Phenomenology of Tehran's Qajar Houses focusing on Van Menen's methodology

Document Type : Scientific Promotional

Author

• kiyanoosh hasani

Assistant Professor of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Yadegar-e-Imam University, Shahr-e-Rey, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Highlights

• INTRODUCTION

place means the space which the experience is encountered, is one of the aspects of human-environment interaction that this interaction is important from two angles, one is the emphasis on the position of users in the formation of architecture, and the other is the superficial emotional expression of this interaction that can be understood and transmitted by the mentioned exposure or experience (Relph , 1976: 68). Schultz also believes that man's understanding of the environment he encounters or experiences is influenced by his resentment of the spiritual position and natural pulls of the environment. Schultz considers this connection as an innate relationship with nature, in which the architect presents an abstract expression of the environment in the construction of the place, which must also explore the intangible phenomena of the place in understanding that spiritual position (Norberg-Schulz, 1980: 168).

  On the other hand, in places where the psychological functions of the environment have not functioned properly and the formation of a random environment has occurred, there is a sense of alienation and loneliness that is innate in contrast to that positive relationship. . This study aimed to analyze the perceptual level of Qajar houses in Tehran with human experiences from cognitive dimensions and achieve the unseen values of Qajar houses. Because today, the lack of some of the mental needs and comfort of people in architecture has caused the loss of interaction between the residents and their place of settlement. . Considering that spaces were found in iran's past architecture that had a positive semantic effect for people, in this research, by recognizing these spaces and discovering their meaning, focusing on Van Manen method, the spiritual and emotional needs of contemporary human beings are answered

2. Methodology

This research is based on phenomenological method based on qualitative method and data analysis method is Van Manen method. Documentary and library study is also the basis for analyzing and describing the case examples of this research. A qualitative study interprets the conditions and emphasizes on the role of the researcher as a vital element as a result of the research (Groot & Wang, 2010:88). Phenomenological research method generally seeks to understand people's experience by being in the environment. The aim of this study was to describe what people have tested and experienced about the phenomenon and describe it in the way that it is encountered and experienced or touched. This experience reveals the environmental situation as well as the events, movements and perceived meanings as it occurs in daily human life. This method places phenomenology in one of the research approaches in the field of behavior environment (Seamon, 2000:25). The qualitative researcher tries to ask those who have touched and experienced the phenomenon to express it, meaning to describe their presence or presence. In this paper, which is done by focusing on Van Manen method, two main questions are conducted in the form of interviews conducted on the ground: One is based on what people feel at the same moment as being in a place, and the other is based on how this experience and the person interacts with the components of the environment. Asked. The selected locations in this study are eight houses of Qajar architecture in Tehran. Houses include Imam Jomeh House, Hedayat House, Reza Khan House, Anis al-Dawlah House, Seven Ton Alley House, Rahavi House. In this method, after identifying the themes, through follow-up interviews with participants, they are considered and interpreted and thus the main themes are discovered.

• : Selected item samples with position, view and plan Table1
• Source: Author

8. Discussion

In order to understand the concept of people living in their hometowns, being in the region and understanding life, paying attention to the phenomenological approach is essential, so the physical and semantic recognition of Qajar architecture as an important part of the research can also be investigated. From the Qajar period onwards, the construction of residential buildings has been very different from the class status of the people. Ordinary floors lived in simple buildings with clay and mud materials and affluent floors in brick resistant buildings with extensive designs, especially exterior and andrognetic. In this period, the design of exterior and interior parts was very calculated, open and attractive. These buildings were constructed according to all technical and executive standards, especially morality, and observance of confidentiality standards in all spaces with principles and all inherent and innate points and desires not for individuals of a family, but several families who were mostly large families. In these buildings, residential spaces were separated into three-door, five-door rooms, and in some cases seven doors, halls and badgir, gooshvare and tanbi rooms, warm houses, orsi and basements, etc. (Zamarshidi, 68:1390). The design of exterior and androni buildings was carried out in such a way that the connection of the outer courtyard from the path of Shah Koocheh, Provide a market or street and the androni part of another alley has a separate way. In this study, eight Qajar houses in Tehran (table 1) were selected and interviews were conducted from those with experience of living in the mentioned houses. In general, internal and external validity, which is desired for quantitative research, is transformed into reliability and transfer in qualitative research (Partovi, 2008:187). Themes are analyzed and categorized based on the classification of meanings and repetition of common concepts of interviewees. Sentences, phrases or words that convey the meaning of the experienced person of space about the acquired themes are highlighted and identified in order to categorize common concepts and codify the corresponding meanings, and finally obtain a comprehensive description of the theme (Van Manen, 2006:85). The indicator statements were removed from the implemented text of the interviews, which were spoken or conversational, and after reviewing each interview text individually more than three times and comparing those that to clarify this step, a selection of the meanings of the expressions of the subjects in table 2 has been presented. According to Van Man's holistic approach, in writing and explaining the theme, it has been tried to express the commonalities between people's experience in such a way that from the feeling of different environment, to the desire to be friends at home, it describes steps that are calm and gradual, being or present, the experience of living in it (Table 2). Reaching to the themes and deep meanings of people's statements, that kind of van Manen emphasizes the necessity of group analysis of the content of the interview, was conducted in consultation with experts and advisors in this field.

• Table 2: Examples of people's index statements in Iranian home, their codified meanings and main themes
• Source: Author

11. Conclusion

In this study, the understanding of home was investigated by phenomenological method and focusing on Van Manen method. Emphasizing on the themes of Van Manen's method and interviews of 20 residents of these houses, themes were extracted including detachment, environmental bonding, vitality, freedom of imagination and leisure of body and meaning

What people understood in the first place was the difference in appearance compared to today's living environment, from the coolness of the environment and the different fragrances to the varied rooms and plastered walls and various floorings. The theme of "detachment" formed the theme of "detachment" from the concerns of life and uniqueness in interviews.

Stress relief and stress relief were other issues that participants pointed out, and the emphasis on silence was also a prelude to the phenomenon of "calmness.". Most of the participants showed their "joy and vitality" from home by moving in large rooms with visual aspects. Close relationship with environment and nature indicates an interactive understanding and close relationship with the home that creates the theme of "linking with the environment". The preference of these houses to other places includes messages of natural elements, being in the heart of the earth, being simple, etc. The results of this study are the efficiency of the house in meeting the mental and emotional needs of people at home.

Considering the distance of today's life from such places, such researches increase the necessity of paying more attention and human need for such spaces. The results of interviews led to the discovery of the meaning of these architectural places in a bed of positive psychological factors and in close balance with individuals. The concepts obtained are consistent with the home's understanding of Bashlar and Nuremberg Schultz's point of view. It should be noted that the test of this method in similar places and in other cities of Iran that have different climates can be used in the continuation of the research.

KEYWORDS: : Phenomenology, Max Van Manen, Qajar Houses

List of resources                                             

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Keywords

• Phenomenology
• Max Van Menen
• Qajar Houses
• Qajar Architecture
• Meaning of House

Main Subjects

• Architecture