Spatial Configuration of Collective Social Housing: A Space Syntax Analysis of 1980s Housing in Biskra, Algeria

Abstract

Since independence, social housing has been one of the cornerstones of Algeria’s urban policy. This article forms part of a doctoral research project devoted to the transformations of architectural quality in collective housing in Biskra, and examines the extent to which the first post-independence projects reflect, or obscure, local socio-cultural practices. The study focuses on three F3-type dwellings located in the 726, 830 and 1000 housing estates: these are representative of the earliest state-planned programmes after 1962. The methodology combines Space Syntax tools with both quantitative analysis (depth, connectivity, and movement distribution) and qualitative observations (visual fields and circulation patterns). The findings highlight a dual dynamic; on the one hand, the persistence of traditional devices such as the entrance vestibule reminiscent of the saqîfa and the hierarchical organisation of reception spaces, which ensure the protection of family privacy; on the other hand, the emergence of transformations linked to the standardization and rationalization imposed by state planning. This analysis sheds light on how collective housing in Biskra has attempted, with both successes and limitations, to reconcile normative constraints with cultural traditions.