahrain

Balqees, A., Eldardiri, D., Elghonaimy, I. (2024). Urban Regeneration A Strategy of Nature-based Sustainable Developments: A Case Of Nabih Saleh Neighborhood Public Spaces, In 6th Sustainability and Resilience Conference: Integration of Nature-Based Solutions in Industrial and Developmental Transitions, (SRC'24), http://dx.doi.org/10.12785/src/1571093221, https://srcdi.uob.edu.bh/program/, Sakhir, Bahrain.

Bakhouche, M., & Buheji, M. (2019). Measuring Quality of Life. International Journal of Youth Economy, 3(2), 75-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.18576/ijye/030202

Boley, B. B., Strzelecka, M., Yeager, E. P., Ribeiro, M. A., Aleshinloye, K. D., Woosnam, K. M., & Mimbs, B. P. (2021). Measuring place attachment with the Abbreviated Place Attachment Scale (APAS). Journal of Environmental Psychology, 74, 101577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101577

Boyd, C. P., & Harada, T. (2022). Finding home: Affective geographies of regional youth (im)mobilities. Area, 54(1), 78-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12749

Cole, L. B., Coleman, S., & Scannell, L. (2021). Place attachment in green buildings: Making the connections. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 74, 101558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101558

Elghonaimy, I. H. (2019). Alliancing between the documentation and the renovation of historical buildings in accelerating economic growth in Bahrain, In Proceeding of the 2nd SMART CITIES SYMPOSIUM (SCS2019 IET), https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9124957

Faber, J., & Fonseca, L. M. (2014). How Sample Size Influences Research Outcomes. Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics, 19(4), 27–29. NCBI. https://doi.org/ 10.1590/2176-9451.19.4.027-029.ebo

Friesinger, J. G., Haugland, S. H., & Vederhus, J.-K. (2022). The significance of the social and material environment to place attachment and quality of life: findings from a large population-based health survey. Health Qual Life Outcomes, 20(1), 135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-022-02045-2

Ghafouri, A., & Weber, C. (2019). Multifunctional Urban Spaces a Solution to Increase the Quality of Urban Life in Dense Cities. Manzar, 12(51), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2020.214183.2023

Ghasemieshkaftaki, M., Dupre, K., Campbell, J., & Fernando, R. (2025). Enhancing Place Attachment Through Developing Public Open Places: A Cross-Cultural Study in Gold Coast, Australia. Architecture, 5(1), 10–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/architecture5010010

Hernández, B., Hidalgo, M. C., & Ruiz, C. (2020). Theoretical and methodological aspects of research on place attachment. In L. Manzo, P. Devine-Wright, & 2 (Ed.), Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Applications. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429274442

Ilovan, O.-R., & Markuszewska, I. (2022). Introduction: Place Attachment – Theory and Practice. In O.-R. Ilovan, & I. Markuszewska, Preserving and Constructing Place Attachment in Europe (Vol. 131, pp. 1-29). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09775-1_1

Inalhan, G., Yang, E., & Weber, C. (2021). Place Attachment Theory. In R. Appel-Meulenbroek, & V. Danivska, A Handbook of Theories on Designing Alignment between People and the Office Environment. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003128830-16

Jayakody, D., Adams, V., Pecl, G., & Lester, E. (2024). When does place attachment lead to climate change adaptation and when does it not? A quantitative review and thematic analysis. Environmental Science & Policy, 160, 103866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103866

Lebrusán, I., & Gómez, M. V. (2022). The Importance of Place Attachment in the Understanding of Ageing in Place: "The Stones Know Me". Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19(24), 17052. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417052

Lewicka, M. (2011). Place attachment: How far have we come in the last 40 years? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31, 207-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.10.001

Manzo, L. C., & Perkins, D. D. (2006). Finding Common Ground: The Importance of Place Attachment to Community Participation and Planning. Journal of Planning Literature, 20(4), 335-350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412205286160

Marques, B., Mcintosh, J., & Chanse, V. (2020). Improving Community Health and Wellbeing Through Multifunctional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification. Acta Horticulturae et Regiotecturae, 23(2), 101-107. https://doi.org/10.2478/ahr-2020-0020

Mercer. (2023). Quality of Living City Ranking 2023. Retrieved from Mercer: https://www.mercer.com/insights/total-rewards/talent-mobility-insights/quality-of-living-city-ranking/#:~:text=Mercer%E2%80%99s%20Quality%20of%20Living%20data%20assesses

Razem, M. (2020). Place Attachment and Sustainable Communities. Architecture_MPS, 17(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.amps.2020v17i1.003

Roӧs, P. B. (2022). Experience of Place, Space and Attachment [Pattern 3]. In P. B. Roӧs, A Biophilic Pattern Language for Cities (pp. 53-67). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19071-1_5

Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2010). Defining place attachment: A tripartite organizing framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006

Seamon, D. (2020). Place attachment and phenomenology: the dynamic complexity of place. In L. Manzo, & P. Devine-Wright, Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Applications (pp. 29-44). Milton: Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429274442

Shahabadi, M. R., & Adeli, Z. (2024). Identifying the factors affecting the place attachment in three scales: home, neighborhood, and city. Motaleate Shahri, 13(51), 73-86. Available at: https://urbstudies.uok.ac.ir/article_63050_637a93bdedac7c7e2089a8ab2f46426c.pdf?lang=en

Şi̇mşek, A. S. (2023). The power and type I error of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, Welch’s t, and student’s t tests for Likert-type data. International Journal of Assessment Tools in Education, 10(1), 114–128. https://doi.org/10.21449/ijate.1183622

Ujang, N., Yang, W., & Shi, L. (2024). A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF PLACE ATTACHMENT IN ENVIRONMENTS, CITIES AND LANDSCAPES. New Design Ideas, 8(2), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.62476/ndi82389

Vaux, D. E., & Langlais, M. R. (2023). Reframing Third Places: Environmental Changes of Merging Places During COVID-19. Journal of Interior Design, 48(1), 12-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/joid.12232

Waxman, L. (2008). The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical Factors Influencing Place Attachment. Journal of Interior Design, 31(3), 35-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1668.2006.tb00530.x

Zahnow, R. (2023). Place type or place function: What matters for place attachment? American Journal of Community Psychology, 73(3-4), 446-460. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12722

Zivkovic, J., Lalović, K., Milojevic, M., & Nikezic, A. (2019). Multifunctional public open spaces for sustainable cities: Concept and application. Facta Universitatis, 17(2), 205-219. https://doi.org/10.2298/FUACE190327012Z