مجله صفه
پیاپی 103 (زمستان 1402)

Mohammad Reza Jodat (1939–2023)
So fate had it that Mohammad Reza Jodat was the next to join those who have left us the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning. The late Jodat was among the country's distinguished, reputable, well-known teachers of art and architecture. A painting artist and authentic architect himself, he also marvelled as a university lecturer and played an influential role in training students, architects and other experts in the profession.
Generally speaking, the late Jodat was an independent academic and professional with a passion about contemporary art and architecture worldwide, and about his country's progress and prosperity. He was very humble and informal in the ways he talked and acted, whilst maintaining his authority in teaching and research. His was a life spent observing ongoing experiments the way most socio-culturally sensible artists and architects do, craving for growth, and searching for creative solutions in order to play his constructive part in the development and evolution of contemporary art and architecture.
May his soul rest in peace and happiness and his memories celebrated

Looking at the history of architectural theories, and with reference to the opinions of thinkers, one can see architecture and rhetoric as mutually related throughout history. It seems that reflecting on this relationship can open up new horizons for architectural thought. But the changing meaning of rhetoric has resulted in a variety of relationship levels, resulting in different gifts for architecture.This paper starts with an exploration three different levels of relationships, resulting from three corresponding understandings of rhetoric. The first defines rhetoric as communication, the second as the art of speaking. But the third emanates from the thoughts of those design scholars who, whilst contemplating rhetorical relations and design matters, do not see use rhetoric as speech, communication or the art of speaking, but as an art of composition. From this point of view, rhetoric and architecture are both knowledges of composition. This paper argues that the latter has opened the door to the deepest understandings of rhetorical knowledge and the most fruitful link between rhetoric and architecture. In response to the haphazard literature associated with this view, the paper expands on rhetoric as 'the art of composition', and then moves on to identify three levels of rhetoric composition, namely, composing people's horizons (conviction), knowledges and insights. The important issue of architecture today, the paper argues, is the lack of shared horizons between architects and their audiences, as well as the lack of coherence between the various architectural knowledges and insights. By understanding rhetoric as the art of composition and linking architecture and rhetoric in the light of this understanding, one can look at architecture from a different perspective and restore the missing coherence in architecture.

Looking at the history of architectural theories, and with reference to the opinions of thinkers, one can see architecture and rhetoric as mutually related throughout history. It seems that reflecting on this relationship can open up new horizons for architectural thought. But the changing meaning of rhetoric has resulted in a variety of relationship levels, resulting in different gifts for architecture.This paper starts with an exploration three different levels of relationships, resulting from three corresponding understandings of rhetoric. The first defines rhetoric as communication, the second as the art of speaking. But the third emanates from the thoughts of those design scholars who, whilst contemplating rhetorical relations and design matters, do not see use rhetoric as speech, communication or the art of speaking, but as an art of composition. From this point of view, rhetoric and architecture are both knowledges of composition. This paper argues that the latter has opened the door to the deepest understandings of rhetorical knowledge and the most fruitful link between rhetoric and architecture. In response to the haphazard literature associated with this view, the paper expands on rhetoric as 'the art of composition', and then moves on to identify three levels of rhetoric composition, namely, composing people's horizons (conviction), knowledges and insights. The important issue of architecture today, the paper argues, is the lack of shared horizons between architects and their audiences, as well as the lack of coherence between the various architectural knowledges and insights. By understanding rhetoric as the art of composition and linking architecture and rhetoric in the light of this understanding, one can look at architecture from a different perspective and restore the missing coherence in architecture.

Fires in buildings are always a treat to people's lives and properties. Fire safety codes and regulations have been developed nationally, therefore, to attain a reasonable level of fire safety in buildings. In Iran part III of National Building Codes is allocated to this topic. However, this document does not cover the problems of fire safety in existing buildings, and therefore most buildings built before 2016, the year the third edition codes came into force, suffer from the lack of many fire protection measures. In addition, the changes in buildings such as repairs, extensions and changes of occupancy type, could increase the fire risk level and need a review of the new condition of buildings. There is, therefore, a serious need to designated codes for the assessment and improvement of fire safety in existing buildings. To this end, a method was developed, mainly based on fire risk assessment. A system for fire risk indexing was developed in which existing fire protection measures are evaluated and scored. The minimum acceptable scores of protective measures are defined according to the importance levels of the building, mainly for means of egress and total fire safety, and fire risk levels are determined according to the likelihood of fire and its potential consequences. For each stage, the prescriptive or performance-based methods could be used, depending on the complexity of building. At the end, a proper improvement action plan needs to be designed and performed in the building for attaining a proper fire safety.

Pilgrims' perceptions and how they affect spiritual, mental states and images are important for their mental preparation. The aim of this present study is to measure and analyse the effect of perceptual indicators of pilgrims to holy shrines in their procession towards Her Holiness Masoumeh’s shrine. This study was conducted through a mixed (quantitative-qualitative) approach and a descriptive-analytical research method. For data collection, library and field methods have been used and the sample group of the study, 172 people, was randomly selected from the pilgrims and locals. The data was analysed using the SPSS23 and Amos Graphic26 in the form of two types of descriptive-inferential analysis and structural equation modelling. The factor model compiled with cropper fit shows a significant relationship between the indicators and perceptual measures in the pilgrimage. Furthermore, among six identified indicators and seventeen related measures, the sense of politeness and humility, spirituality, expectation, ingravibility, legibility and belonging, respectively have more weight in the perception of pilgrims. This sheds light on the fact that the surrounding fabric of Her Holiness Masoumeh’s shrine requires more attention by authorities, in order to improve the quality of the perceptual scape, in accordance with normative values hierarchies.

Post-disaster reconstruction remains problematic despite the increasing number of disasters worldwide. This research calls for a systematic approach to pre-earthquake planning, which focuses on Build-Back-Better principles and its application in post-earthquake housing reconstruction.The study uses the sequential methodology approach to provide a framework for defining the key aspects of Build-Back-Better and its practical application. First, a qualitative approach is used to identify and interpret the main dimensions of providing permanent housing with a Build-Back-Better approach in District 3 of Sari city. Data from semi-structured interviews and field observations is analysed through qualitative content analysis, with results quantitatively analysed in the second part of the research using survey method by receiving two rounds of feedback from experts.The Build-Back-Better framework for post-earthquake housing consists of four categories and fourteen sub-categories. In order to emphasise the importance of pre-earthquake measures, this framework begins with earthquake risk reduction in physical, economical, socio-cultural and legal dimensions. Then, in the category of community participation, it defines the purpose of participation, the key participants, the type of participation, and the needed resources. Following that, the reconstruction of financial and organisational arrangements is discussed in two parts; resource procurement and organisational design. Finally, the paper presents the requirements for the design and implementation of permanent housing in the form of four subcategories: executive requirements, design approach, economic efficiency, and socio-cultural considerations. The output of this research is a unique framework that can help planners and implementers of recovery projects in risk reduction before the earthquake and in accelerating the provision of safe and affordable housing after the earthquake by predicting the needs and guiding executive actions.

Marvi Madrasa was one of the most important madrasas in the Qajar period built by Mohammad Hossein Khan-e Marvi, a high-ranking person in the Fath-Ali Shah court, in a period of the rising importance of educational and religious institutions in tandem with the rising influence of religious scholars (Ulama). The purpose of this paper is to study the spaces and activities of the madrasa at its beginning as an educational institution, and its subsequent changes due its changing social status during the Qajar. Employing a historical method, primary sources, especially endowments, and Qajarid maps have been studied, and exploring the physical composition of the madrasa, its changes have been interpreted.From its beginning, the madrasa contained spaces of various functions such as mosque, bathhouse, icehouse, and elementary school (maktabkhana), built for education and everyday life of the students (talabas). In a short time, the madrasa became a first-rated educational centre in Tehran. By building a bazaar and transforming its path to a 'street', the madrasa found its local and urban center, and the setting was prepared for its spatial expansion. The expansion of the 'mosque' was a turning point in the life of the madrasa. Located besides the 'madrasa' it became the main space. Public religious activities became significant and the madrasa became a powerful socio-religious centre. With spatial developments around the madrasa and the change of social and political situation, the madrasa found an important role in the Constitutional events and the madrasa became a point of contention between the government and the ulama over its tutelage. At the end of the Qajar period, and with the spread of intellectual views and new schools, the madrasa declined and its spatial scope changed. During this period, the spaces, activities, people, and social role of the madrasa underwent changes, and despite the 'madrasa' being initially the main space of the complex, at the end of the Qajar period, it was the combination of the 'mosque' and the 'madrasa' that formed the life of the complex.