The Architecture of traditional Kuwaiti houses in the past were influenced primarily by the Cultural, Social and Environment needs of the time. This resulted in certain key design features as described below.

The courtyard was an important element that played social and environmental role.Socailly,the courtyard functioned as a place where people gathered to socialize in an open space with a private living setting.Enviromentally the courtyard provided a significant level of protection against wind,dust,sand
glare and heat characteristic of Kuwait's climate.The surrounding loggia, prevented direct sunlight from entering interior spaces and assisted in control and reduction of heat gain in the building,acting as a natural temperature control mechanism..The roof provided a cool and breezy space for people to sleep in hot summer months in addition to being a suitable place for bathing,washing cloths,drying fruits,etc.The roof structure incorporated wooden water- spouts with decorative wooden lips to regulate water flow .

Another very important element in the design was the diwan,which acted as a public gathering place and entertimrnt for men. It was often located near the main entrance of the house,close to the street. Buildings  were constructed mainly  with indigenous materials.Sundried mud pellets or seashore rocks were
mortared with mud plaster. Walls were designed to be quite thick, providing insulation to face the harsh hot climate.The roof was supported on round wooden poles ,known as chandles (mangrove).Reed mats, holding
mud mixed with straw were placed on top of the wooden poles to form the ceiling of the room and the  roof floor.

Many decorative features were present in Kuwaiti houses,the most prominent being the front doors. They were constructed of teak,mostly imported from
Africa.Horizontal crossbars held together the vertical planks, and dome-shaped nails were used as fasteners.Each door was embellished with carved floral
patterns,usually on the cover-piece on the cover-piece between the two doors.The door frames were often left plain with occasional simple moulding.A bejurer or a smaller inset door was frequently constructed within the large pair of doors,using similar crossbars and vertical planks. Also carved column capitals were presented in courtyards to emphasize and celebrate the
enclosing of a colonade.Traditonal Architecture houses in Kuwait had been manifested in its rational approach crating an optimum living environment for life.The concepts and methods were functional,simple creating the personality of traditional Kuwaiti dwelling.