The Hashim Chalbi house, a historic private residence with notable architectural features located within Erbil Citadel—a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014—was turned into a museum. This study utilizes space syntax analysis (depth maps) to explore the spatial configuration of the Hashim Chalbi house, aiming to evaluate its potential and provide guidance for conservation strategies that maintain its architectural and cultural integrity as a museum. Space syntax offers both a theoretical and analytical tool to map and interpret the spatial formation of heritage buildings. A commonly recognized limitation has been the lack of broader-scale spatial analyses of houses that can shed light on social and cultural interaction. This approach aims to provide a better analysis to inform conservation and restoration.

The adaptive reuse of historic buildings into contemporary office spaces prompts intriguing inquiries regarding its impact on employee satisfaction and workplace culture. This study explores the potential of adaptive reuse to transform historic buildings into functional, sustainable offices, using Erbil Citadel houses as a base for the study. Through this research study, user preferences and perceptions of the integration of historical features into the modern work environment were examined. Quantitative data were extracted from 60 survey respondents and analyzed in terms of medians, modes and the analysis of key themes, such as historical aesthetics, employee creativity, work satisfaction and environmental factors, including natural light and airflow. The findings emphasize the equilibrium between safeguarding the cultural heritage of the historical structure and the requirements of contemporary office environments. The findings underscore the need for sustainable practices and technological integration to enhance workplace functionality and team well-being, particularly in shared spaces. This paper highlights the importance of decision makers’ perspectives on heritage conservation, stressing the necessity for a culturally attuned and sustainable reuse strategy that addresses community requirements. This study offers a methodological framework for reconciling historical narratives with modern office requirements while also addressing broader discussions on adaptive reuse and the potential for enhancing workplace quality.

Notwithstanding its potential advantages, adaptive reuse has grown in popularity as a sustainable development strategy across the globe. There is a shortage of studies on the methodology and results of adaptive reuse projects in the Middle East. Erbil Citadel’s Houses is a special kind of conservation and adaptive reuse Project. The Middle East, particularly in conflict-affected areas, has received very little research on the methodology and results of adaptive reuse projects. The challenge this research attempts to solve is how to preserve historical sites like the Erbil Citadel houses using adaptive reuse as a sustainable development method. This paper tries to answer what are the key aspects of adaptive reuse as a sustainable strategy for historic structures. By analyzing the difficulties and opportunities related to adaptive reuse to address this gap. The findings from this research can help establish best practices for adaptive reuse in comparable situations and guide the formulation for sustainable development in Middle east areas.

The present study aims to explore the relationship between theory and practice by evaluating the feasibility of quantification and evaluation for assessing the spatial performance and circulation logic in historic domestic architecture to inform adaptive reuse strategies. The study examines several courtyard houses in a representative residential area within Erbil Citadel in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, an area of immense cultural, architectural, and historical value. The selection of the sample is based on the chronological, typological, and spatial diversity of residential architecture in Erbil Citadel. The study uses an integrated methodological approach to investigate the spatial configuration of each sample building. To ensure increased analytical rigor and to compare its findings with similar studies in different contexts, the results are further validated using Euclidean distance and Pearson correlation to assess the compatibility of existing characteristics with proposed adaptive reuse strategies across different contexts. The results show that quantitative spatial analysis can be an effective tool in identifying the potential of existing residential architecture in terms of its spatial configuration while preserving its cultural value. The study concludes that its proposed approach can serve as an effective model for adaptive reuse planning in similar contexts.

This study presents a new methodology for sustainable heritage reuse, focusing on the Erbil Citadel houses, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014. It advocates adaptive reuse as an innovative approach to conserving culture while enabling modern functionality. The approach highlights selected houses’ architectural and historical significance, proposing refurbishment strategies that maintain cultural integrity, minimize invasive construction, and extend building lifespans. A sustainable reuse framework safeguards Erbil Citadel’s unique historical identity and stimulates economic activity through adaptive uses like cultural centres, museums, and boutique accommodations. This model is a blueprint for applying similar methodologies to other sites globally. By assessing their architectural and historical value, it develops strategies to preserve these structures for contemporary use while protecting their cultural identity. Such vital sites foster cultural continuity, promote environmental sustainability, and drive urban development.