The principles of Iranian architecture in rural housing (Case study: Kolamo village of Shahroud)

Document Type : Scientific Research

Authors

• SAJEDE KHARABATI ¹
• Sarina Sereshki ²
• Mostafa Saheri ²

¹ Instructor of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architectural Engineering and Urbanism, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

² Bachelor of Architecture, University of Science and Culture

Abstract

Highlights

• 1. INTRODUCTION

Thinking about housing and home corresponds to the concept of “living” in a specific place. Likewise, living has a concept beyond meeting the need and indicates the establishment of a meaningful connection between human beings, elements of location, space, and environment (Sartipipour, 2013, 6). In Iranian architecture, the concept of residence and house is derived from respect for man and space (Aminian, 2013: 3). In effect, Iranian architecture is based on certain principles rooted in the culture and values ​​of this country (Peyvastehgar et al., 2017: 2). These principles also existed in rural housing, but with the advent of technology, alterations in social and economic structure, changes have been made in the rural housing architecture pattern (Salim and Malekinia, 2017: 2), and in today's architecture, less attention has been paid to the Iranian architecture principles. Nowadays, most rural houses face disturbance and biological instability (Zargar et al., 2015: 1). In the meantime, the architecture of the old rural housing has valuable features that can be identified, analyzed, and used in new constructions. In this way, as well as the continuity of communication between generations, the physical-spatial identity of the village will also be revitalized (Zargar et al., 2015: 1).

Consequently, this study aims to investigate the principles of Iranian architecture in rural housing. For this purpose, after studying the research done in this field, first, the principles of Iranian architecture have been recognized, and then Kolamu village of Shahroud was investigated as the case study. Finally, the model extraction based on the principles of Iranian architecture and its components is offered for contemporary housing in the village Kolamu.

2. Methodology

This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. Due to this fact, in the first stage, information related to the research background in the field of principles of Iranian architecture has been extracted from library and documentary sources. Then, after analyzing the content, the theoretical framework was determined. Via field study and through the analytical method, the principles of Iranian architecture in the housing of Kolamu village have been studied in Shahroud. To identify the research context, four models of the rural housing index were extracted by field research, and then the principles of Iranian architecture and its components in these index models were analyzed. Finally, the model extraction is presented regarding these principles for contemporary rural housing.

3. Findings and Discussion

The results revealed that the body of housing index models in Kolamu village on a micro and macro scale is appropriate to human dimensions, and the use of multiple yards to separate activities is another solution for functional zoning of spaces in Kolamu village. Using environmentally friendly materials in the distinct housing models of this village and adapting to the village climate has created a good unity and coordination in terms of the texture of the village. Similarly, the results of the analyzes indicated that in most prominent housing models, the entrance is connected to the courtyard through the corridor and the direction of the entrance is such that it does not have a direct view of private spaces and has prevented the over-looking. In most of the models of the housing index of this village, pre-entrance is defined for entering private rooms, and it is not possible to enter the rooms directly to provide the privacy required for private rooms. Besides, the spaces in the housing index patterns of Kolamu village have been formed inwardly and around the yard, and this type of spatial organization has created privacy and centrality.

4. Conclusion

The Iranian architecture principles are embedded in the fabric of culture and civilization of this land and have been used to construct buildings for a long time. From the perspective of researchers, the principles of Iranian architecture and its components include five principles of human scale (observance of human scale, avoidance of high building height, avoidance of individuality, meeting the needs of residents), self-sufficiency (finding a suitable place, providing thermal and refrigeration comfort), structural rigidity, and proportion (balance and symmetry), avoiding non-essentials (moderation in decorations, use of functional decorations, moderation in the size of the building and creating multifunctional spaces) and inward-looking (creating privacy, creating centrality, forbidding over-looking, creating privacy, creating spatial hierarchy). In the past, rural housing has also benefited from these principles. However, extensive social and economic changes have created changes in the pattern of rural housing architecture, and in today's rural architecture, less attention has been paid to the principles of Iranian architecture. In the meantime, the architecture of the old rural housing has valuable criteria and indicators that can be identified, analyzed, and used to design a new housing model. So, in this research, the principles of Iranian architecture in rural housing (a case study of Kolamu village in Shahroud) have been studied.

The results reveal that the prominent housing models of Kolamu village are consistent with the principles of Iranian architecture, and all models, a manifestation of these principles and their components, can be seen. In the principle of human scale, the component of avoiding identification and meeting the needs of residents and in principle avoiding futility, the component of moderation in decorations and moderation in the size of the building and in the principle of introversion, the component of forbidding over-looking and creating privacy have been paid special attention. Then, pattern extraction based on the principles of Iranian architecture and its components was presented. The results of this study can be used as practical suggestions in the modern housing of Kolamu village. Since the pattern is derived from the life, culture, and needs of Kolamu village residents and adapt to climatic conditions, biological and rural lifestyle, it can also be effective in promoting a sense of belonging and reviving the rural lifestyle.

Keywords

• Principles of architecture
• Iranian architecture
• rural housing
• Kolamo village of Shahroud

Main Subjects

• Architecture