Journal of Architecture in Hot and Dry Climateis
Year:2018 | Volume:5 | Issue:6 |Papers Count:6

Qaisariye Square is one of the important elements of major skeleton of Safavid Lar and is the only remained square of Safavid era in Fars Province which represents important historical evolutions although it has not been scrutinized. This paper represents the previous and original condition of the square’ s open space in Safavid era and investigates the course of historical evolutions in different periods especially the current situation. Based on a analytical-historical research method and on travelogues, historical texts and pictorical documents of Qaisariye Square as well as conducting field studies and accurate perceptions, the paper represents the original physical condition of square in Safavid era and documents the historical evolutions in later periods especially the current situation. The results demonstrated that Qaisariye Square of Lar, as an urban space, has experienced various evolutions in three physical, access and activity dimensions after Safavid era. These changes primarily include the progress in longitudinal limits of shops in Qajar era. Then, the surrounding portico in open space was removed in Pahlavi era. In Republic Islamic of Iran, the portico reconstructed in three bodies of north, east and west with a different prespective than its original form. Providing riding access to the square in the Pahlavi era was the beginning of fundamental changes in form and function of middle open space of Qaysariye Square. The essence of square as an urban space faces changes and serious problems and the function of square descends to a traffic knot. Analyzing and identifying the evolutions of the square show the substantive and formal changes that cause its poor position as a historical urban space so that the topic should be noticed in the recreation plans of historical context of Lar.

Soil has been one of the oldest and most widely building materials utilized by humans, especially in hot and dry areas. Therefore, recognizing the historical methods of stabilization and strengthening of earthen materials, which have been used in the regions with hot and dry climate of Iran, can cause the reuse of earthen materials in contemporary architecture. In the process of soil preparation for the production of vernacular materials in hot and dry climate, there is an important stage for kneading and throwing of mud, which results in relative density, porosity reduction and consequently, improved properties of earthen material. This method is known as mechanical stabilization in building engineering knowledge and, although its effect on the improvement of mech anical properties of earthen materials is well-known and studied, research on the ability of kneading and throwing of mud, has not been considered. So, the present study aims to determin the position of mechanical stabilization in the structure of vernacular materials of hot and dry climate, and an overview on the types of mechanical stabilization methods and the factors affecting it, as well as the earthen materials produced in this way, is carried out. The present study is carried out in the form of an applied research, based on combinatory methods (descriptive and field studies). For this purpose, after the library studies, as well as field surveys, the process of applying mechanical stabilization on earthen materials were considered. The results of the study on mechanical stabilization in earthen materials, indicate the desired effect of kneading and throwing of mud with sufficient moisture content compared to the current method of mechanical stabilization, ie, low moisture compressed soils. Therefore, it can be concluded that the traditional architects of this climate have implicitly been aware of the correct method of mechanical stabilization and the existence of a positive relationship between this technique and mechanical properties of vernacular material of hot and dry climate. Considering the desired effect of mechanical stabilization on the improvement of mechanical properties of earthen materials, if the correct incorporation of this technique with the method of traditional earthen production materials is carried out, the earthen materials in the present age can be applied in the architecture of hot and dry climate.

Several studies have been carried out on the necessity and quality of hierarchies of successive spaces at the entrance to the historical-religious places of Iran, but there is a dearth of research on the impact of such hierarchies on the perception of the visitors and pilgrims. There is a need for further investigation of hierarchies of entrance to historical-religious cities with holy places where pilgrims enter with high enthusiasm to achieve divine blessing. To this end, the present study attempted to investigate the hierarchy of pilgrimaging (entering) to the holy shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) during the Safavid and Qajar eras on urban and architectural scales. Moreover, the study sought to understand whether the existence of a hierarchy of entrance spaces can affect Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) pilgrims’ perceptions and behaviors. Descriptive and interpretive research methods along with library research were used to depict a proper image of pilgrimaging to the holy city of Qom during the Safavid and Qajar dynasties. The most important sources that could be used to illustrate the history of Qom and of the holy shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) were the written sources of Qom history, pictorial sources (maps, gravures, and photos) and especially travelogues by traders and visitors. Since this study aimed to investigate the mental and perceptual impacts of the entrance spaces to Qom in the past, travelogues were among the most important research resources as they contained their writers’ particular expressions of perceptions and emotions at their first visits to the intended places. The results of investigating the sources resulted in a clear image of the hierarchy of the pilgrims’ entrance to Qom. Such a hierarchy initiated at a distance of about 25 km off Qom where the dome of the holy shrine could be seen, and continued up to the dome space. In this paper, the hierarchy of the entrance to Hazrat Masoumeh’ s (SA) holy shrine will be introduced for the first time presenting details about successive spaces and their impacts on the pilgrims' and visitors’ perceptions and behaviors.

"Kapar" is a specific indigenous type of wooden architecture which is transformable due to its lightness and elements' design. Baluchistan is one of the regions in Iran where kapar has been common. Unfortunately they are being replaced by masonary buildings in the area. In addition to Baluch nomadic's domicile, kapars have been built in sedentary villages, with agricultural economics, as extension to masonary houses. The documentation of kapar architecture in this area can help protecting them and also achieving new design methods. The aim of this research is, reaching a better recognition of kapar architecture of the area. This aim can be approached differently. One of the important approaches is through kapar's Somatic Structure, through which different existential and functional causes of kapar architecture can be found. The research method is descriptive – analytical and comparative. At first necessary information has been gathered from different documentations. Then nomadic life of the area's inhabitants and different cases of kapar architecture has been observed and documented, during the researcher's expedition to different regions in the area. The collected date has been compared to each other afterward. As the result, four formal types of kapars has been identified based on their forms, in four different geographical and cultural areas, Saravan, Sarbaz, NikShahr and Chabahar. The stability system of kapars is based on their crescent shaped form and so is identical in 3 areas of Saravan, Sarbaz and Nikshahr. Their difference is because of their different plans, forms and coverages. The kapars in Chabahar area are different in structure, stability system and form from 3 the other areas.

Cities and settlements in the Iranian Plateau are developed in deep relationship with and dependence on water sources and systems governing them. A clear manifestation of this all-inclusive link between the settlement and the water production and distribution system can be found in Mohammadiyeh, in central Iranian deserts. The system that was developed based on groundwater recovery and its transportation by Qanat still remains today with little change. There are multiple aspects to this system with respect to the community and the life of inhabitants. This water system has remained for centuries and is systematically developed. Considering that the water network of Mohammadiyeh Qanat is one of the few surviving samples in Iran, and due to climate change and the rising water crisis in this dry area of Iranian plateau, and with attention to the historic and influential role of water networks in formation of settlements, the historical study of the water networks in the Iranian Plateau areas gives a significant document for recognizing of various aspects and capacities between the settlement and Qanat. The purpose of this research is analyzing of Qanat role and its effects on the components of the physical structure of Mohammadiyeh fabric and also the study of Qanat’ s effects on the structural differences of water access elements in comparison with public and private buildings. For this purpose, descriptive-analytic research method has been used and the data has collected through library studies, field studies and oral interviews. The findings of the research indicate that the Qanat effects on physical structure of Mohammadiyeh city in some components such as finding and choosing the establishment place (in relation to topography and the natural bed), the totality of the fabric (organic and full compressed), the formation of the communication arteries and the network of passages (adherence of transit network from the Qanat route and the gradual organic pattern of the fabric) and the organization of public spaces and residential units.

The ceiling in the safavid era contain the structural richness in the structure of palaces. Yazdi-bandi structure is investigated in Hashtbehesht ceiling with the aim of algorithmic geometric analysis as well as structural analysis in the free form. Yazdi-bandi ceiling pattern, with its geometrical instrument, in terms of geometry and structural role, is formed based on Rasmi-bandi drawings network. Yazdi-bandi geometry is located in the central ceiling in the forms of concentric circles, diamond-shaped units, flat stars, and arcs across the rows. Space structure is one of the major modern contemporary structures, which is, both adaptable to Yazdi-bandi geometry and enjoys appropriate seismic behavior due to its light weight. It enjoys the advantage of covering the broad spans with no need for column supports. The main question is how to draw the layers of Yazdi-bandi in 3d considering the algorithmic design in order to guarantee the stability of the structure of free structural form. First, the structural analysis is conducted as a reverse plan and then as an algorithmic drawing in Grass Hopper as a radial from the center. Then the nature of loads and interconnections are geometrically analyzed and loaded onto ABAQUS and SAP2000 softwares considering the structural members of space structure in Yazdi-bandi. In the final step, the proposal of free-form space structure model with the highest load-carrying capacity is brought forward with respect to height to span ratio and initial configuration. The initiative in this research is to match the geometrical parameters of this arc with a free form in order to study the reliability and stability of this geometry so that its efficiency or inefficiency could be determined. This could be a way of ensuring the freedom of action and the possibility of this method for architects to adapt their designs to Yazdi-bandi geometry. The method used in this research is based on logical reasoning, which, finally, leads to the classification of descriptive geometry in both traditional and modern language as well as structural analysis. The results of this research have been announced in the form of graphic codes and suggestion of using space structure in building free structures.