Analysis of Interior-Exterior Pattern as a Hidden Spatial Order Using the Method of Space Syntax in Last Ghajar and Early Pahlavi Behbahan Houses

According to historical sources and archaeological evidence, Behbahan was located on two extra-regional routes from Khuzestan to Fars and Khuzestan to Isfahan. This region has been a dock and a resting place for commercial caravans due to its strategic position on the one hand and its location on the highway connecting Basra to India on the other. The characteristic of "being a bridge-crossroads" of Behbahan city has made the life of its inhabitants have two faces; "interior" and "exterior". This feature, as one of the cultural characteristics of the people of this region, has manifested itself in the architecture of the house using the "interior-exterior" pattern. The present study analyzes the spatial structure of traditional houses in Behbahan city and uses the space syntax technique in this regard. The main purpose of this study was to analyze and compare spatial organization and hidden order of traditional houses in Behbahan, considering the impact of the presence of merchants in this city with the help of space syntax software. The research methodology was a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. In the quantitative section, the data obtained from the explanatory graphs and software were used to extract the findings. Finally, the findings were analyzed by the qualitative method of logical reasoning. The results showed that despite the use of a fixed "interior-exterior" pattern in Behbahan houses, there are differences in their spatial order and space arrangement pattern based on the amount of commuting of strangers.