Housing and Rural Environment
Year:2012 | Volume:31 | Issue:138|Papers Count:9

Space syntax is an approach for reading the socio-spatial configuration in architecture and urban areas in order to understand the social logic of space. This paper aims to classify the formal configuration based on the organization of mass and space in vernacular housing of the Kerman province located in the southern-east part of Iran. The paper also provides the syntactical analysis of space regarding the socio-spatial configuration and explores the spatial configuration and the territory of reception area in traditional houses of the Kerman province. The paper assumes that the spatial territory of the guests is related to the classified types of formal configurations. However, the main questions of the research are: 1. Is it possible to extract the territorial organization from the classified types of formal configuration in vernacular housing? 2. How is the territory of reception area connected to the other spaces in the traditional houses of Kerman, regarding the spatial configuration? 3. How is it possible to explain the spatial configuration in vernacular housing of the Kerman province considering the depth, connectivity and integration of space syntax? The paper is a case study research with a combinational method that has the descriptive, analytical and logical reasoning research methods. In this way, the inquiry uses direct observation, field study, documents review and syntactical simulation using the UCL Depth Map software of space syntax. It is noteworthy to mention that the space syntax analysis refers to the three main concepts called Convex, Axial and Isovist space. However, in this study, the syntactical analysis of the traditional houses of Kerman province has been done by using the Convex and Visibility Graph Analysis) VGA (methods of space syntax. The results of the research demonstrate that variety in the classified types of formal configuration based on the organization of mass and space does not necessarily leads to the variety in the location and socio-spatial territory of reception area in all types of formal classifications; However, in the introverted classification with two or more courtyards and also in the classification that has mass in the all four sides of the one courtyard, there is a difference in socio-spatial configuration and Location of the reception area in comparison with all other types of classifications based on the organization of mass and space in vernacular houses of the Kerman province. Moreover, the syntactical analysis of the courtyards shows that the courtyards in the introverted classification with mass in the all four sides of the one courtyard has the highest rate of connectivity in comparison with all other types of formal configuration. Furthermore, the rooms which are located in the private zone of the house have the highest rate of depth criteria and also the least rate of integrity in comparison with all other types of formal configuration.

The word landscape encompasses a wide range of meanings varying from ideas and mental conceptions to land and physical environment surrounding human world. It is commonly attributed to place, environment, garden and scenery. Landscape as a concept is not equivalent to environment and it covers a broader realm than garden does. Landscape is a complex concept that embodies multiplicity of different intertwined meanings. It is surrounded with ambiguities and misconceptions, Therefore the concept of landscape needs clarification. The spatial quality of Romantic gardens was the source of inspiration for development of the concept of space in architectural discourse. Landscape is a spatial concept and inherent spatiality of landscape architecture as one of the environmental design disciplines makes it a spatial discipline, yet rarely is the concept of space considered as the focus of study in theory of landscape architecture. Spatiality of landscape is the result of the interaction of culture and nature in specific places and over time. Landscape is conceived, perceived and through living it is experienced. Landscape space is bound into places with their geographical and topographical attributes. Temporality is a fundamental characteristic of landscape that distinguishes it from buildings and architectural works, but seeing landscape as a timeless picture or scenery has pervaded discipline of landscape architecture since eighteenth century. Landscape is the outcome of interactions and interrelationships between natural processes, living beings and environment. Landscape is experienced in motion, change and growth. Space in landscape is experienced through time. Landscape is the product of culture and it can be used as a medium for cultural expression and cultural change. Landscapes are representations of the quality of the relationship between man and his environment and dwelling therein. The idea of landscape has been under influence of binary thinking and various binary sets such as self/other, culture/nature, ecological/artistic, picture/process and art/science have affected the way we relate to landscapes. These binaries have dominated theory and practice in various disciplines related to landscape. This study highlights the mediating role of landscape and landscape design as a cultural, natural and spatial medium bridging between two opposing poles of binary sets of concepts and meanings. Today the environmental crisis in the world and emergence of sustainability as an environmental paradigm in academic and professional debates necessitates rethinking the relationship between culture and nature in landscapes: a reconciliation between aesthetic values and ecological values. Emergence of ecological aesthetics and ecological design is the outcome of a new vision toward relationship of man with nature.

During the last few decades cultural issues have been more in architectural researches. It caused to concentrate some branches of these studies to the above issue. According to the extent of cultural issues and the diversity of its influence on architecture, different researchers by having attention to their opinion about the culture and architecture and their sense of what is needed, try to relate these areas in different methods. This has caused some researchers to have intention to enter in this field, are bewildered that how to use the previous studies. So it’s important that how these issues are examined in the researches. The diversity of concepts in culture and the variety of their entry in architecture, cause researchers to choose different methods in their study and knowledge which can be used in future research. This paper by recognizing some researchers’ view about cultural and architectural issues and their techniques to relate them together with the objective of finding common policies in desired researchers. In this respect, by selecting several researche's performance in this context, their studies in architecture and their view about culture are pointed out and then in order to perform the desired research, their chosen methods were analyzed. The result of this paper could show that every research by having consider a particular dimension of architecture and defining a bounded meaning of culture, will try to obtain the desirable result. In other words in studies on the relationship between architecture and culture, the first important step is attempting to determine the discussed area in every subject. In this article by paying attention to the type of viewpoints on culture and consider the dimension of architecture, a framework can be obtain to define the used techniques to analyze obtained information in architecture and culture.

Using proper methods in designing buildings being compatible with the climatic conditions of a region has always been important for architects. It has been common in Iran for a long time to consider natural and inexhaustible energies such as the sun, wind and to improve the thermal conditions in inhabited areas. Using these energies in buildings leads to saving energy, and significantly improves the comfort level and sanitary conditions in inhabited areas. To control the inside space of a building, the first step in using natural energies is to adapt the building and the environment in general to the climatic conditions of that place. By examining rural buildings in the contemporary period, many cases were found in which their plan or the established buildings undergone different kinds of inappropriateness in their organs, functional elements and the quality of building process. The problems reveal their self-more in operation which are the lack of attention to ultimate goals and saving rurals of energy consumption and lack of adoption with natural condition which greatly affect the welfare level and satisfaction rate in thermal conditions of houses for their residents. So far the compatibility of buildings' faceless in different geographical directions with climatic conditions has not been studied in respect of measuring that how it affects energy consumption levels and expenditure; Therefore, researchers examined energy consumption level, expenditure, and the level of satisfaction with temperature inside the building and their relation with the geographical directions of buildings’ facades. To conduct this study, three methods have been used; documentary resources, fieldworks by using questionnaire. SPSS has been used to analyze the data. The findings show a significant difference between the buildings’ facades and the level of energy consumption. Buildings with northern façade had the most levels of the following objective factors: energy consumption, hours the heating and cooling systems being on and the whole consumption expenditure of families. On the contrary, buildings with southern facades had the least levels of the above mentioned factors. In addition, the levels of satisfaction with the heating and cooling systems inside the buildings during hot and cold seasons as subjective factors were studied. Families whose buildings had southern facades had the most level of satisfaction. But families whose buildings had northern facades had the least level of satisfaction. Results showed that for saving in fossilized fuels in cold and hot season, buildings which had southern facades provided the best atmosphere in the building. On the contray, buildings which had northern facades provided the worst condition. Therefore, lack of attention to natural conditons of the area results in an increase in expenditures and the lake of thermal welfare for the residents. Finally the paper recomend that there are two ways by which unnessary consumption of energies can be avoided: appropriate facading of houses (according to the angle of sun radiation and the direction of wind) using local experiences of every region in the building of rural houses.

Despite that most of structures are made with modern materials and methods, adobe structures are used in some rural and urban regions. According to the official published statistics, the number of people died as result of earthquake (such as Bam earthquake) in the region with adobe structures can prove the claim. Therefore, behavior and retrofitting of adobe structures is highly essential to be studied. Conserving the Traditional texture of old villages and converting them to the modern construction with retrofitting adobe structures is a cultural work and needs new technologies of structural systems. Since a large percentage of the area in Iran is warm, dry with desert are subject to remove adobe buildings, contrary to what the structural engineers agree with it, this does not look just right. Today, appropriate solutions have been developed to strengthen the adobe buildings. From the perspective of civil engineers, adobe is a poor construction material but from the perspective of traditional and historical, adobe is a monument and identity of culture of ancient people. Due to the shortage of energy resources in the world, it seems adobe as a building material can be suitable for many areas. Adobe can be easily and cheaply produced. One of the main disadvantages of adobe is its breaking after compressive and bending forces during an earthquake which does not give sufficient time for residents to save their life. While using materials such as palm fibers in adobe can be taken effective steps in this regard. Lime can also increase the time of softening in water. Lime makes up the drying and shrinkage also decreases cracks. In this research more than 350 cubic adobe specimens with different percent of lime and palm fibres for reinforcment have been made. These specimens made with Zahedan soil. These adobe specimens were kept in environmental conditions that contain 35% of humidity. Then they subjected to bending and compressive loading. Water penetration, time of water absorption, optimum percent of humidity and dry volume weight of specimen have been investigated. After experiment and observation of results of mechanical properties of specimens, resistance curves were drawn, and the best stabilized specimen with natural materials has been selected (in terms of silt, clay, palm fibres and lime percents). The result has shown 1 percent palm fibres, 15 percent lime in 35% of humidity provide the best condition for stabilized adobe.

Industrial development, population growth and increase in commutation between cities and villages as well as the mass media and Study of contemporary period of rural constructions have brought about numerous instances of unorganized plans or rural constructed buildings, selection of building system, organs, functional elements, quality of construction and performance. These Unorganized and irregularity will be manifested when residents are using the buildings and show their dissatisfaction which could be a factor to create inappropriate social, cultural and economic conditions in future. In this case architecture as a container involving all aspects of man's life will result discontent with an inappropriate realization. Part of this chaos whose effects will be more evident at the time of operation which is caused by ignoring or paying less attention to the goals of frugality in energy consumption and design in harmony with environment and climate which has a surprising effect on the welfare and hygiene of the residents and will also influence the customs, traditions and life style of the villagers beside their economic outcomes. This impact will eventually damage sustainability and finally the village itself. Sustainable rural development with economic-social and environmental approaches will be possible by collecting all aspects of the village. In order to establish sustainability in the village, the outlook should be from part to whole of component. Considering the subject of this study, housing as a part can operate as a whole and if this accurately to be planned and performed, can be a realization of sustainability and an appropriate step toward sustainable development.Being compiled by studies in available documents, this paper tries to elaborate the factors affecting changes in rural construction and its proper function in village development and take steps in continuing rural housing architecture and as a basic element, for sustainability in villages by offering appropriate strategies.

The present rural waste disposal approaches create a number of environmental problems such as air and water pollution, natural ecosystem disorders, communicable diseases transmission and sometimes agriculture land destruction. Therefore, all existing approaches should be replaced by new approaches, namely, wastes should be disposed in an appropriate site. The main part of this study was surveying to specify an appropriate site for accumulation and landfilling of waste at Filabad village, Farsan Township, Chaharmahal-e-Bakhtiary province. An appropriate site can be identified by several criteria that those should be integrated based on scientific method. At this study, both Boolean and Permutation techniques, integrally were used to select appropriate and optimum solid Waste disposal site. Boolean technique, in GIS environment was used to identify allowable/alternative sites by integration of data layers such as Elevation, Slope, Fault, and Geology, Water resource (e.g. River and spring), Land use, Road, City and Village boundary and Soil class. Then, Permutation technique, one of the multi criteria decision techniques was used to select optimum /final site among allowable/alternative sites. Results show that selected site with final map which is a place that other settlement (Urban and rural) can transfer their wastes to the site as well as recycling equipments could be set in the identified place in the future and it is economically viable in long term and environmentally riskless.

In the history of human life natural disasters are unexpected and earthquake is the most destructive one. Iran is located on an earthquake belt and it really has a large number of faults, thus, active faults and earthquakes are inevitable in Iran. In this respect, one of the most basic of human action in reducing the loss caused by earthquake is "crisis management".The methodology of this study is a "descriptive-analytic", in which collected data is based on the field studies. Therefore, collecting data through field work with 35 qualitative and quantitative indicators of all parts of residential villages-urban Aslanduz, and to apply Swot strategic, the best strategies for crisis management of residential in Aslanduz was provided Also operational priorities of suggested solutions are obtained by sing Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Finally to identify priorities and operational guidelines, the average rank of the model is used.The results show that in order to improve the current situation for rural residential-urban Aslanduz in reducing damage caused by earthquake, renovation of older texture, supervision of involved institution in the building construction, in particular the Housing Foundation to increase the economic potential of residents in older texture, mandating the use of lightweight materials, promoting the light-weighting culture, and raising awareness of residents in the use of durable materials are the most important strategies which are priorities for better performance.

Pa–Qal'ee village is located about 35 km north of Dezful in Khuzestan province. According to the national census in 1384 (2006) Pa-Qalee’s has 210 populations and is located in the upper-side of a valley on the top of a mountainside area. In the past, there was a historically formed cave on top of this mountain in which people were living at Pahlavi's era and now it's population live in this village. Robert Chambers has counted some factors hindering perception of real image of a village by an urban researcher. He then points out that researchers only go to the villages which are easier to access through roads and finally have few contacts with other remote villages.Pa-Qal'ee with its unique historical significance, also neighborhood with historical cave and a newly–formed village and finally neighboring with beautiful views of Dezz Lake with potential features for attracting tourists is of high importance.In old days, the people of this village were living up the mountain in the cave with defensive shape and a big gate for entrance based on cave architecture. In spite of moving into the new village, however its shape is formed by local materials and its orientation affected by geographical conventions and spatial designing is based on their existing culture.This study which has been carried out through analytical-descriptive method by conducting a field research in mentioned village, interviewing with villagers in particular elder people, and library studies, finally resulted in the following findings which are effective in the formation of rural texture: 1. Effect of artificial and natural habitat 2. Prevalent social culture in the village 3. Effective Geographical elements in texture formation 4. Role of prevalent habitation tradition in the regionHowever without considering the above factors, the texture design of the village would be impossible.