Architectural elements
Doorway
Tarma Alfuraj Shuraf
Figure 2. Alnaim, Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.33948/japksu-33-2-6.
Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.33948/japksu-33-2-6.
4. Alnaim, Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.33948/japksu-33-2-6.
Alnaim, Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.33948/japksu-33-2-6.
Figure 3. Alnaim,
Figure
Figure 5.
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Doorway
• The doorway, referred to as Al-Bab (plural Abwab), serves as an entrance to homes or other buildings.
• Traditional houses with two doors often have a wide, decorative guest door, and a narrow, less ornate family door.
• If located near public or semi-public streets, the guest door is the focal point.
• Door decoration guides guests to the right entrance and reflects the owner’s social and economic life..
• Its prominence allows locals to “name” the house and pinpoint its location.
• This practice is part of a centuries-old communication system where architectural visual elements are used to help both locals and visitors navigate within the built environment.
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Figure 6. Alnaim, Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.33948/jap-ksu-33-2-6.
Ad-diriyah
Al khabra
The guest space at the front is always directly connected to the door and remains separate from the rest of the interior spaces within the structure.
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Doorway
Figure 7. Alnaim, M. (2021). “Dwelling form and culture in the traditional Najdi built environment, Saudi Arabia.” Open house international 46(4): 595-614.
Figure 8. Figure 7. Alnaim, M. (2021). “Dwelling form and culture in the traditional Najdi built environment, Saudi Arabia.” Open house international 46(4): 595-614.
Design inspiration / Materials
Decoration:
• Regional plants.
• Trees.
• Palm fronds.
• Wild flowers.
• The sun.
• Mountains.
Dyes
• Colors from:
• Acacia and its seeds
• Pomegranate.
• Yellow
• Red
• Blue
• Black
• Green
Design
• Intersecting lines.
• Inner rings.
• Triangles.
• Circles which they inspired by grapes.
Front design
• house’s name
• Date
• Religious expressions.
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Tamarix
Palm trunks
Initial experiment
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Cinametic close-up shot of Najdi doors --c 80
Relistic shot of Najdi door in Riyadh earle vibe--c 90
Relistic shot of Najdi door in Riyadh colorful--c 90
Relistic shot of inspired Najdi door in Riyadh designed on interior room colorful--c 90
Relistic shot of inspired Najdi door in Riyadh designed on interior room colorful--c 90
Realistic photography castle inspired by traditional Najdi door --c 30
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Realistic photography castle inspired by traditional Najdi door --c 30
Realistic photography door decorated with ornate designs, colorful assemblages, vernacular architecture, Najdi art, packed with hidden details, engraving, no morrocan, no indian no egyptian --c 1
Realistic photography door decorated with palm fronds, Najdi art, packed with hidden details, engraving, no morrocan, no indian no egyptian --c
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Al-Bab traditional Najd door in Ushaiger village --c 1
Al-Bab traditional Najd door in Historic Diriyah village
Al-Bab traditional Najd colorful door in Historic Diriyah village
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• The experiments conducted were unsuccessful, with some results showing more resemblance to Islamic motifs than to Najdi, Moroccan, or Indian designs. Based on this, I researched the similarities between them, as detailed in Figure 9.
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Insight:
Al-Bab traditional Salmani Najd in Historic Diriyah villag colorful door only
Traditional Salmani Najd in Historic Diriyah villag colorful door only no color on the wall with geometry engraving art on the door
A panoramic view of a traditional Najdi house in Saudi Arabia, with a prominent door as the focal point, showcasing its unique architectural style --ar 16:9
A panoramic view of a traditional Najdi house in Saudi Arabia, with a prominent door as the focal point, showcasing its unique architectural style --ar 16:9
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A panoramic view of a traditional Najdi house in Saudi Arabia, with a prominent engraving colored door as the focal point, showcasing its unique architectural style --ar 9:16
A panoramic view of a traditional Najdi house in Saudi Arabia, with a prominent engraving colored door as the focal point, showcasing its unique architectural style --ar 9:16
A panoramic view of a traditional Najdi house in Saudi Arabia, with a prominent door as the focal point, showcasing its unique architectural style --ar 16:9
A contrast-focused photograph capturing the striking juxtaposition of a traditional Najdi door against a modern backdrop in Saudi Arabia
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Realistic photography of a Najdi door in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Region. A weathered wooden door with intricate, deeply carved geometric patterns in the Najdi style. The red, yellow, and black, leaving a rustic, natural texture on the surface.
Realistic photography of Najdi door in Diriyah village, Saudi Arabia. Ancient stone wall backdrop, weathered wood, intricate carved geometric patterns.
Realistic Najdi door in Diriyah village, Saudi Arabia. Weathered wood, intricate carved patterns, ancient stone backdrop
Realistic Najdi door in Diriyah village, Saudi Arabia. Colored wood, intricate carved patterns, ancient stone backdrop.
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A captivating blend of artistry on a door in Diriyah village, Saudi Arabia. Geometric patterns, floral motifs, and elegant calligraphy intertwine, creating an enchanting visual tapestry.
Traditional Najdi door, intricate geometric carvings, aged wood, brass details, cultural significance, ambient desert sunlight, shadow play, close-up angle, wide lens, soft lighting, shallow depth of field
Traditional Najdi door, intricate geometric carvings, aged wood, brass details, cultural significance, ambient desert sunlight, shadow play, close-up angle, wide lens, soft lighting, shallow depth of field
Authentic Najdi door, geometric designs, weathered, ornate, Saudi heritage, gentle desert sun rays, dramatic shadows, macro angle, wideangle lens, diffused lighting, limited depth of field
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Authentic Najdi door, geometric designs, weathered, ornate, Saudi heritage, gentle desert sun rays, dramatic shadows, macro angle, wideangle lens, diffused lighting, limited depth of field.
Najdi old door, traditional Saudi architecture, vibrant colorful intricate geometric patterns, weathered wood, tarnished brass metalwork, historical significance, cultural symbol, ambient desert light, camera angle: eye-level, lens: wideangle, soft shadows, textures, shallow depth of field, Riyadhinspired environment.
Najdi door in Diriyah village, Riyadh, unique geometric engravings, aged wood, traditional metalwork, local heritage, sunlit, ancient mud buildings, narrow view angle, 35mm lens, warm lighting, targeted depth of field.
Najdi old door, traditional Saudi architecture, colorful intricate geometric patterns, weathered wood, historical significance, ambient desert light, camera angle: eye-level, lens: wideangle, soft shadows, shallow depth of field.
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• The experiments conducted were almost successful, based on the research most of the results showed doors from different area for example Ushaiqer. Since most of them was without colors mean it was for family doors as I mention before. The design itself is similar but the porpuse and the colors were different.
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Insight:
A Najdi door is a type of door, which originates from the Najd region of Saudi Arabia, and is a symbol of the rich creative and cultural heritage of the region. It is important to know that these doors represent social, religious, and artistic ideals of the Najdi people and are therefore more than just useful items in their own right. Because of the intricate patterns and themes that can be found on most of these objects, they are a perfect example of the region’s expert craftsmanship. Doors such as these, which are typically made from wood or metal, not only demonstrate the accessibility of local resources, but also the skill and creativity of the Najdi artisans who craft them. As both practical objects and cultural artefacts, Najdi doors have continued to be an integral part of Saudi Arabian society for centuries, whether in historical context or in modern construction, serving as both practical objects and cultural artefacts.
An example of this would be a building with two entrances, where the guest door is usually large, ornamented, and colourful, while the family doorway is usually smaller and less ornate. As well as that, when the building is located in a public or semi-public area, then the guest door tends to be more noticeable, while the family door tends to be more concealed. This type of door decoration serves a dual purpose in this instance, as it is used both to communicate the social status of the door’s owner as well as to direct visitors to the appropriate doorway. The communication system controls the way in which interpersonal relationships are managed.
Due to the fact that I have used chatgpt in the process of researching the differences between Najdi doors, Moroccan doors and Indian doors, I have noticed that there are some similarities between them. My observation is that Najdi and Moroccan architecture are similar in that they use geometric shapes, calligraphy, and symmetrical designs, which are inspired by Islamic architecture. The Indians were similar to the Najdis in their use of floral motifs, engraving and vivid colours, which were influenced by the environment they lived in at the time.
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Summation
There was some misinformation obtained when comparing chatgpt to the desk research which was conducted after using chatgpt. For instance, colours or the purpose of calligraphy outside. As a result of training chatgpt, I noticed that the information was different from what it was without training. Using chatgpt could be beneficial in early stage in the research to gain different perspectives about the subject and new approaches.
Using mid journey, I was given the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how artificial intelligence works and how it functions. By using these prompts, I can better understand what are good prompts and how to use them in an effective way.
The sheet was also helpful to me in gaining more knowledge about chaos, seeds, and aspect ratios to be able to use them when I am using them. The camera angle and sun effect were used to get a good quality and better result. I changed the lighting as well as added more cinematic effects in order to achieve the desired result.
As it has his own advantages it also has disadvantages which are that I can not use the same element in different pictures, sometimes it does not do the command for example when I added --no colours on the wall it still gave me colours, another example if type the exact prompt it will give new results.
In order to design the Najdi doors, we could use geometric shapes, colours, and calligraphy. We could also combine different artefacts to create a product, piece of furniture, or jewellery, using the geometric shapes, colours, and calligraphy.
“The intricate design and cultural diversity of Najdi doors provide a broad source of inspiration that goes beyond simple aesthetics. These doors provide more than just an entranceway; they open up uncharted design horizons since they are a symbol of a rich cultural history and a complicated social fabric. The influence of Najdi doors resonates, offering a seamless blend of history and creativity, from the broad principles of architecture and urban planning to the fine details of product and fashion design. It is an artistic expression. Najdi doors serve as examples of how design can unite cultures, inspire innovation, and represent both continuity and transformation.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to combine various cultural aspects to create new items represents a novel and exciting future in creation. This technique can make use of technology to combine, examine, and reinterpret many cultural artefacts and concepts, opening the door for original inventions. It is also will make a new ear of creativity. In conclusion, My final design direction for the project will be finalise after we know our groups and have a discussion together about it.
Reference list:
Al-thaqafi, T. (2021). Najd doors: An entrance to the region’s culture and heritage. [online] Arab News. Available at: https://www. arabnews.com/node/1785961/saudi-arabia [Accessed 23 Jul. 2023].
Alnaim, Mohammed. “Traditional Najdi Settlement Architectural Elements: Harmonizing Function, Aesthetics, and Shared Socio-Cultural Meaning.” Journal of Architecture and Planning - King Saud University, vol. 33, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2021, https://doi. org/10.33948/jap-ksu-33-2-6.
Alnaim, Mohammed Mashary. “Understanding the Traditional Saudi Built Environment: The Phenomenon of Dynamic Core Concept and Forms.” World Journal of Engineering and Technology, vol. 10, no. 02, 2022, pp. 292–321, https://doi. org/10.4236/wjet.2022.102019. Accessed 28 July. 2023.
Bayt Al Fann. (2022). Decorated Doors of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: https://www.baytalfann.com/post/decorated-doors-ofsaudi-arabia [Accessed 23 Jul. 2023].
Deshpande R (2020) A historical timeline of Doors in Architecture, RTF | Rethinking The Future, https://www.re-thinkingthefuture. com/history-of-architecture/a2292-a-historical-timeline-of-doorsin-architecture/.
Moroccopreneur (2023) Moroccan Doors: The Gate to Moroccan Architecture - Moroccopreneur, Moroccopreneur, https:// moroccopreneur.com/moroccan-doors-the-gate-to-moroccanarchitecture/, accessed 31 July 2023.
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