CFP: Open House International, Special Issue, Housing Affordability, Quality, and Life Style Theories

Open House International
Call for Papers

Special Theme Issue
Housing Affordability, Quality, and Life Style Theories
Volume 36, Issue # 3, September 2011
Guest Editors:
Professor Ashraf M. Salama, Qatar University and Dr Urmi Sengupta, Queen’s University Belfast
E-mail: asalama@gmail.com and u.sengupta@qub.ac.uk



The issue of housing affordability is widespread worldwide. Governments have responded to this issue through ways of cost reductions in order to make homes available at a price that a user is able to pay. However, this area of concern has been a permanent preoccupation of housing technocrats consumed in the quality and location of the housing unit, often overlooking other socio-cultural and psychological dimensions adhered to it. Housing quality is a composite good with a variety of attributes, including: structural condition, standard of services, amenities, location, usable space and occupancy standards. It can, at the same time be laden with physical, economic and cultural dimensions. The user assigns a pattern of preferences (spatial, social and visual) to the housing unit that corresponds to the degree of acceptability which are set within the context of housing quality and life-style preferences. Houses are, thus not only art forms or machines to live in but also goods with immense economic and social value. People purposively (or un-purposively) use the externally defined meanings of ‘housing’ to situate themselves with others who share their values and life-styles in asserting their social status and identity. Understanding how these issues of affordability may relate to people’s preferences and lifestyles mandates an understanding of housing quality and lifestyle theories.

Traditionally, the terms affordable housing, design and the life-style preferences of the low income population have been seen at best, in isolation and at worst, contradicting each other. In essence, measures to provide affordable housing ignores the fundamental principle that housing comes with the standard bundle of services and under-appreciates the lifestyle and cultural values of the targeted population. Recognition of the impact of life style theories on housing quality and affordability is therefore an emerging phenomenon that deserves a considerable research and a critical conceptualisation. Increasingly in developing world, this has manifested in the suburban development in major cities through developers selling the ‘western dream’ that embodies a new set of housing quality, housing design and life-style preferences and albeit the cost. This rides on the notion that housing today signifies a unique expression of the chosen life-style, one’s pride and sensibilities. The advent of globalisation accompanied by expanding middle class has accentuated this form of ‘western-romanticism’ which is increasingly defining the new ‘cultural preferences’ of people that need not necessarily align with local preferences on spaces, materials and built-form or people’s affordability level. Such processes are altering the historical and semiotic way we viewed the issue of housing affordability. Affordability as a concept has thus become more complex now than ever and challenges the way affordability was seen and defined solely through quantifiable numbers or the cost cutting exercise. Perhaps ‘Affordability’ has to be seen more holistically combining housing production process, the product and the cultural adherence and expressions of the users. The worsening housing affordability problems over the years in tandem with failure of government policies makes it imperative that alternative approaches and possibilities are explored. It is a complex, interdisciplinary query that needs an interdisciplinary approach to answer.

Key Dates
- February 15, 2010: Call for Papers
- April 30, 2010: Expression of Interest and Submission of Extended Abstracts.
- May 30, 2010: Notification of Selected Papers for Possible Inclusion
- September 15, 2010: Submission of Full Papers
- October 30, 2010: Notification of the Refereeing Process
- January 15, 2011: Submission of Final Revised Papers

Interested scholars, academics, and practitioners are invited to submit expression of interest to the guest editors.

Open House International is covered by EBSCO Publishing , the ELSEVIER Bibliographic Database Scopus and all products of THOMSON ISI index bases. The journal is also listed on the following Architectural index lists: RIBA, ARCLIB, AVERY and EKISTICS.

Visit Open House International: www.openhouse-int.com

Design-Build Network

Design Build Network is the definitive procurement and reference resource for members of the global architectural community and the construction market. Drawing content from its partner publications, as well as online exclusives, it examines the critical issues facing the industry today. We provide a thorough breakdown of products and services from leading architectural contractors from around the world, up-to-date news and press releases, white papers and detailed information on current industry projects and trends. The newsletter details the latest construction industry developments, and our recruitment area provides career information and the latest job vacancies in the field.

Visit Design Build Network
http://www.designbuild-network.com/
or http://www.designbuild-network.com/features/
Also, readers interested in e marketing may want to visit http://www.progressivedigitalmedia.com/

A New Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Qatar University http://www.qu.edu.qa/engineering/architecture/

The recent rapid development of Qatar is associated with a fast track urbanization process, marked by large scale work, learning and residential environments, and mixed use developments with sustained attempts to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. The unprecedented growth in the building and urban development industry, already considered the second largest industry in the state of Qatar—following the Oil and Gas industries, has created a pressing demand for architects and planners with specialized training to design, plan and direct the activities of the industry. This need has been further intensified by the fast pace of development, the emerging innovative design ideas, the rising demand for large buildings and the need for new building types, the introduction of new materials, new structural systems, and new methods and management techniques. These growth indicators at both the architectural and urban scales mandate the presence of academic units and programs that address the practical realities of local and regional development while graduating professionals capable of addressing these realities efficiently and effectively.

Responding to these demands and challenges, the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning offers innovative undergraduate and graduate programs amenable to graduating professionals capable of creating and managing sustainable environments. Our programs strike a balance between knowledge content and knowledge delivery while implementing hands-on experiential, active, and outcome based learning approaches. While this newly established department has its roots with the establishment of the architectural engineering program back in 2006- However, the new department will offer the following two degrees which were designed in light of the recommendations of the UNESCO Charter for Architectural Education. They translate current international and regional trends into balanced and responsive curricula.

- B.Arch-Bachelor of Architecture, a five year undergraduate professional degree that started in September 2009.
- MUPD-Master of Urban Planning and Design, a two year graduate degree which will be launched in September 2010.

for more infromation visit the following websites
Qatar University, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning Website
http://www.qu.edu.qa/engineering/architecture/
Bachelor of Architecture Program at Qatar University http://www.qu.edu.qa/engineering/architecture/programs/arch/index.php
Master of Urban Planning and Design http://www.qu.edu.qa/engineering/architecture/programs/MsUp/index.php

Contacts
Phones: 974 493 5452 - 974 493 5909
E-mail : architecture-urban@qu.edu.qa
http://faculty.qu.edu.qa/asalama/

Archnet-IJAR: A Record of Three Years

Archnet-IJAR--International Journal of Architectural Research announces the completion of its three year cycle . In those three years quality papers, diversely addressing a spectrum of issues spanning across architecture, urbanism, and the built environment. The three volumes include 117 refereed and trigger articles contributed by 149 scholars from 35 countries. Please find below links to

A News Piece on the three volumes of Archnet-IJAR
http://www.archnet.org/news/view.jsp?news_id=18061

The Latest Issue (Volume 3, Issue 3 - November 2009)
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10981

Archnet-IJAR Archives of previous issues classified by by author
http://archnet.org/library/documents/collection.jsp?collection_id=1543&order_by=author

Previous issues

2007
Volume 1: Issue 1:
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10061
Volume 1: Issue 2:
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10081
Volume 1: Issue 3
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10261

2008
Volume 2: Issue 1
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10321
Volume 2: Issue 2
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10441
Volume 2: Issue 3
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10481

2009
Volume 3: Issue 1
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10581
Volume 3: Issue 2
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10781
Volume 3: Issue 3
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10981


IJAR is indexed and is part of several databases, including Avery index to Architectural Periodicals, EBSCO-Current Abstracts-Art and Architecture, INTUTE, Directory of Open Access Journals, and several other university library databases. To inquire about contributing articles for future issues of IJAR, please contact the chief editor, Dr. Ashraf Salama, at ijar@mit.edu.

A New Editorial on Architects for Peace Website: Yellow Urban Alternatives by Ashraf M. Salama

Yellow Urban Alternatives for a Green and Orange Context--Belfast, Northern Ireland,

Ashraf M. Salama, 2009
Architects f.or Peace Editorials,

September 2009, arch-peace, Australia

Belfast, the home of the Titanic, is a city evolving out of a history of conflict and distress. It is witnessing continuous civil and urban transformations; a transition from a troubled urban entity to a lively vibrant city. When I went to the city about 7 years ago for a short visit, the city was starting to get out of its sleepy, scary, and dark image—from what I felt and was told. Since March 2008 however, I was attracted by Belfast’s new image as a tourist destination with historic depth, unparalleled in many cities. I was also ensnared by the idea that a city I have seen a few years ago has changed beyond recognition and keeps changing for the better.

The Urban Reality of Belfast
Despite the fact that Northern Ireland’s peace process began in the mid 1990’s, the city is still essentially divided between the two dominant communities, Catholic and Protestant. While the east and south of the city are diverse enough, these single-identity communities continue to exist in many parts of the north and west. They are partially separated by ‘peace walls’. Records indicate that the number of these walls has increased since the beginning of the peace process. At the last count there were 41walls or similar such constructions. Here I relate to my earlier editorial of February 2008(1) and insert Robert Frost’s famous Poem: Mending Wall. Frost reminds us of offensive building acts when he says: Before I built a wall I'd ask to know... What I was walling in or walling out... And to whom I was like to give offence. Introducing diversity is thus a critical challenge to Belfast’s urban designers and architects, which keeps posing itself on any urban discourse about the city’s future.

Looking at the urban reality of Belfast, one can argue that the city still suffers the impact of thirty years of civil conflict. Such an impact continues to be felt as much ...............

Read more here>> http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2009/09/yellow-urban-alternatives-for-green-and.html

Design Education 2010: Archnet-IJAR Call for Papers

Design Education–2010
Explorations and Prospects for a Better Built Environment
3Ps: Paradigms - Positions - Practices

Archnet-IJAR: Volume 4, Issue 2, July 2010

Ashraf M. Salama and Michael J. Crosbie (editors)


The International Journal of Architectural Research (Archnet-IJAR) is pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue on Design Education 2010: Explorations and Prospects for a Better Built Environment. Co-edited by Professors Ashraf M. Salama and Michael J. Crosbie, this special issue of Archnet-IJAR is intended for publication in July 2010.

click here to download the call for papers >>
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_wpAk44JVS8ZWEwYmE0NTItZjc2My00MTY4LTkzODAtOTA1OTNiY2JlYjA2&hl=en


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Archnet-IJAR
International Journal of Architectural Research
ISSN International 1994-6961 - US 1938-7806
● Architecture ● Urban Planning ● Built Environment Studies


http://www.archnet-ijar.org/
http://www.archnet.org/library/documents/collection.jsp?collection_id=1543
http://www.archnet.org/gws/IJAR/
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1st National Conference on Environment-Behaviour Studies, 14-15 Nov. 2009, at FSPU, UiTM Shah Alam, Malaysia.

The Centre for Environment Behaviour Studies (CE-BS) at the Faculty of Architecture, Planning, and Surveying, University Technology Malaysia-Shah Alam , is organizing its first National Conference on Environment Behaviour Studies

(14-15 November 2009)

Shah Alam, Malaysia

Being the first conference of its kind to be held in Malaysia, the objectives of the conference include the following:-

· To identify and congregate researchers in the environment-behaviour (environmental psychology) field in Malaysia.

· To provide a platform for researchers in the environment-behaviour (environmental psychology) field, particularly the postgraduate students to expose their works and share their findings.

· To provide an avenue for peers to network.

· To spearhead the publication of the refereed Malaysian Journal of Environment-Behaviour Studies (MJEBS) through selected conference papers to be published in the journal's maiden issue in January 2010.

· Formalisation of the Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers (AMER) open for membership amongst participants.

Conference home page

http://fspu.uitm.edu.my/cebs/

Please visit the CE-BS website

http://fspu.uitm.edu.my/cebs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=63

More Information on Initiatives of the Center for Environment Behaviour Studies

• Malaysian Journal of Environment-Behaviour Studies (MJEBS)
• Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers (AMER)
  

Conference and Center Contacts

cebs@salam.uitm.edu.my

cebsuitm@gmail.com

Director and Head of the Center
Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Yusoff Abbas myusoff801 AT salam DOT uitm DOT edu DOT my

Shaping Architectural Discourse by Architecture Students at Queen's University Belfast, Ashraf M. Salama, 2009

A Recent Review Compiled and Edited by Ashraf M. Salama Published in

Archnet-IJAR, International Journal of Architectural Research,

Volume 3, Issue 2, (July 2009),

PP. 130-173
Ashraf M. Salama

SHAPING ARCHITECTURAL DISCOURSE BY ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST:

Architecture Students at Queen’s University Belfast Review Selected Books on Person-Environment Interactions

Outline:

As part of a specialist subject (elective) on Socio-Behavioral and Cultural Factors in Architecture and Urban Design, which I teach to architecture students at Queen’s University Belfast, a book review assignment was delivered. The course aims at introducing students to cultural, social, and psychological issues in architectural and urban design, and their value to successful design practices. It provides an overview and analysis of the literature and major scholars, researchers, and practitioners. An integral component of the course is an intensive discussion of issues that pertain to ways in which information about socio-cultural factors and environment-behaviour knowledge can be applied to design projects. In more specific terms, the objectives of the course therefore encompass: 1) To increase students’ sensitivity to the built environment and to break any habits of taking the environment for granted; 2) To acquaint students with particular knowledge of a variety of environments including residential, work, learning, and urban environments. Since our societies are in a continuous process of transformation, we must engage in sound future design that would involve the systematic examination of the relationship between culture, behaviour, and the environment; 3) To enhance students’ understanding of the core concepts regarding human-environment relations and how these concepts vary by different cultures and sub-cultures, 4) To develop students critical thinking abilities about the role of the built form in fostering, enhancing, or inhibiting cultural behaviours and attitudes. In this article, I discuss the notion of reviews and book reviews, outline the assignment delivered to architecture students at Queen’s University Belfast, then present selected students’ reviews. While this article is simply a presentation of students’ work, the ultimate objective is to offer a package of ideas and concepts generated in the literature of person-environment interaction as viewed by the students. This is coupled with students’ articulations of and reflections on how the merits and demerits of those ideas and the way in which they relate to such ideas in their reviews. While this article does not reflect on students’ work and does not have a conclusion, it calls for a database that is exclusively dedicated to reviewed books on person-environment interactions, which could be published online on the web of one of the societies or associations concerned with people-environment interactions including EDRA-Environmental Design Research Association and IAPS-International Association of People-Environments Studies.

Click here to download the full review

http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10790