Purpose: Traditional houses in the Historic District of Jeddah exhibit 
architectural characteristics that reflect an important aspect of the 
social practices of the area in various historical contexts. This study 
aimed to clarify the link between the principles and characteristics of 
material cultural heritage (architectural characteristics) and a set of 
social practices, such as celebrations, that took place in the houses of 
the historical region of Jeddah. Furthermore, the study provided 
design guidelines for contemporary homes to support the social 
practices of celebrations in a modern context. These guidelines hope 
to preserve cultural stock and protect the traditional homes in the 
historical region of Jeddah from destruction. 
Design/methodology/approach: The study used the descriptiveanalytical method to characterize and analyse the architectural 
characteristics and social practices of well-known occasions in the 
region. Moreover, tangible and intangible heritage was investigated by 
employing the principles of design to elements of contemporary 
homes.