فرح حبیب

Culture has always been regarded as the most important element of human communities; we can easily observe cultural changes. What causes these changes has been a matter of controversy. The issues such as people’s increasingly getting detached from each other, psychopathy, behavioral abnormalities, traditions being increasingly faded away, malformation, extravagancy and value conversion into anti-values led the authors to conduct an investigation into the factors which cause such changes to happen. Moreover, the paper proposes strategies for improving the situation. First, the concept of culture and its elements are discussed. Then, the impact of urban physical aspects on the culture is dealt with. In developing a theoretical framework for the study, content analysis was performed. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed for small-scale (micro-level) and large-scale (macro-level) case studies, respectively. Finally, the results were discussed and a model was proposed for the impact of the urban physical aspects on culture and behavior.

It is not long time that residential complexes have been built in Tehran. Although during this time, always influenced by some factors, configuration of the residential complexes has undergone fluctuations, rateof which has been very fast especially in recent decades considering the fundamental changes that have emerged in the housing debate. turning housing into an investment commodity. Residential complexes are generally evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively from two viewpoints. Qualitative issues that are often in connection with quality of living environment and its effects from social and especially cultural issues of residents have been given little attention in the past few decades and in contrast, quantitative issues have been more attractively motivated by profitability and economic benefits. The result of this imbalance is the housing status that we can see in all aspects. The present studies indicate that in recent decades, the rising rate of construction and lack of sufficient control over housing sector resulted in the formation of the residential complexes regardless of cultural context, approval of settlement inconsistent with the culture and traditional attitudes of the residents and as a result, low quality of life in residential complexes. This paper is an attempt to assess several condominiums in different years in terms of quality and the effect taken from cultural concepts in all stages, including studies, planning, design and operation using field study and questionnaires and then to find a correct relationship between various components and finally, some recommendations are provided to improve the current situation.

A’ view of nature within the framework of garden and in relation with human needs and drives that satisfy the need to be rooted has caused the representation of nature in garden to be regarded as cultural heritage. Garden and garden designing are suitable cases for us to study cultural characteristics and traits. Thus, human beings have searched their eternal interest in an ideal and unattainable world in garden building and garden totally reflects each culture. Art and knowledge are both represented in garden in which engineering creativity reaches its summit. Japanese garden is one of the oldest patterns in gardening in the world. It demonstrates Japanese ideology, ontology, cultural views and rites. Relativity and multi religions represent its cultural difference. Changeability and cultural ease along with preserving basic core and nature of Japanese culture are the basis of Japanese culture. Japanese garden is one of the most obvious emblems and representatives of Japanese culture. The aim of this paper is to make a content analysis that will primarily study the cultural characteristics and will then focus and conclude the results of Japanese garden designing as a cultural physical symbol.

Regionalism is an analytical and critical perspective which focuses on preserving special features of place and attempts to fill the vacuum in architecture. Globalization is a complex multi-stage process that causes increasing complexity of time and place, greater awareness across the global and acceleration of cross cultural interactions. Therefore, the present paper attempts to analyze global-regional interactional approach through investigating contemporary Iranian architecture in relationship with the aforementioned phenomena and also tries to provide practical advice on establishing a constructive interaction. The research methodology is based on content analysis and case study. The results obtained from investigating striking cases of 4 eras of contemporary Iranian architecture and presented as a table of global-regional interaction components (physical, semantic and ecological) show that an interactional approach is becoming increasingly popular and global-regional coexistence is being formed in contemporary Iranian architecture, which associates with spirit of time and its regional components. A dynamic presence and playing a componential role by contemporary Iranian architects in this interaction have some prerequisites: an understanding of contemporary pluralism, an understanding of the other and establishing interaction, emphasis on the role of thought, creation and innovation, objective research, a good understanding of identity and place, past recall and identifying components of Iranian architecture.

Islamic and Iranian cities, both, East and West, know the physical monuments of Islamic culture1 based on one of the features of the Islamic cities. Meanwhile, other religious centers, including Tkaya, Hosseiniyehiyeh and hospice is not the case to considerate, while these elements cause to shape group behavior, strengthen social ties and strengthening of cultural integration, have always played a major role. These reasons reflect the role of the religious and their religious mission to, Imam Hussein: have been lasting and eternal ever. On the other hand, religious buildings, including mosques, Hosseiniyehiyeh, the convent, the grave and so for various reasons such as “governing their spirituality,” “Historical Background”,“architectural style” and “cultural works - social among people of the past had been of special aspects “sanctity”. Materials and Methods, “descriptors” and “analytic” in addition, with reference to theories and models of sustainability and sustainable urban spaces using “argument” and “analog” to review these theories and extend them to Hosseiniyehiyeh and Tkaya discussed and some results in this direction are mentioned. Research findings show the survival of Tkaya and Hosseiniyehiyeh beliefs, beliefs, customs and religion of citizens, especially their integration with the components is related to religious values and reflecting the traditional city is based on the formation of beliefs is that survival, Protection and maintenance Hosseiniyehiyeh paid actor and in which viewers of this show and passionate Hosseiniyehi mourning single entity to have formed; If due to the impact of beliefs and opinions of people throughout history has been a Hosseiniyehiyeh as a phenomenon of religious values and that its inclusion has been persistent throughout history and reflect the beliefs of religious people and the world towards Imam Ali, Imam Hussein: future date will remain the eternal.

Light is one of the many wonders in the architecture Iranian houses. It is a major tool for space creation and design. An important consideration in the Iranian architecture, which takes a functional and conceptual approach to the extensive subject of light, has been that light should create a beautiful and spiritual space in addition to being functional. The light used in a house should be pleasing to the eye, and it should not be dazzling or bothersome. Optimal use of light plays a major role in creating mental peace and physical comfort and saving energy. This paper investigates different methods of exploiting natural light in the architecture of Iranian houses. For this purpose, three houses of historical interest in the city of Kashan in Iran (Boroujerdi-ha, Tabatabaei-ha, and عباسian) were studied for the position and role of natural light in them. A qualitative research method was used within an analytical-interpretative approach. First, the elements and components used to exploit natural light were studied, and then the strategies employed to manifest values, meanings, and concepts were explored within an analytical model.

Building construction challenge, in recent years, is the reduction of social, economical and environmental impacts along with economical nature and increasing life quality, as here sustainable construction is important. Pre-fabrication and industrialization are referred as a solution of sustainable construction due to some of its main characteristics consisting of many sustainability aspects. Due to this fact, the application of these building systems in most cases, makes achieving to sustainable building more easy. Sustainability aspects in industrialized systems are categorized in four groups of environmental, social, economical and technical issues and in each group some of general characteristics of industrialization in these methods are studied. Today, industrialized construction systems by relying on quality increase idea and blending with the environment and more flexibility, good design and planning and optimization, can fulfill the goals of sustainable construction.

Human presence and accordingly establishing suitable condition for social interactions are important factors in shaping urban spaces. Caring to different aspects of improving environmental qualities especially perception aspect and ease of perception from the environment with legibility improvement is an element that was emphasized from the base of urban design. The role of time, commence of day and night and its effect on perception and legibility of the environment have not been investigated deeply. Although time effects the level and the way of perception and legibility and it should be noted that there is clear difference between human perception and space legibility during day and night.This research is looking for effective major factors on urban spaces qualities in day and night with descriptive and comparison method on the case studies and their images of Zanjan and Abadan cities and tries to approve the differences of these images. Results of performing this research clearly approving that, social, functional and perceptional dimensions are the most important dimensions of improving space quality at night. It should be declared that there are a lot of differences between the images and the perception of the city during day and night. In addition, the mention priority to urban five elements in shaping these maps are differ either.

Earth-Shelter construction is one of the aspects in architecture where the thermal mass of the earth behind the outer walls are applied in order to reduce heat loss and keep the internal temperature at human comfort range. In case of earth-shelter buildings, housing is especially important. As for its applicability the earth-shelter provides good housing. Typological studies of earth-shelter construction in Iran by introduces various Iranian examples of this type, could be a model for the today’s innovative designs with an approach to energy saving. This type of construction responded to human comfort requirements when modernism was absent to claim that it could do the same through mechanical technology. The study method adopted here consists of qualitative-descriptive and deductive analyses. The categories of earth-shelter architecture are three worldwide: Earth Mound, Rocky or In-Hill and Bellow ground. Here the genotype of earth architecture and phenotype of earth-shelter are studied in details. The same is of two in Iran: Rocky, which is divided in continues and discontinues types and closed underground type. Studies conducted in Iran have revealed a new type of these structures named Combined Continues Rocky open Underground by the author.