SUSTAINABILITY AS A FIFTH DIMENSION IN ARCHITECTURAL SPACE DESIGN

Abstract

This dissertation aims at formulating a contemporary definition for architectural space design based on bridging the gap between space understanding and sustainability philosophy. The reason is that the current definitions dealing with architectural space meaning and understanding show a lot of contradictions and criticism among each other. This goes back to the effect of super modernity which resulted in both the call for sustainability as well as the problem in understanding architecture space. The research studies space conception on the philosophical level as it was basic and generic. On the scientific levels, there were attempts for individual scientists such as; Ibn Alhaytham, Newton, Leibniz and Berkeley. In field of architecture, space was introduced for the first time as an enclosed area inside a certain place. Physically it was defined as a three dimensional entity (volume). In Renaissance period, time was regarded in architectural space design through flowing spaces concept. In 18th century new theories evolved such as; the Volumetric theory of Semper; and the Aesthetic theory of Kant. In the 20th Siegfried Giedion offered the modern definition of architectural space known as Space-Time architecture. Later on; new space theories evolved such as The Place Theory of Martin Heidegger; and many others rejected place as an alternative such as Space of Junk, Space of Flow and many others.