Quality of Life Indicators from an Architectural Perspective: A Case Study in Medina

Abstract

In pursuit of enhancing quality of life within societies, nations focus on the significance of residential life as a primary influencer of human well-being. Numerous organizations and research initiatives have developed methodologies to assess quality of life within urban environments, resulting in adaptable mechanisms suitable for diverse community data. This research explores the feasibility of harnessing these tools to assess the quality of life influenced by residences from an architectural perspective. The city of Medina was chosen as the spatial scope for the sample selection, resulting in 379 responses. This study revealed that the primary factor for comparison between residences was the type of dwelling, with the majority being apartments and villas. The mechanism demonstrated that residents of villas expressed higher satisfaction across all the assessment criteria. The study also revealed that among the nine aspects of improving housing selected by the respondents, the top three included the presence of a private outdoor area, increased natural lighting, and providing larger space. Based on these findings, this study recommends adopting a mechanism to analyze housing quality within a specific spatial context to study the current housing situation, set goals for designers, and provide recommendations for quality-of-life improvement.