Traditional architecture’ is frequently used with an implicit meaning. This paper tries to find a more explicit meaning for this phrase by reviewing common synonyms of the phrase. This review does not only lead to a definition for traditional architecture, but also arrives at prerequisites of traditional architecture, i.e. traditional, design and traditional design education.

An examination of the spatial aspects of the country's traditional architecture necessitates an overall understanding of its building components and a recognition of its cohesive elements. The geometr of this architecture is a result of the gradual combination of its smaller elements and its fundamental building blocks which together create a balance as they come together to produce a distinctive larger whole.Such forms, therefore, are not solely the results of one designer's sense of architectural beauty or deliberate engineering decisions, but they are very gradual results of a process in which the science of building meets the realities of what is practical.The building elements and the physical and geometrical attributes of such architecture have significant effects on the overall spatial look and feel of the result.The process of natural formation is often the result of certain Special Forces and deciding factors. Similarly, the reality of the spatial formation in the Iranian traditional architecture obeys these rules and forces just the way the nature obeys and acknowledges them. .From this point of view, the beginning of morphing of the traditional architecture has fundamental differences with that of the modem architecture. This is to say that the traditional takes place via organic building blocks in a certain standardized environment and the modem is shped as the result of a conscious mental effort and expert human pre-planned design.In any case the recognition of the physical texture of the traditional architecture is of particular importance for identifying it.In nature the natural shapes and entities obey the laws of physics, chemistry, geometry etc and this is the very strength of such natural shapes. While generally a natural and organic activity, the traditional architecture only obeys the laws of physics and geometry (and not chemistry) because the building material are more natural less synthetic.The traditional architecture is usually after the rules of "paring" or "matching" of the building material and elements with the aim of achieving a sustainable balance between the various forces exerted upon the building.These rules have been made available to the traditional builder via experimenting with and observation of nature mixed with some basic rules of geometry. The traditional builder's efforts are reflected in his attempt to oppose the gravitational forces of the earth. For the observer of such architectural works this effort is understandable and appreciated only by viewing the work in the context of the needed forms used in such architecture. It is only putting together various building elements is a fundamental part of traditional architecture.The manner in which an entity is built is an inseparable part of how the entity was designed because the formation of the exterior and the look of it happen as the work is being completed. It does not happen beforehand and as a separate design step.

Problem Statement: This article aims at disclosing an authentic essence of traditionalarchitecture and show how it can be approached. Not much exists on this issue and ourknowledge is limited to misconceptions. As a result, we have faced absurdity and chaos incontemporary architecture. This problem has been exacerbated by an inappropriate methodand superficial responses. Objective: The goal of this study is to present an appropriate and comprehensive method toexamine the traditional architecture and to uncover its truth. We assume that phenomenologycan address the methodological issues regarding the essence of traditional architecture. Research methodology: After reviewing pertinent literature systematically and interpretingthem, we attempted to use logical reasoning to find an appropriate method for traditionalarchitecture and fill the gap in the existing literature on the phenomenological method. Conclusion: The results of this research indicate that conceptual thinking and scientific andquantitative approach to works of architecture will not guide us to architecture’ s fundamental. Instead, we need to refer to the artworks and approach them with empathy to find a commonlanguage with those works to uncover their fundamental concepts and hidden implications. The way we choose to reach a better understanding of traditional architecture consists ofseven steps or stages: (1) Wonder and search, (2) Revelation of the universe, (3) Mentalrefinement, (4) Environmental identity, (5) Phenomenological grasp of the environment, (6)Finding a language for assertions, and (7) Uncovering the hidden meanings.

This study has concentrated on the role of architecture in revealing meanings and concepts using an experimental approach. Due to the importance of mosque architecture in urban social life, as well as the issues on requirement of compatibility of form and function in mosque architecture, the exterior mosque architecture has become the issue of study. 14 cases, 7 traditional and 7 innovative are chosen for the study. Four respondent groups are chosen to measure the meanings and concepts revealed through architecture. The Semantic differential test is the basis for measurement of meanings. Personal construct psychology is used for development of the bipolar adjectives needed for the semantic differential test.The early results of this research show that the two architectural types are well distinguishable by all the respondent groups. Also in all the cases, except for the youth respondents, the traditional type is preferred for mosque architecture. Due to the length of the present article, the recognized dimensions of meanings and their relation with the environmental preferences as well as the cases representing and revealing meanings are presented in another article.

In the twentieth century after the advent of republicanism in Turkey, nationalistic and regional approaches were at odd s with approaches influenced by the West in search of Turkish identity in architectural works. For this reason, this interested Turkish architectures to pay attention to their native architecture and urbanism during Ottoman era. In this context, traditional houses came to the fore as the key to achieving Turkish identity in architecture in the course of the second nationalist movement in modern times, and thereafter it was developed by following generation of Turkish architectures. The acclaimed modern features lying in the architecture of the houses and customs representing the Turkish civil identity have turned them into a symbol of contemporary Turkish identity in this course of action. Ottoman tradition of house construction and its effect on Turks’ architecture in the course of the second nationalist movement in Turkey’s contemporary architecture have made the study of Turkish architectures’ transition from tradition to modernity a significant issue, which is addressed in this paper. The results of the seminal works by the second nationalist leaders as to Turkey’s architecture were here approached in terms of how they were impressed by the architecture of Ottoman traditional houses, which were divided into three categories and the architectural characteristics of each of them were analyzed and compared.

House which shelter human being from cold, warm weather and natural disasters, is closely related to the climate. Before man access to fossil energies, his comfort in residential environment was provided by adapting the structure of buildings with climatic conditions and natural forces. Man, s access to fossil energies made him forget this method and consequently the consumption of fuel and energy greatly increased.This research attempts to study climatic conditions of Arak and offers some methods for designing buildings which are compatible with the city climate. The application of these methods would help saving more energy. In order to determine the climate of this city, the information and statistics of Arak Synoptic System within a forty-year statistical period is used. It includes: temperature, rainfall, wind, and relative humidity.Then the climatic comfort and architecture will be studied in harmony with climate and regarding effective temperature indexes: Olgyay, Givoni, Mahony, and Evans. Finally the climatic condition of each month of the year and the quality of man’s comfort are studied in regards to these indexes and the necessary effective methods are presented.In this research Arak weather is seen to have climatic features of Iran Central Plateau. In winter the weather is cold and in summer it is warm and dry. In January, February, March, November and December the weather is really cold and too low for comfort. It necessitates the use of thermal mechanical systems. April, May, and October are comfortable conditions. In June, July, August and September the weather is too warm and too hot for comfort. Thus the use of air conditioners is unavoidable. In other words, thermal systems are used %40 of the year, air-conditioners are used %35 of the year and just %25 of the year is suitable for man’s comfort. Therefore the buildings should be built according to warm, dry summer and cold winter. And in order to increase comfort coefficient more green belt should be built in the buildings space and passages.