(M7) Result from recent studies have shown that there are mixed evidence of the influence of

urban form on travel mode choice. Some studies such as McMillan, T.E. (2007) have also
expanded the scope to find the relationship between urban form and the mode choice of children
going to schools and also study by Ming Z. (2005) on the relationship between urban form and
non work travel. However, there have been limited studies that had been conducted to investigate
the relationship between urban form and travel mode choice for people going to the mosque. The
study presented in this article attempted to fill the gap by determining the influence of built
environment towards travel behavior of the people to the mosque and their travel mode choice to
the mosque from their houses. Findings from this study can help policy makers in determining
appropriate measures in selecting optimal location for mosque in a neighborhood area.
Frank LD & Pivo G (1994) had investigated the idea of whether there is relationship between
urban form and modal choice. Based on his study it was indicated that the relationship between
urban form and modal choice is relatively weak if it were measured at a census tract scale.
Therefore Frank LD & Pivo G (1994) suggested that a smaller scale geographic analysis may be
able to detect the relationship with mode choice. This had lead to other studies to find a suitable
approach to study on the relationship between urban form and modal choice
Several studies had been carried out in recent years by researchers to determine mode choice of
people in different type of built environment. Some of the studies had identified that certain type
of built environment may influence people to walk more within a neighbourhood. Frank LD &
Pivo G (1994) in his study showed that increased level of land use mix are associated with a
reduction in trip length and travel time for work and shopping trips. A detailed synthesis on
recent empirical research by Frank, L.D. (2000) showed that positive relationships were found
between density, land use mix and connectivity and non-motorized travel and transit usage.

Methodology
The aim of study is to investigate the travel mode choice of respondents in the study area and
examine the influence of the urban form on the trip to mosque. The study was conducted at a
micro scale level as suggested by Frank, L.D. (2000). The study used structured questionnaire to
investigate the transport choice of residents to the mosque. Several important variables that had
been highlighted in previous studies by McDonald, Noreen C. (2008) and Bagley, M.N. and
Mokhtarian, P.L. (2002) were measured in the structured questionnaire ; the mode choice of
travel among the respondents, distance from house to mosque, socio demographic and reasons
choosing to go the selected mosque.
The data for this study were collected from residents of three neighborhood areas in Shah Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan as shown in Figure 1. As the study is to investigate the influence of urban
form on the travel mode, the neighborhoods were selected to represent several characteristics of
urban form such as residential density, land use type and land use mix as described by Bagley,
M.N. and Mokhtarian, P.L., (2002). The neighborhoods were selected for the following reasons;
Seksyen 8 for its high density residential development and a mixture of land use within the
mosque (Figure 2), Seksyen 3 for its medium density residential houses and land use mix of
commercial and residential within the mosque (Figure 3) and Kampung Padang Jawa for its low
density residential houses and a single land use of residential within the mosque (Figure 4).
The survey sample consists of a total 300 residents who lived in the neighborhood area. The
survey samples were chosen randomly at the mosque in the three neighborhood area with 100
respondents from each site. The questionnaires were distributed to the respondents after the
Maghrib prayers at the mosque for the respondents to answer. The questionnaires were divided
into two sections. The first section focuses on the social demographic background of the
respondents and the physical built environment; age, income, occupation, years living in the
neighborhood, home ownership, number of vehicles owned in the house and distance from house
to the mosque. Section two was designed to identify the personal preference of the respondents
in choosing the mode of transportation to the mosque, reasons choosing the mode of
transportation and the probability of them walking to the mosque.

(M10) Based on the prayer hall functions inside the mosque, acoustics should be the greatest
determinant of the architec- tural design strategy (Hammad, 1990).

(ME) Faade dsign is important because the masjid ia multi-use indoor space where lots of
activities happened. Commonly, praying hall is most occupied for praying purpose and other
activities. Therefore, the space needs to ventilate well to give comfort for users during prayers
and other activities. Thus, the idea of the thesis is to investigate the function of faade of masjid
in giving comfort for users through enough daylight and ventilated spaces. This is important in
order to minimize the electricity usage to cool the masjid during the prayers.
The ventilated environment in the mosque is expressed in terms of faade design.

(M10) Most contemporary mosque designers do not pay attention to such requirements during
the conceptual design stage. Based on the prayer function, wherein the worshippers are ordered
in subsequent rows, most of the mosques are generally rectangular with high length-to-width
ratios and relatively elevated ceilings.
In this work, the acoustic environment of contemporary mosques was evaluated

(M14) In Saudi Arabia, 21 extensive field measurements of mosques were carried out in order to
characterize their acoustical quality and to identify the impact of active environment control
systems (Abdou, 2003)
However, limited numbers of studies have been conducted in Malaysia.

Methodology for physical field measurements

First stage of this investigation was selection of sample of representative of the traditional
vernacular mosques in Malaysia. Five mosques were selected to assess their mihrab design and
operation status. The selection based on the following: general information of mosque, plan
layout and mihrab characteristic. The mosque shape, size, spatial arrangement and other factors
contributed to the final selection in addition to mosque accessibility. Out of total 37 mosques,
five (i.e. an approximately 14%) were selected for acoustical measurement.

Sample mosques
The mosque volume is important parameter influencing the acoustical characteristics. Table 1
presents data summarizing the main physical characteristics of the five chosen mosques. It
includes information such as mosques length, width, height, volume and expected capacity
when full occupied

(ME) Kuala Lumpur urban area is very very diverse social and cultural environment.People from
different ethnicities try to integrate into Kuala Lumpur society. One of the most important
expressions of ethnicity is the religious places of worship. The thesis studies the case of mosques
architecture in Kuala Lumpur

(M17) The congregation mosque, or masjid al-jami in Arabic, is an important institution for the
Muslim community. It is not only a place of worship, but also a communal place. This double
purpose space found its genesis in the Prophets house constructed in Madinah. The construction
with its courtyard became the prototype of the mosque in which submission and remembrance of
God were realised and a new knowledge was transmitted to an emergent society. The mosque
continues to hold the same double purpose in many parts of the world.
Rituals and social activities
The mosque spatial patterns are based on the ritual's temporal and spatial activities. The five-
time prayers are spread throughout the day from sunrise to sundown and into the evening.
Despite their number of occurrences, the prayer does not take long to perform. Unlike other
prayers, Fridays noon prayer is preceded by a sermon. During the rituals performance, the space
is characterised by a strong diachronic property structured in time by the ritual's rules. When the
ritual ends the temporal and spatial properties become synchronic. The entire mosque space
transforms into a generator of social activities through random encounter (Aazam, 2005).
Examples of such activities may include a communal reading of the Quran, social meetings,
learning and listening to lectures and other rituals and traditional events such as initial marriage
ceremony and breaking the fast in Ramadan.
(M21)The literature review consists of two parts. The first part is a theoretical study of the
relationship between spatial configuration and functional efficiency of mosque layouts. This part
highlights the key syntactical characteristics and effect of spatial configuration on the level of
functional efficiency using space syntax theory. The second part is an analytical comparative
description of the changes and transformations in the configurations of mosque layouts. The
architectural styles are classified into six types based on layout designs. The main benchmarks
and indicators involved in measuring the functional efficiency of mosque layouts are analyzed
using the A-graph 2009 software program, which provides numerical results.

(M22) The significant of the study:

The importance of the study stems from the fact that presenting and propagating traditional
design experiences that demonstrate successful and innovative utilizations of sustainable
architectures principles that serve and improve mosques architecture, physically and
functionally without jeopardizing heritage identity, would encourage and advocate the concept of
sustainability in local and traditional architecture.

(M25) This study selected two mosques located in the city of Mostars for the case study. The
reason for this selection is that there are two mosques, one with dome and the other one with
pyramid roof form located in this city less than 500 metres, a distance to each other (Figure 1).
With this distance away, the study can relatively generate as minimum possible the error in the
results of the simulation and comparative study between these two mosques during the analysis.
The selected mosques in this case study are Karadjozbeg and Neziraga mosque.

By applying pedentive roof form, it gives inspiration to the master builders to design a mosque
with excellent natural lighting performance transmitted into the mosque at various angles to
provide evenly distributed illuminance level at all locations. The design creates vast interior
space plan layout without obstruction by walls and columns providing excellent sunlight
penetration into the building (Goodwin, 1993) [4]. This offers the master builders besides to
explore lighting design as a source of expression leading toward a sense for a place of worship
with a presence of divinity inside the building. Location near the mihrab is the most important
because it is the place where congregational prayers five times a day, sermon and lectures
(kuliah) take place, therefore; having satisfactory illuminance levels at this area during winter
time is necessary.

(M26) When a person enters a mosque he or she would have left the hustle and bustle of the
material world and retreated into a calm shelter or sanctuary. Mosques are houses of worship.
Men are expected to pray all five daily obligatory prayers in a mosque, in congregation.
Although women are welcome to pray in the mosque it is more praiseworthy for them to pray in
their homes. Nonetheless, Moslems are permitted to pray anywhere, excluding filthy or impure
places such as toilets or in graveyards.

(M32) The physical characteristics of a setting may also determine whether people could develop
an attachment to the places. In this regard, Steadman (2003) asserted that the physical
environment and its characteristics could contribute to the construction of sense of place.
Steadman ascertained that the physical characteristics might strengthen both place attachment
and satisfaction. From a similar perspective, Steele (1981) argued that physical features of place
with creating meanings, conceptions, and safeguard of their function, could contribute to the
peoples place attachment. Therefore, identifying main physical feature of a place is crucial prior
to studying place attachment.

The mosque is an important physical symbol of Islam and the centre of Muslim activity. For
Muslims, the mosque is a central place for learning about Islam and it acts as a school and hence
helping bind the community together. As a spiritual place, it helps to refine the souls and
awakens their minds and hearts.

In-depth and semi-structured interview

Interview is a common instrument for data collection. It is particular kind of a conversation with
a specific aim (Creswell, 1998). In-depth interview is one type of interview that examines the
subject deeper than common interview by asking more and deeper questions (Miles &
Huberman, 1994). This technique is appropriate for investigating layers of issues expressed by
the respondents, help informing the survey findings, opening up for new perspectives or
contradictions and adding scope and breadth to a study (Creswell, 2003). In this research, in
depth interview is conducted with people to understand 1) their subjective and spontaneous
feeling and impressions about the places, 2) the meanings and significance of the place for them,
3) their motivation of being in the place, and 4) any other potential emerging related issues of
concern during the interview.

Structure of the conducted in-depth interview

A semi-structured interview with somehow predetermined questions has been adopted. This
method helps interviewer to ask more questions based on interviewees answers for gathering
additional and deeper data. This method can bring the researcher to get clear explanation of
specific response that can degree of attachment towards particular place attributes and
characteristics. Consequently, the questions are open-ended and the interview is adopted via
face-to-face interaction. The interviews have been conducted inside the mosques; the utilised
style, interested listening (Smaldone, et al., 2005), made the interviewer acknowledge and
motivate the interviewees for responding, however, remain neutral regarding to correctness or
flaws of their responses. In the meantime, each interview was tape-recorded with the permission
of participants. The data collected through this part were utilised to identify appropriate
indicators which influence peoples perception. Basically, the subjects of the conducted semi-
structured interview were as the following: Engagement, Familiarity, Emotional attachment,
Functional attachment, Socio-cultural attachment.
Sampling and sample size for in-depth interview
Creswell (1998) argues that to increase the validity of interviews all respondents should
experience the studied phenomenon. Yin (1994) stated that a small but carefully chosen
interview sample can be used in order to represent the selected user group. In determining the
sample size for the data collection procedure of interview, if the research arrives to saturation
point of data the sample size is good enough (Kumar, 2005). Kumar (2005) defines this
saturation point as the stage in which the researcher does not receive any new data when
changing the interviewees. Based on the nature of the problem, this study used Purposive Sample
Selection Method (Kumar, 2005) for selecting the total of 23 purposive interviewees.