visibility effecting gender aspects in middle income group apartments in dhaka ,...

SSS10 Proceedings of the 10th International Space Syntax Symposium

C D Gomes Visibility effecting gender aspects in middle income group apartments in Dhaka

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104 Visibility effecting gender aspects in middle income group apartments in Dhaka

Abstract

Houses carry cultural information in their material form and space configuration (Hanson 1998; Oliver 1987; Lawrence 1993) and the relationship of gender and its social connotation as a cultural factor has an imprint on the morphology of house form. While emphasizing on socio cultural factors as the primary forces in determining house form, Rapoport (1969) finds gender considerations such as position of women and their privacy as key determining factors of house form. The gender issue along with privacy of women in domestic environment has been given importance on the domestic spatial organisation of the urban houses of Dhaka from its genesis period. Visibility of the spaces used by the female members of the family hold a pivotal role in the spatial organization in the context of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Dhaka, being the capital city of Bangladesh, has pulled immense population from outside and has undergone through a continual transformation during the last few decades. Due to rapid urbanization and constraint of space in urban areas in Dhaka and with the advancement of the society, the urban life resulted in a change in the pattern of residential space and in its organization. The concept of privacy and segregation, as a product of socio-‐cultural and religious factors, has undergone a process of transformation with the changed spatial pattern of domestic spaces inside contemporary middle income group apartments.

This paper presents the results of visibility analysis conducted on a sample of 50 middle income group apartment plans in Dhaka considering gender related spatial behaviour. Questionnaire interview of the female users of these apartments compliments the visibility analysis of Space syntax method analysis conducted with Depth map. It focuses on the position of women in the domestic space and investigates how privacy and controllability is perceived by the women user in the recent apartment houses. The interview of the female heads of the studied contemporary apartments indicates that in spite of morphological changes of domestic space organization from traditional to present day context, the concept of privacy with respect to women users has remained unchanged and been addressed differently by the recent women users in the compact contemporary apartments. Controllability over the adjacent spaces tends to resume its position that was evident in the traditional courtyard type living. Although the role of women has changed in the family, due to their participation in the economic activities, still women prefer to Preserve their visual privacy and occupy spaces that are visibly more integrated and can have a control over the adjacent spaces from their working area in the domestic environment.

Keywords

Visibility, gender aspect, middle income group apartments in Dhaka.

Catherine Daisy Gomes Department of Architecture, BUET [email protected]



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1. Introduction

The spatial structure of buildings embodies knowledge of social relations. The relationship of gender and its social connotation as a cultural factor has an imprint on the morphology of house form and thus dwelling reflects ideals and realities about relationship between women and men within the family and in society. (Hillier and Hanson, 1984)

In the context of Dhaka the urban house form generated from the rural pattern. From the introvert courtyard type houses that prevailed from the early stages of urbanization, the inhabitants have experienced the extrovert pavilion type bungalows and the consolidated walk-‐up flats in later phases consecutively. Presently the city is expanding vertically and people are becoming used to living in multi-‐storeyed compact apartments within limited space. The price of the apartment has increased in Dhaka, still researchers (Begum, 2010; Zahur, 2007) found that need to live close to the work space and schools of their children are making the middle income group families inclined towards owning an apartment in this city. Flats are made affordable to middle income group by compromising the size and location of the apartments. Designer and suppliers are making adjustments with the cultural issues while making it compact to provide within affordable limit.

Socio-‐economic status of women that have gradually changed through time has a reflection on symbolic aspects like segregation, privacy and dominance of the female members in the family. In this study the female heads are found to be educated and majority of them having higher education above graduate level. 52% female heads are found to be economically non-‐active and 48% female heads to be economically active (Study conducted during July-‐August, 2012).Following this division, this study focuses on of the women users of the middle income group with the objective of understanding privacy and visual dominance of female members. Study findings lead to conclusion that in the present tailor-‐made compact apartments women still prefer to occupy space where their privacy is not hampered while at the same time they can have dominance over the adjacent spaces from their working spaces.

1.1 Privacy and dominance in middle income group apartments

Privacy is one particular social aspect which relate to different forms of dwellings and social life’ (Lidia, 1981). The private-‐public territory, as one of the binary codes followed in the organization of domestic space, is governed culturally (Lawrence, 1987; Goffman, 1959). The denotation of 'public' and 'private' implied that some form of spatial pattern accompanied the separation of women and men into different activities and support the concept of ‘gendered space’ (Rendell, 2000).

Every culture defines its own privacy (Altman, 1980) and it differs among cultures. Bellal and Brown (2003) and Bellal (2007) found the M’zabite house to be highly introverted with rooms distributed around an internal courtyard. In a study by Guney (2007), it was seen that the control of permeability and visibility serves the need for privacy to regulate interpersonal interactions. In the socio-‐cultural context of Bangladesh, traditional introvert arrangement around courtyards (Imamuddin, 1982; Hafiz, 2011; Gomes and Nilufar, 2012) supported the socio-‐cultural and religious norms ensuring privacy with segregation of male and female zones.

Dominance, with visual control over the adjacent spaces from the central position, seems a vital element in the traditional layouts and it is related with the location of the gendered spaces. Hillier, Hanson and Graham (1987) found the spaces associated with laundry, making dairy products etc. to be spaces where women were expected to be dominant. It was seen from the researches that when the distinction between male and female role is strong then the spatial demarcation of food preparation activities from the other rooms in the house is also strong (Lawrence, 1987). Donta (1978) found the necessity to open up kitchen to the rest of the living area to be the result of the new position of the women within the family. Ozaki’s (2003) research, in terms of social status and changing social relations, found that change in women’s role consequently develop less formal relationships between husbands and wives in middle-‐class families.



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2. Space syntax: a theory and method of analysis

The concept of privacy and dominance, which is dependent on the visual relationship, is addressed with the visibility graph analysis in this research. Visibility Graph1 analyses the extent to which any point in a spatial system is visible from any other. In this study Depthmap programme 10, developed at University College London by Alasdair Turner (2003), is used for analysing the visibility pattern of the middle income group apartments to interpret privacy level of the spatial organisation in a quantitative manner. (Turner et. al., 2001)

Privacy which is difficult to be measured can be interpreted by the accessibility both physical and visual and it is associated with the visibility aspect of the spaces used by the women from the outsiders/guest’s area. Visual integration2 of spaces gives certain numerical values which expresses that space to be visually connected with the adjacent spaces. The more a space is visible from the outsiders or visitor’s area the less privacy is ensured there as it is more intruded visually. Thus the space which has high visual integration will be less private and more intruded by the visitors.

The concept of Dominance is related with the power and control over the domestic space. The control measure picks out visually controlling spaces that can see more. Turner has named these spaces as controlling spaces (Turner, 2003). The local measure Visual control (VC), gives the values of locations that have the maximum visual control. Dominance is directly proportionate to visual control. In this study visual control is taken as a variable to measure dominance of the female heads in the domestic spatial organisation.

This study focuses on of the women users of the middle Income group with the specific objectives of understanding the socio-‐symbolic impact on the spatial organisation of the contemporary residential apartments in Dhaka. To address the gender related symbolic dimensions like privacy and dominance both questionnaire interview and syntactic analysis is conducted. The responses of female heads of the middle income group, living in apartments in Dhaka, are recorded and quantified to find out their life style and activity pattern in the house. The concept of privacy, which is dependent on the visual relationship with the inhabitants and the outsiders, is addressed with the visibility graph analysis in this research. Dominance that is related with the visual control of spaces is calculated and compared using the visual control values of VGA in this study.

1Visibility refers to Visual information provided to the observers at any given location. The graph gives certain numerical values of each space which expresses the visual connection of that space with the adjacent spaces. 2Visual integration is similar to global integration describes the relative visibility of a point location to all the other points within the space. The measure is essentially a normalized version of the mean depth of the visibility graph (Turner and Penn, 1999; Tuner, 2001; Turner, et. al., 2001). Higher Visual integration lead to lower visual privacy of a space as it is intruded visually. Thus the space which has high visual integration will be less private.

Space-‐Activity Analysis

Privacy

Determine Spaces used by Male/Females for interaction with visitors

Determine Visual Integration of spaces Low VI -‐ space with more privacy High VI -‐ space with less privacy

Visibility Graph Analysis

Dominance

Space-‐Activity Analysis

Determine the spaces used by Female head.

Determine Visual Control of spaces Low VC-‐ space with less visual control High VC-‐ space with more visual control

Visibility Graph Analysis



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3. Space activity analysis

The visitors and inhabitants interaction holds a prime role in the domestic space organisation. The physical division constitutes a social division of two groups: inhabitants -‐ the users of the interior domain and strangers-‐the users of the exterior domain. The spatial interface between visitors and inhabitants is one of the essential issues for every house in every culture. Based on the previous studies on the traditional Bengali houses (Imamuddin, 1982; Shabeen, 1997; Khan F A U, 1999; Rashid, 2000; Islam, 2003), it was seen that family activities such as working, eating, sleeping, cooking, etc. are performed in the inner part of the house while formal activities such as socializing, receiving guests, which include participation of the community are performed in the outer part of the house near to the entry. In traditional houses spaces used by male members (outhouse/living) are placed close to the exterior and the spaces those are used by women (kitchen, bed, etc.) are located far from the exterior. For finding the spaces in the contemporary middle income group apartments, the respondents were questioned about their place of interaction with visitors. Study shows that male member use the living room for interacting with guests. In case of the female heads entertaining visitors have a different character. Both economically non-‐active female heads (76% cases) and economically active female heads (90%cases) use the living for entertaining visitors. Female heads also use the dining space for interacting with their visitors along with the living space. Female heads have the tendency of taking their family and female visitors into their bedrooms and this is slightly higher in the non-‐economic group (24% in economically non-‐active and 19% in economically active group).

Living, which is used for entertaining the visitors, is a formal space and there exists a segregation concerning visitors with the female inhabitants which affects the privacy of the female inhabitants. Considering this living is symbolically a male gendered space. Study of fifty contemporary middle income group apartments reveals this living space in to have a dual character. The use of living is not only for receiving guests and used by male members of the family. It is being used by both male and female members of the family nearly equally for other purposes besides interacting with visitors. Considering the activity of the living room it is found as a shared room for both male and female members of the family.

Generally master bed room is a shared space and considering female heads’ activity and domain, master bed room is restricted for female visitors and in this respect master bed room is symbolically a female gendered space.

Kitchen is used for cooking solely and used by the female members in the families. In the study it was found that cooking is done by the female members. Male participation in cooking is very negligible. Thus the working or service zone kitchen in contemporary apartment is female gendered space. Some of the domestic spaces are solely shared spaces which are used by the both male and female members of the family like dining and, family living spaces. The transition spaces for connecting function holding spaces and for movement is used by both genders too.

4. Spatial analysis with VGA

In this study the ‘space’ is defined by the functions rather by physical boundaries. Hence a space has been regarded as a space designated for a particular activity. Areas that are not rectangular in shape such as ‘U’ or ‘L’ shape for example, it is used for a single activity has been considered as one space. Rooms with multiple functions for example living and dining area with no demarcation of boundary in between but where different activities happen in designated areas within the same geometrically bounded space has been taken as two spaces.



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4.1 Privacy analysis with visual integration

Comparing the visual integration values from VGA analysis of the different spaces in the urban houses of Dhaka it is seen that shared spaces like courtyard in introvert type houses, service courtyard in extrovert type houses and dining in consolidated houses are the visually most integrated spaces having less privacy. Transition spaces like entry, circulation in the urban houses have higher visual integration compared to the gendered spaces.

Male gendered space Outhouse in the introvert houses, Hall in the extrovert houses and Drawing in consolidated houses have higher visual integration values than the female gendered spaces like kitchen or rooms in the spatial organisation. Spaces used by female members mostly are found to be placed at the deepest areas having less visibility offering more privacy.

Legend: E-‐Entry, OH-‐Out House, CY-‐Court Yard, H-‐Hall, Dr-‐Drawing, D-‐Dining, C-‐Circulation, R-‐Room, K-‐Kitchen Depth map colours values by using a spectral range from indigo for low values through blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red to magenta for high values (Turner 2001:31.1). Figure 4.1: Visual Integration in different types of urban houses of Dhaka

Table 4.1: Order of visual integration (VI) in urban houses of Dhaka

Visual Integration of different spaces in the MIG apartments in Dhaka follows a pattern like the traditional houses: shared spaces (Dining, Family living) and transition space (circulation and foyer) are highly integrated and female gendered spaces (kitchen, master bed room) in the spatial organisation are segregated.



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MIG apartment

Din [13.03]>Cir[11.97]>Foyer [10.98] >F.liv[10.46] >Liv [9.55] >M.Bed [7.84] > Kit [6.87] Shared transition Shared gendered(M)gendered(F)

It was seen from the study on fifty MIG apartments that shared space, dining, is visually more integrated (in 70% of the studied MIG apartments shown in Table 4.2) and has less privacy than the gendered spaces like kitchen and master bed room that are visually segregated in the spatial organisation.

Table 4.2: Order of visual integration and their percentage in MIG apartments

Order of Visual Integration Percentage Highest VI Din >Liv > M.Bed > Kit 16%

68% shared space Dining Din > Cir > M.Bed > Liv > Kit 20%

Din > Foy > Liv > M.Bed > Kit 14% Din > F.Liv> Foy > Liv > M.Bed > Kit 10% Din > M.Bed > Liv > Kit 6% Din > F.Liv> Foy > Liv > Kit > M.Bed 2% F.Liv>Din > Liv > M.Bed > Kit >Foy 2% shared space Family living Cir > Din > Liv > M.Bed > Kit 14% transition space circulation Foy > Din > F.Liv> Liv > M.Bed > Kit 12% transition space Foyer Liv > Din > M.Bed > Kit 4% gendered space Living

4.1.1 Visual integration considering living-‐dining spaces

The configuration of the spaces, where visitors are entertained, influence upon the privacy of the female members of the family. In a study by Guney (2007) it was seen that, the role of visual fields is related to the control of information provided to observers. Her findings of the research indicate that visibility analyses are more sensitive as it is able to account for variables such as the size of the openings between functional spaces.

Considering the connection of the living and dining spaces three types of plans were seen in the studied apartments such as separate living-‐dining, continuous living-‐dining and attached living-‐dining. Table 4.3 below provides average VI values in different types of living-‐dining condition found in middle income group apartments in the study.

Table 4.3: Average V I values in different types of living-‐dining condition

Separate (10%) Continuous (36%) Attached (54%)

Male gendered space Living 7.94 10.48 9.23 Shared space Dining 12.12 13.28 13.04

Family Living 11.25 10.84 10.84 Transition space Circulation 12.04 12.6 11.18

Foyer 12.08 10.06 10.84 Female gendered spaces Kitchen 6.71 7.14 6.72

Master Bed 7.2 7.86 7.94



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Legend: F-‐ Foyer, L-‐ Living, D -‐ Dining, C -‐ Circulation, B -‐ Bed room, K -‐ Kitchen, T -‐ Toilet, V – Verandah Depth map colours values by using a spectral range from indigo for low values through blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red to magenta for high values (Turner, 2001:31.1)

Figure 4.2: Visual characteristics of different types of living-‐dining condition



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In the 10% separate living-‐dining, visual integration value of male gendered space 'living' is lower than the shared-‐dining-‐space. The separate living-‐dining ensures more privacy but it is present in the medium and larger apartments only. Spatial segregation of the gendered spaces from the visitor’s space reduces the need for extra visual barrier in these apartments.

36% of the studied apartments’ continuous living-‐dining has higher visibility from living. Visitors in these living can intrude the inner spaces more and privacy is hampered in these cases. The configuration of the common living dining makes it difficult to use curtain as visual barrier even if the female heads are willing to preserve their privacy from the visitor’s area.

The in-‐between situation is the attached living–dining conditions (54%).Visual integration value of male gendered space, living, is lower than the shared space, dining. In most of the attached living-‐dining, female heads use curtain or visual barriers to protect their privacy from the male gendered space.

In some compact apartments the wall separating the female gendered spaces from the visitors’ area are removed to make the space larger. The VI considering wall and circulation of the living and dining space changes drastically when the wall and circulation was omitted (Figure 4.3). Living room becomes more visually intruding without the circulation but due to space compaction they have compromised privacy for the sake of spaciousness.

Legend: F-‐ Foyer, L-‐ Living, D -‐ Dining, C -‐ Circulation, B -‐ Bed room, K -‐ Kitchen, T -‐ Toilet, V – Verandah Depth map colours values by using a spectral range from indigo for low values through blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red to magenta for high values (Turner, 2001:31.1)

Figure 4.3: Visual characteristics of continuous living-‐dining in apartment A-‐12



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Depth map colours values by using a spectral range from indigo for low values through blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red to magenta for high values (Turner 2001:31.1)

Figure 4.4: Visual integration in separate, continuous and attached living-‐dining



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4.1.2 Status influencing on visual privacy

Privacy is desirable to female heads irrespective of their socio-‐economic status but it is higher in the economically non-‐active female heads as they spend comparatively long hours in the house than the economically active female heads. Depending on the openness of the visitor’s area female members take certain means to ensure visual privacy of the inner spaces from the formal and male visitor’s area. The response of the female head concerning privacy and using curtain issue was observed in the separate, continuous and attached living dining type apartments.

In separate living-‐dining use of curtain is less by both the groups of female heads. Spatial segregation of the gendered spaces from the visitor’s space reduces the need for extra visual barrier in these apartments.75% economically non-‐active female heads, in apartments where living and dining are separate, do not use curtain to protect visual privacy.

In the continuous living–dining, it is difficult to use curtain or other visual barrier for preserving privacy. 80% economically non-‐active and 88% economically active female heads cannot use curtain in apartments where living and dining is continuous to protect visual privacy.

In the attached living-‐dining cases the economically non-‐active female heads use curtain to protect privacy more than the economically active female heads.87% of the economically non-‐active female heads and 42% economically active female heads use curtain to protect visual privacy in attached living–dining apartments.

Table 4.4: Response of female heads regarding use of visual barrier for privacy Economically non-‐active FH Economically active FH Separate Liv-‐Din Use curtain

Do not use curtain 25% 75%

Do not use curtain

100%

Continuous Liv-‐Din

Use curtain Cannot use curtain

20%80% Use curtain Cannot use curtain

12%88%

Attached Liv-‐Din Use curtain Do not use curtain

87% 13%

Use curtain Do not use curtain

42% 58%

4.2 Dominance with visual control

Dominance is related with the power and control over the domestic space in a culture. Visual Control over the adjacent spaces from the central position seems a vital element in the traditional layouts and it is related with the location of the gendered space. Comparing the visual control values of the different spaces in the urban houses of Dhaka (Table 4.5) it is seen that shared spaces like courtyard in Introvert houses, service courtyard in Extrovert houses and dining in Consolidated houses had the highest visual control. These spaces dominated over the adjacent spaces visually. Transition spaces like entry, circulation in the urban houses have higher visual control compared to the gendered spaces. Female gendered spaces like kitchen and rooms had the lowest visiual control in these type of houses.



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Table 4.5: Order of visual integration (VI) in urban houses of Dhaka

Legend: E-‐Entry, OH-‐Out House,CY-‐Court Yard, H-‐Hall, Dr-‐Drawing, D-‐Dining, C-‐Circulation, R-‐Room, K-‐Kitchen Figure 4.5: Visual control in urban houses of Dhaka

4.2.1Visual control considering circulation

Studying the Visual Control values of the MIG apartments it was seen that 56% of the studied apartments have highest visual control in dining which is a shared space. 30% of the studied apartments have highest visual control in circulation space that connects the female gendered spaces with the shared spaces. 12% have highest visual control in Foyer transition space at the entrance and 2% have highest visual control in living which is a space for entertainment for the female heads of the families. Kitchen has the lowest VC in all the studied apartments.

Circulation in the spatial organisation connecting the female gendered spaces plays a role in terms of visual control. It was seen from the study that presence of circulation in the spatial organisation reduced the visual control ability of the shared dining space. Visual control of the dining, the working space of the female heads in the family has highest dominance (average VC: 1.52) when circulation space is absent in the spatial organisation and acts as a controlling space over the adjacent spaces. In the apartments, where circulation is present, circulation has the higher visual control (average VC: 1.59) than the dining space (average VC: 1.37) and acts as a controlling space. Kitchen, the female gendered space, has the lower visual control value (average VC: 0.84 in apartments with circulation and average VC: 0.78 in apartments without circulation) and have less visual control over the spaces in the spatial organisation.



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Table 4.6: Visual control (average) in apartments considering circulation Spaces

With circulation

Without circulation

Male gendered space

Living 1.06

1.00 Shared Dining 1.37

1.52 Family Living 1.15

1.18 Transition Circulation 1.59

Foyer 1.34

1.30 Female gendered Kitchen 0.84

0.78 Master Bed 0.97

0.98

Legend-‐ Living, D-‐Dining, K-‐Kitchen, C-‐ Circulation

Figure 4.6: Dominance (Visual Control) in MIG apartments with circulation and without circulation

Kitchen has been regarded as the space with lowest visual control throughout the different types of urban houses of Dhaka. The kitchen was used for eating and performing other household activities like child caring, sewing, resting and other domestic activities in the traditional courtyard type urban houses. In this study of the contemporary middle income group families’ apartments in Dhaka, the kitchen does not reflect the change in status of the female head directly. Kitchen is a female gendered space as cooking is found to be performed by the female members of most of the studied apartments.

From the literature review it was seen that when the kitchen is more open, it used to reflect the improvement of women’s social status and their conventional role as homemakers. Donta (1978), in her research examines the changing modes of internal domestic space organization with a shift towards the ‘open plan’ house and she concluded that the necessity to open up kitchen to the rest of the living area was the result of the new position of the women within the family. Ozaki (2003) found that when the traditional role of women and status of domestic labour began to change, the kitchen moved “forward from the back of the house”. Toker and Toker (2003), analysed Houses, built in Ankara, Anatolia to explain how spaces are gendered in the house with an approach by



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examining the configurational properties of spaces. They stated that following the improved status of women and decreasing household size, the kitchen, being one of the housework spaces, has been drastically transformed as it became shallower from the entrance and globally more integrated within the entire system.

In this study spatial analysis offers visually integrated spaces as visually dominant spaces and shared spaces were found as being dominant spaces while the gendered spaces especially kitchen lacks in visual control ability. It was seen that dominance of the female gendered spaces can be increased with opening up the kitchen. Although the percentage of need for open type kitchen is not that significant in the study findings still it shows a growing awareness for having a female working space in the domestic spatial organisation with better visual control over the adjacent spaces. Architects use corridor or circulation space in the spatial organisation for connecting rooms or spaces which cannot be used as an activity space for its configuration. This circulation in turn reduces the visual control of the shared and other female gendered spaces in the house. Study findings lead to conclude that use of circulation (transition space) reduces dominance from kitchen with lower visual control over the adjacent spaces.

4.2.2 Status influencing dominance

Study reveals that female heads work in the kitchen for cooking and in dining for cooking preparation, teaching children and doing other study works. While working in the house the female heads want to see the spaces around them to have visual control. It was found from the survey on the middle income group families that intention for observing from their working space is higher in both groups of female heads( 71% economically active and 76% economically non-‐active female heads).

Table 4.7: Response of female heads regarding VC from the female gendered spaces Economically non-‐active FH Economically active FH apartments with Circulation

Wants to see from Kitchen Wants to see from Dining

50% 29%


38% 25% Apartments with-‐

out Circulation Wants to see from Kitchen Wants to see from Dining

33% 33%


31% 30%

Use of dining is higher in the economically non-‐active female heads and they want to see things around while they are working in dining space. The economically active female heads also prefer to observe things from their working area dining mostly. Only 33% economically non-‐active female heads and 30% economically active female heads are satisfied with their dominance from dining space as dining has the highest visual control in their apartments.

Figure 4.7: Visual control (apartment A-‐8) considering circulation



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5. Conclusion

Privacy concern has become a symbolic aspect in the organization of domestic spaces. The accessibility both physical and visual is the measure of interference that determines privacy and it is associated with the visibility aspect of the spaces used by the women from the visitor’s area. From the VGA analysis of the urban houses of Dhaka it was seen that privacy of the gendered space depends on the visual relationship of the shared space with the male gendered spaces. In the spatial organization of MIG apartments in Dhaka, different spaces are integrated differently. Shared spaces are visually more integrated and have less privacy compared to the gendered spaces that are visually segregated and have higher privacy. Syntactic analysis of the MIG apartments leads to conclude that configurational characteristics of the spaces where visitors are entertained in the domestic space influence upon the privacy of the female members of the family. Visibility of the female gendered spaces from the living is greater when the configuration of the living dining is continuous or attached. Separate living dining provides more privacy than the continuous or attached living–dining.

Economically non-‐active female heads who spend long hours in the house feel for visual segregation from the male visitor’s area more than the economically active female heads who stay a certain time away from the house due to their participation in the economic activities. Most of the tailor-‐made apartments provide a living room together with the dining space in a continuous or attached way. The desired privacy of the female members of the family, whether economically active or non-‐active, is jeopardized in this type of layout.

Dominance, expressed with Visual Control, over the adjacent spaces is related with the location of the gendered space. Study shows that in middle income group apartment shared space ‘dining’ has highest visual control and the gendered space ’Kitchen’ lack in visual control ability. Activity within and outside the house has increased the responsibilities of women in their domestic space which in turn has created preference for observing from their working space to have visual control over the activities happening around them. To create more visual control from the working areas of women in the domestic space the kitchen needs to be visually more connected with other spaces. This opening up is creating conflict with their perception of privacy which demands creation of visual obstruction to preserve privacy from the visitors' domain.

Female users of the contemporary middle income group apartment have negotiated with spatio-‐symbolic demands in their domestic space. Educated female heads whether economically active or non-‐active still tend to preserve their privacy in their domestic space and seek for visual dominance in their domestic spatial organisation. In order to bring the apartments within affordable ranges the suppliers of the apartments are making the middle income group apartments compact and while doing this they are negotiating with the socio-‐symbolic demands of the middle income group women. Privacy of the female members in their domestic space is being neglected although the female members in these apartments are seeking for it. Visual dominance from the working space of the female members, which has been a symbolic aspect in the traditional urban houses of Dhaka, is affected by the inclusion of circulation space in the spatial organisation. These socio-‐symbolic aspects needs to be given serious attention while designing middle income group apartments, as the life of the contemporary middle income group female members are in a flux due to the socio-‐economic changes in the society.

Aknowledgements

This paper is a part of the PhD thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in December, 2014 , conducted in the Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka-‐1000, under the supervision of Dr. Farida Nilufar. Professor,Department of Architecture,BUET.



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