VERNACULAR VERTICALITY AND SPATIAL PRAXIS: A SOCIO-SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF TRADITIONAL TOWER HOUSES IN THE OLD CITY OF SANA’A, YEMEN

Abstract

The layout of traditional tower houses in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen—a UNESCO World Heritage site—shapes and reflects local socio-cultural traditions. Drawing on socio-spatial theory and vernacular architecture discourse, the study views these four- to seven-story structures as dynamic frameworks where cultural values, social hierarchies, and everyday practices are physically expressed. Specifically, the research investigates the two-way relationship between domestic life and vertical zoning, focusing on spatial hierarchies, privacy gradients, gendered domains, and the integration of communal activities within a dense urban fabric. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the study analyses the Bait Abu Luhum tower house in the Al-Abhar district. Data collected through architectural documentation, direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and surveys enable a multi-layered analysis of both spatial form and lived experience. The findings reveal that the tower house’s spatial logic embodies a culturally embedded system that seamlessly negotiates privacy, social interaction, and environmental adaptation. Its vertical arrangement reflects a nuanced socio-cultural ordering, using architectural elements to mediate between public and private realms while reinforcing collective identity and household structures. By situating the tower house within broader debates on spatial production and vernacular sustainability, this study demonstrates how indigenous architectural knowledge can inform contemporary design. Ultimately, it argues for context-responsive, culturally grounded spatial strategies to address modern challenges in housing and urban development.