Purpose This study aims to trace the transformation in the form of apartment building and the connotations it has in understanding the changes that occurred in the Jordanian society’s lifestyle over the past five decades. Design/methodology/approach A comparative case study analysis has been conducted amongst 170 apartments, covering 70 design attributes related to aspects of appearance, spatial organisation, parking and access to building, outdoor space and finishing. This was followed by experts and households solicitation to help giving more confidence on the validity and reliability of findings regarding the sorts and justifications for the changes that have taken place in the form of apartments over the studied time frame. Findings The results reveal changes in design attributes indicating particular alterations in people’s lifestyle. New interests act in formulating recent housing design attributes. People seem to turn into a more open social life within public community but more privatised living amongst family members. People are becoming more attached to indoor modernised lifestyle, in homes and public areas where activities take place. This entails pursuing a more comfortable, facilitating and enjoyable life that presents luxury and tranquillity. Originality/value Understanding the relationship between transformations in the built form of apartment buildings and the associated social alterations provides useful insights towards improving housing provision to better match the ever-changing demands of people and respond to alterations in their lifestyles.

This paper reviews different proportional systems created in different architectural styles to assist architects in ordering building and providing an aesthetic rational for design forms. Proportions can visually unify the multiplicity of elements in architecture design by giving all parts of building the same proportion while providing the feeling of ordered facades and forms. In the "Sham Region", a system of proportion has developed during different eras, through applying architecture with unique characteristics and distinct proportions. This system of proportions has been neglected after the 1970"s and random relations were introduced, leaving the final appearance of the buildings with no special character. This can be noticed through analysing several new buildings in Amman City. Findings reveal a mix of proportion and styles. The research recommends using proportions from the local architectural heritage and evolving that style to maintain the unique style and special features in this part of the world.

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of an urban water harvesting system at Um Uthaina neighborhood located in Amman city, the capital of Jordan in order to meet its future water demands and to reduce its increasing water costs due to the fact that Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. The country's renewable water supply currently only meets about half of the population's water demands, with groundwater being used twice as quickly as it can be recharged. In order to accomplish this, different rainfall aspects were investigated and the potential runoff from the roofs and ground surfaces was calculated. This was done through calculating the precipitation concentration index (PCI) and the seasonality index (SI) in addition to the abstraction from the storm rainfall and the flood volume. The results show the amount of water that could be harvested in the study area and they reflect the high potential for rainwater harvesting application in Um Uthaina and other neighborhoods and districts in Amman city.