In rapidly growing Saudi cities like Mecca and Jeddah, population diversity and expansion have increased the need to improve residents’ quality of life. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, both cities have launched major redevelopment initiatives that replace old neighbourhoods and relocate residents to newly developed housing. This study evaluates residents’ perceptions of indoor environmental quality across different housing environments, reflecting changes in residential context, building typology, and interior conditions. The study adopted a quantitative approach to gather data from 80 participants who were impacted by demolition projects and moved to newer urban neighbourhoods; the analysis used descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA to analyse the obtained results. The results revealed that for most of the environmental factors, the ANOVA test showed no significant differences between premodern and modern houses, yet the descriptive statistics showed that modern houses were perceived slightly more positively than older houses. Furthermore, the results showed that, in both premodern and modern houses, thermal comfort was identified as one of the most important parameters, followed by indoor air quality and lighting, while acoustics ranked as the least important.

Since the end of the 20th century, colleges have competed globally, using contemporary campus buildings such as dormitories, student unions, and fitness centers to attract and retain students. However, large portions of college campuses were developed before the ongoing diversification of student demographics and the emergence of student-centered pedagogical theories and teaching practices, which altered needs for campus spaces. This article explores the lived experiences and perceptions of diverse members of a college community regarding six historic sites on a public university campus in the Midwestern United States. A team of interdisciplinary researchers relied on participant-generated photographs, collected during group site visits, and photo-based transformative focus group discussions with 30 participants representing four generations and a wide range of campus roles. Participants discussed campus features that enhanced or hindered their experiences. The researchers’ analysis of 67 participant-created photographs and narrative captions was guided by Affordance Theory. Findings revealed accessibility barriers and maintenance issues in outdoor spaces while highlighting the value of green spaces, comfortable seating, and informal learning environments in fostering positive and intergenerational interactions. Recommendations for future campus master plans include prioritizing accessibility across campus areas and embracing age- and gender-inclusivity and family-friendliness as guiding principles for campus development.