A Pattern Language for Lived Interiors: The Case of Harat-al-Aqr

Abstract

Analysing 'lived interiors'—spaces rich with narrative, memory, and ongoing adaptation—often presents challenges for conventional adaptive reuse frameworks. These frameworks, which typically assume formal design intentions, may prove less applicable in contexts where reuse emerges organically, driven by residents' pragmatic needs and tacit knowledge rather than architectural typology. This research addresses this through the case study of Harat-al-Aqr in Nizwa, Oman, a historical quarter whose value derives precisely from its continuously inhabited quality, making it a fitting embodiment of the 'lived interior' concept central to this symposium.

Harat-al-Aqr, a 1200-year-old settlement of earthen buildings and winding alleys, faced significant decline after the 1970s due to migration. Its revival began around 2010, initiated not through top-down master planning, but through community-led efforts aimed at mitigating urban decay and supporting local livelihoods. Initial reuse projects included converting interconnected mud houses into inns to host incoming tourists to a nearby fort. Several mud houses were combined with minimal alterations, preserving their scale, layout, and materials. With no internal circulation between the individual buildings, inn guests navigated alleyways to access communal spaces and provisions. Thus, adjacent alleys became functional extensions of the interior experience, fostering daily exchanges between visitors and locals and weaving new narratives into the existing social fabric. This organic process, yielding a layered mosaic of restored structures and evocative ruins amid an inhabited neighbourhood, called for an analytical lens attuned to use patterns rather than static design strategies.

To adequately capture this lived reality, Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language methodology was employed and adapted. This approach moves beyond form to identify recurring socio-spatial solutions—'patterns'—that reveal how the community navigates heritage, social bonds, and practical needs. It focuses on the relationships and processes that give the place its character and resilience, effectively helping to document the embedded narratives and memories manifest in spatial practices. The analysis led to the identification of a distinct 'Pattern Language' for Harat-al-Aqr's reuse, including patterns such as: (i) Living Roofs, where terraces transform into primary social arenas that nod back to historical practices and foster communal rituals; (ii) Mutual Dependencies, that highlight how the relationships between decaying structures and new interventions, and between residents and visitors sustain the quarter's authenticity; and (iii) Domestic Streets, Public Dwellings, that reflect the fluid perception and appropriation of space where public alleys become semi-private extensions of adjacent functions.

This contribution demonstrates the utility of the pattern language as a methodological tool. Focusing on emergent use patterns offers a way to read and articulate the complex narratives and memories inherent in lived interiors, contributing a valuable approach to understanding and engaging with heritage spaces that defy conventional analysis.