Author(s)

A.-M. Al-Ballam

Abstract

The design of dwellings are indirectly affected by the consequences of mateguarding behavior performed by many male Homo sapiens. Evidence of such influence is perceived in the design of many vernacular dwellings dominated by conservative inhabitants. To prove this hypothesis, the current investigation identified the strategies of mate-guarding behavior in some animals then compared these findings with the design meanings of some dwellings found in old Kuwait City. The purpose of this comparison is to test the degree of similarities between the objectives of mate-guarding behavior in nature and the objectives of design strategies for some spontaneous architecture. Proving this hypothesis can lead to an evolutionary interpretation for the design of some vernacular dwellings.

Keywords

architecture, vernacular, mate-guarding, survival, old Kuwait City