Dept of Architecture College of Environmental Design King Abdul Aziz University Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
After its completion, the so-called “Rush Housing” project of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia that consists of high-rise residential buildings remained unoccupied for many years due to skepticism by the housing authority of some social, urban and environmental problems it might engender. Nonetheless, in the middle of the 1990s, the housing authority distributed these towers to eligible Saudi families. Since its occupancy, and as expected, the project has become a source of social and urban decay in the city. This study evaluates the social problems that have been associated with the residency of Jeddah Rush Housing towers. It examines the inhabitants’ satisfaction with the design and other aspects of the project. It also surveys the social and other problems that have been affecting the daily life of residents of this complex