PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956) in Khartoum and their effects on domestic architecture, analysed using space syntax analysis. The built representation of the political change in Khartoum, which had led economic, cultural and social transformation, has not been well investigated. The domestic architecture is envisaged here to reflect the change from a liberal and secular British colonial lifestyle to a post-colonial native conservative and religious one.Design/methodology/approachThe study explored twenty representative samples from the two eras in order to reveal the hidden nature of these patterns by employing space syntax analysis, particularly convex mapping. This analysis attempted to both decipher space transition and to identify patterns. Interviews were conducted to interpret the social meaning of these configurations and to factor in the historical context of the transition.FindingsThe analytical comparisons revealed that these socio-cultural changes had subtle effects on the transformations experienced in the use and spatial organization. The change shows the emerging dominance of privacy: the relationship with exterior had started to diminish, and some interior spaces were redefined. This privacy centred patterns also, in many post-colonial cases, have pushed the core of integration deeper in the access graph.Social implicationsThe study sheds lights on the transition in the Sudanese society, reflected on the spatial arrangement of houses and traditions. It is directed to the Sudanese as well as regional societies who passed the transition before and after colonial eras.Originality/valueThe enclosed j-graph study on houses' plans is original and haven't been investigated using this space syntax approach.