Conceptual drawings as explorative tools: Tracing the evolution of the extended and nuclear family houses in Kuwait

This paper examines the evolution of the layout and occupancy of family houses in Kuwait, using conceptual drawings as a tool to study, describe and understand their transformations. Through the analysis of the political and social development of the country, this research will describe the main architectural facets of a group of case studies related to three different phases: the pre-oil period, the post-oil period and the current contemporary stage of evolution. Particular attention is given to the dynamics that have influenced the relationships between social changes and the houses’ layouts, including specific design traditions developed in each period. The goal of this investigation is to propose a logical sequence of drawings and graphic analyses valuable to illustrate and verify the persistence of a cultural continuity, which has survived substantial socio-economic transformations that occurred during the past century. This cultural continuity runs from the urban layouts to the basic units and represents a significant level of awareness to be used in every future planning action.