مهندس مژگان خاکپور

In traditional Iranian architecture, numerous elements are responsible for both function and aesthetic refinement. One such example is the door, which serves as an interface between the interior and exterior, often conveying messages and cultural traits. Doors, as a part of the traditional architectural heritage of Iran, are full of cultural significance.

The entrance door is one of the first architectural elements of traditional Iranian houses that addresses the onlooker. The focus of this research is on the analysis and categorization of the door knockers in Hamedan, particularly in the historic areas of the city. The purpose of this study is to investigate the function of these knockers and to explore the hidden cultural meanings within their forms and decorations.

The theoretical framework of the research is based on typology. The study explores different aspects of phenomena from a typological perspective. The method involved using typology as a tool to understand the cultural significance of knockers. First, typological criteria were established, then knockers from the historic houses of Hamedan were documented through library research, historical studies, and fieldwork observations. Despite the limited number of knockers remaining, detailed documentation and controlled field observations were carried out. The analysis is primarily based on an inductive reasoning approach.

The knockers installed on the wooden doors of houses are a carefully shaped and decorated metal piece used to inform the homeowner of the presence of a stranger or familiar person behind the door. The knocker, also referred to as “Degh-albab,” was influenced by Islamic culture and the observance of modesty, based on maintaining sexual boundaries, and was made separately for men and women. This element was not only decorated according to the formal gender symbols of men and women, but the sound produced by striking the knocker also had a low or high tone corresponding to each gender. As a social convention, each knocker conveyed characteristics of the person standing behind the door. In this way, the door knocker organized cultural behavior concerning the presence of a stranger. In the traditional architecture of Hamedan, maintaining boundaries was considered a cultural necessity. In fact, based on the perception of traditional living, the door, which is regarded as an element defining the inner sanctity of the home, is adorned with another element. By relying on the sound of the knocker to pass through the door, the inner privacy of the home became more concealed, adding another layer to maintaining boundaries.Additionally, other topics of the article explore the craftsmen who created these elements and the location of the male, female, and “stranger’s” knockers. The results of this research showed that carpenters and craftsmen from Hamedan, alongside metalworkers from Esfahan, played a role in creating the form and decorations of the knockers. The size of the knockers, based on the shape of the human hand and related to hand size, did not very much. According to field studies, the knockers installed on the right side were generally shaped like a lion’s head, a clenched fist, or forms symbolizing power and were heavier and more solid compared to those on the left side, producing a deeper sound. However, the knockers on the left side were delicate with forms inspired by a gentle nature, such as angels or a delicate woman’s hand, and when struck, they produced a high-pitched sound, notifying the household of the presence of a woman or a familiar person behind the door. The position of the knockers was at eye level and close to the middle arm of the two wings of the door.In the city’s historical background, knockers were decorated and adorned in various forms. Ring-shaped knockers were made in different shapes, such as hearts, Toranj (a type of geometric pattern), horseshoes, and apples, and were attached to the door by a ring called “Shuleh.” Sometimes, where the Shuleh passed through, two floral arabesques, a dragon’s mouth, or two symmetrical birds were crafted to enhance its beauty. Men’s knockers were often much simpler, sometimes resembling a rectangular cuboid, decorated with engraved intersecting or parallel lines. In examining the decorations of the knockers studied, the Toranj pattern, pomegranate, and sun motifs were repeatedly used in the decoration of Shuleh. For the decoration of women’s knockers (referred to as “Alkeh”), diagonal and parallel lines were engraved on the ring, and some of the knockers were in the shape of pomegranates and Toranj, with some being placed as an inverted Toranj on the Shuleh. However, in all cases, the hollow circular shape was the common form of women’s knockers.With technological advancements, the type of doors has changed, and not only gender but also the identity of the person behind the door is now known to the homeowner. Functionally, there is no longer a need for the knocker to determine whether the person behind the door is a family member or not. However, despite this, many newly constructed houses still have knockers installed, reflecting the continued mental significance of this element. In recent decades, the gender-preserving function of knockers has become irrelevant, with emphasis only on their decorative role. During the Pahlavi era, in some cases, knockers installed on doors were reduced to the simplest form, solely for informing the household of someone’s presence behind the door, but mostly, the doors and knockers were made in pairs.

In today’s world where the indigenous architecture has faded and the urban fabrics have taken a different modern form, the subject of livability focuses on quality of life, sustainability, quality of place and healthy community.

The purpose of this study is to identify the components and achieve solutions to improve the livability with respect to the structural elements of indigenous housing.This article examines the native buildings of Amlash city, as valuable examples in Guilan province. The research question is:What effect do the indigenous housing elements have on livability? What features can enhance the livability of contemporary housing?

The native architecture Amlash city has been studied and its impact on livability with descriptive-analytical method. The content framework of the research is based on Rapaport's views on the influence of the architectural form of culture.

In the studies, the objective and subjective characteristics of livability have been discussed.Findings show that the livability of indigenous housing is affected by elements and spaces of this architecture,which is evident in case studies.According to the results of this study, we can point to the characteristics of livability observed in the architecture of houses in Amlash, including the compatibility of the physical structure of the house with the surrounding environment, providing comfort and convenience, sense of place and identity, residents' satisfaction, and quality of life that generally emphasizes on the mental characteristics.

According to the results of this study, the qualitative characteristics of the livability of indigenous housing have been proposed for contemporary housing by providing some measures to achieve appropriate quality.Highlight: Vitality in addressing the challenges facing citizens means a prosperous, vibrant and responsive future that provides the right quality of life.This requires the achievement of three goals: vibrant communities, a dynamic economy, and a sustainable environment

The manifestation of the life-giving element of water in the architecture of Iranian houses often materializes with the body of a pool. During the Qajar era, the change of the ruling circumstances followed by the amplification of Iran's foreign relations with other countries, mainly that Guilan province, based on its location in the north of the country, had played the role of the main link between Iran and European countries, varied the meaning and function of the pool in the houses of this area including the houses of Lahijan city. This research tries to understand how the house is affected by the new conditions of Guilan society and to obtain the altering definition of the material and immaterial function of the pool in the Qajar period. The current research method is interpretive-historical. It was done by resorting to library and field collection methods, and 30 Qajar houses in Lahijan were studied using a snowball sampling method and interviews with their owners. Characteristics like function, shape, position, and dimensions of the pool were determined as desired variables in the advancement of the research. The results show that in these houses, pool-making was often followed by traditional principles and in the shape of a rectangle, with the introduction of new shapes such as oval, star, triangle, or less frequently ones like octagon, the structure of this element underwent alterations. At the end of the Qajar era, the multiplicity of elements such as fountains and added curves to traditional sharp-angled shapes of the pool signifies the preference of the aesthetic aspects in the path of its socio-cultural changes. Also, the geometric complexity and the vastness of some pools are signs of the house owner's social superiority and financial capability.

As a reservoir of water, the pool has many functions. According to the researchers, specific historical periods, especially the Qajar period, have played a role in this variety of use because the architectural elements underwent significant changes (Saremi, 1996, p. 59). Relying on its spiritual and material aspects, the pool was used in fields like washing, irrigation, water storage, ablution, climatic comfort, and decorations, and over time, with the development of housing architecture following the increase of interactions between Iran and European countries, especially in the second half of the Qajar period, the metamaterial function of water element also decreased. Therefore, the pool often played a decorative role or provided daily needs for the residents.

Research Objectives and Questions: 

Understanding the importance of the pool and the transformation of its position, along with the increase of foreign communication of Iranians in the Qajar era Through many trips in the cities of Guilan province, including Lahijan, forms such questions as they are mentioned below:- Have the symbolic values ​​of the pool and its living tradition continued in the houses of Lahijan during the Qajar era?- After the connection between Iran and Europe expanded during the Qajar era, how did social developments affect the pool's traditional place in Lahijan houses?Theories: According to the mentioned questions, the hypotheses can be stated as follows:- The increase in interactions between Iranians and European countries through Guilan has affected changing the view of the people of this region, especially the people of Lahijan, towards the element of water and the pool.- With the establishment of Qajar rule in Iran and due to Guilan's geographical location and economic importance, it was considered a place for kings, merchants, and students to commute, and in this way, the grounds for the formation of transformation in its traditional architectural elements such as the pool occurred.Data Collection: Based on its historical-interpretive nature, the current qualitative research relied on two data collection methods library and field. First, the place of the pool in the traditional architecture of Iran and Guilan was studied by reading the documents, and then with the help of the snowball sampling method, 30 examples of Lahijan's Qajar houses were visited in the field, and their owners were also interviewed.

In order to carry out the present research, Qajar houses in Gabaneh, Khomarkala, Pordesar, Karevansarabar, and Gharibabad neighborhoods in Lahijan were visited and investigated. In the mentioned houses, the pool element is often located in the yard's open space, and the pools' differences can be divided into four axes of function: geometric shape, position, and dimensions. Analyzes from observations and interviews with house owners indicate that the functional aspects of the pool include factors such as beauty, health, performing ceremonies, watering, storing food items, and performing religious duties and beliefs of the residents. In terms of appearance, the pools are geometrically rectangular, with stars, triangles, octagons, and squares as the most frequent shapes. Also, looking at the aerial maps of the Qajar houses of Lahijan in the 1336 solar year, the oval shape can be seen in the pools. Their position varies near the main building of the house and on its axis of symmetry to the middle of the courtyard. The dimensions of the pool element also increase with the expansion of the dimensions of the yards. Among the analyzed pools, the size of the pools and their geometric shape indicate the social and financial status of the original owners of these buildings. Therefore, the construction of the pools, while following the traditional structure, faced the reduction of spiritual dimensions and the expansion of the decorative function. The increase in interactions between Iranians and European countries, especially in the late Qajar period, was influential. Also, due to the female gender of beauty in the mentioned era, it is suggested that future studies be conducted on how the pool is affected as an organ with a possible feminine nature in homes.

Merleau-Ponty’s theory, rooted in the embodied nature of human experience, suggests that when humans interact with others or their surroundings, they utilize their senses to form a coherent whole. This idea extends to the theory of multi-sensory perception of the environment by Pallasmaa. Therefore, the quality of the environment and the desire of people to be present in it, along with a set of other factors, is highly dependent on how it is perceived by humans. The success of spaces depends on the frequency of use and the sustained presence of people in that place. In the contemporary era, there is a noticeable decline in the presence of spaces, as indicated by various factors listed in recent research. It is necessary to know the criteria that create and promote presence in spaces, a presence that evokes the meaning and sense of place, in order to enrich the environment and the continuity of the event on an individual and collective scale. In this regard, the current research, relying on the theory of multisensory perception in architecture, tried to show that there is a positive relationship between the multisensory perception of spaces and their presence. At the same time, there is no doubt about the multi-sensory nature of the human perceptual mechanism in the process of interaction with the environment. However, there is not much information about the effect of these sensory perceptions, independently or in combination, on the user’s experience of the environment. The few research conducted in this framework indicate that the emphasis on the centrality of the sense of sight in the creation of spaces, mainly leads to the abandonment of other senses and a deficiency in the coherent sensory perception of the space, which itself, potentially, shows the possibility of reducing the presence of the space for the user.

In this framework, the current research attempts to answer the question of which sensory stimuli in the environment, whether alone or in combination with each other, contribute to making the environment more present for those who experience it. A test was conducted to quantify the impact of stimulating the senses separately and in combination with the pleasantness of the space as an index of its presence. The subject group comprised 20 volunteers aged between 20 and 35, exhibiting a symmetrical gender distribution, and possessing bachelor’s and higher education levels. Volunteers were placed in a singular architectural space, simulated for them through virtual reality arrangements. They experienced four sensory stimuli (sight, hearing, smell, touch) both separately and in combination. At the same time, the emotional reactions of their brains to these stimuli were extracted and recorded in the form of 6 quantitative indicators, which include engagement, excitement, focus, interest, relaxation and stress, using the Emotiv EPOC+ device and in the Emotiv BCI software environment. Also, the level of pleasantness of the space for them was also recorded, based on their self-report, in a 5-point Likert scale. The resulting data were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyzes and tests in terms of the possible correlation between sensory stimuli and the pleasantness of the space.

The findings of the research indicate that in indoor spaces, the presence of visual stimuli such as light, olfactory stimuli such as the smell of plants, and environmental tactile stimuli such as a gentle breeze have an observable effect on the pleasantness of the space and will make people more willing to stay in it. On the other hand, the research results have confidently demonstrated that auditory stimuli in the interior, particularly those with an unknown source and non-aesthetic sounds, are undesirable. However, non-passive vocal stimulation (with sounds of aesthetic quality) may have other results. Summarizing the findings makes it clear that in indoor spaces, the combination of visual, olfactory and tactile stimuli will increase the pleasantness of the space with a high degree of certainty. Also, with the aim of increasing the pleasantness of the space for the user, it is better to control tactile stimulation and minimize auditory stimulation - with an unknown source. 

It is necessary to know the factors that create and increase presence in spaces, a presence that evokes the meaning and sense of place, the degree of prosperity to the environment and continuity in individual and collective characteristics. In this regard, the current research, relying on the multi-sensory theory in architecture, tries to take a positive ratio of spaces and their presence. In general, the research findings suggest that enhancing assimilation in bodily perception and experience of space, such that spatial perceptions are not monosensory, visibly increases the pleasantness of the space. This is likely to contribute to the improvement of presence in the spaces.

The evolutions of the art of Qajar architectural decorations in Iran took place under the influence ofmodernism and the approach of architectural development, with the prosperity of the connections of the kings of this period with the western world.Thus, these changes in the architectural decorations of the Qajar houses of Kermanshah were reflected in a wide part of the historical context.In this research, how to use the architectural decorations of Qajar housesThis research with a historical method, an interpretation during the stages of investigating the patterns of decorations and influencing components of traditional and modern architecture; Analysis of the architectural decorations of the Qajar houses based on theoretical foundations and the extent of the influence of modern architecture on the architecture of Qajar period and How to model the architectural decorations influenced by traditional and modern architecture in the houses of Kermanshah was carried out. The findings of the research show that the evolution of the architectural decorations of the Qajar houses has been manifested during three periods of architecture with traditional, western and combined styles. As a result, according to the comparative analysis and according to the main characteristics influenced by traditional and western architecture in the evaluation process, theeffectiveness and modeling of the architectural decorations of houses in the form of practical developments in the first period inspired by the past and preserving identity in The second period coincided with the beginning of the influence of western architecture in Iran, under the influence of the components of western architectural decorations, and in the third period, inspired by the past and modeled after western architecture, it appeared in the form of combined decorations.

The evolution of architectural arrays in the Qajar houses of Kermanshah appeared due to the architectural changes under the influence of Western architectural patterns in Iran. The development of the architectural decorations of these houses was manifested by using the concepts of aesthetics, creativity, and thoughts of architect artists in accordance with the needs and facilities available in this period. In this research, how to use architectural arrays, especially in Faiz Mahdavi’s house in Kermanshah city as a valuable cultural-heritage collection in the historical context of the city and the analysis of the influence of architectural development patterns in the architectural arrays of Qajar houses have been raised as the basic research questions that have been raised so far Not evaluated. This research with the historical, interpretive, and comparative research method during the stages of “investigating the patterns of arrays and determining the influential components of traditional Iranian architecture and Western architecture in Qajar houses”; “Comparative analysis of how and the extent of influence of traditional Iranian architecture and Western architecture in the architectural arrays of Faiz Mahdavi’s house” and “explanation and evaluation of how and how much the architectural arrays are modeled on traditional Iranian architecture and Western architecture in Faiz Mahdavi’s house” were carried out. The analysis of the subject in this article was made possible based on the collection of data gathered through document analysis, library research, and field studies. Analyzing and summarizing the results obtained from the evaluation findings of this research comparatively shows that the evolutions and patterning of the architectural arrays of Faiz Mahdavi’s Qajar house, during two different stages, the outer and inner spaces of the house were initially influenced by the traditional Iranian architectural decorations in the form of simple decorations and then Combining the art of traditional decorations with luxurious western decorations.

In recent years, by the transition from premises of structuralism, subjects like the sense of place have been studied in the paradigm of post-structuralism. This has been done through the lens of post-structuralism to better understand the unique characteristics that contribute to this sense. However, it is valuable to understand the importance of comprehending the sense of place, including cognitive processes and analyzing the factors that contribute to this perception. This article challenges the notion that regional features are solely determined by weather and conducts an analytical study in two distinct regions in Iran to examine the impact of regional factors on the sense of place. The sense of place, in general concept, means the different quality of perception of the space through living and being in the space, which can convert a space into a place. The place, with all of its unique features, belongs to a special territory that creates its own region and habitat, which is distinct from other places.

The objective of this study is to examine how regional factors impact the sense of place. The research focuses on two categories: the natural-geographical environment and the human-made environment. The goal is to identify which regional factors have the greatest influence on the sense of place. This study is a qualitative phenomenological survey that employs an existential (third-person) approach and a comparative analysis method. The study involves field research conducted in the historic districts of Rasht and Yazd cities. According to the research subject, initially, the literature was reviewed, and previous studies were examined. Subsequently, with the aid of field research and an existential approach, the significant factors influencing the sense of place were illustrated in a descriptive manner. Fundamental descriptions of research are extracted in a documentary method and then obtained results are compared with the outcomes of field studies that involve direct observations and interviews with individual or group participants. In fact, the discrepancy in comprehension of humans from a place is the most significant concept of this article, and we can perceive the reasons by recognizing effective factors on comprehension. This research, in a theoretical method, depicts that personal characteristics and environments are pivotal factors in human comprehension. The aim of our study is to compare the impact of regional factors and the built environment on the sense of place. For this purpose, we have chosen two different regions in Iran: Rasht and Yazd. These cities have a rich historical background and are known for their cultural heritage. These cities were selected since they are good examples of places where the sense of place has been preserved over time and is deeply rooted in the collective memory of the local community, according to experts. For compiling the conceptual model of the research, the researchers reviewed the descriptions, concepts, and opinions of experts and researchers and universal experiments on the subject of the sense of place to select the criteria and sub-criterions for this article. According to the opinions of the majority of experts, the sense of place can be identified in three dimensions: somatic place, functional system, and connotation. Considering the holistic concept of the region, which encompasses the habitat and the entirety of a geographical area, including its culture and social values, it is evident that the region influences everything from social norms to cultural practices and habits.

According to studies of this research, the formation of the sense of place can be identified in three dimensions: somatic, functional, and connotation. Effective somatic characteristics that contribute to the sense of place are derived from spatial constraints and encompass a range of factors, from building and architectural elements to furniture. The second category that can affect the sense of place is the functional system, which is influenced by the residential and urban living requirements as well as social and cultural needs, resulting in different activities and various urban usages. The sense of place can be influenced by these various functions. The third group, referred to as connotation, encompasses both tangible and intangible meanings that interact with the physical surroundings and biological characteristics, as well as normative meanings that are influenced by individual and social values. After that, the research focuses on identifying the most influential factors of the region on the sense of place, which in turn affect the related sub-criteria. These factors include spatial constraints such as horizontal and vertical elements, connectors, openings, and fixed furniture. Furthermore, the region can influence the organization of residential, commercial, collective, cultural, and religious activities, as well as intuitive meanings, and can also affect the tangible features of the place, such as the adaptability of elements to atmospheric conditions, decorative elements, visual background, dominant materials, somatic characteristics of the place, and the scent of natural native elements. The symbolic normative meanings influenced by the region include semiology, tales and fables, inclination towards urban gatherings, the presence and activity of individuals on a daily or occasional basis, accessibility to all age and gender groups, social control, security, and the existence of social and public activities. 

According to a comparative assessment of these factors in the historic district of Rasht and Yazd, it can be stated that the factors of the region that recreate the sense of place have diverse appearances in somatic characteristics, functional systems, and connotations in each of the studied areas. By taking into account the paradigm of this research and examining the elements and sub-components, we can confirm the breadth of the region’s impact on the emergence and understanding of the sense of place in the two factors mentioned earlier, i.e., natural-geographical and human-formed factors.

The aim of this study was to present housing viability indices with an analytical study of the native architecture of Amlash city. The research method is descriptive-analytical in terms of practical purpose and qualitative research. The statistical population studied in this study is the residents of Amlash city, whose population according to the 2016 census of Iran is 15444 people. The sampling method is random and to estimate the sample size of Cochran's formula and 374 samples. In order to analyze the collected data, regression t-test and resonance fitness tests were used in SPSS software. To analyze the results of the questionnaire, statistical test T was used. The test results show that according to the citizens of Amlash, the environmental dimension has a higher priority due to the difference from the very low and negative average of 0.6002, as well as the special value obtained for it at the rate of 5.2, which is more than other dimensions. To lay the foundation for the viability of housing with the native architectural patterns of Amlash. Economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions have a direct impact on the viability of urban housing with the formal patterns of indigenous architecture of Amlash city due to the amount of beta coefficients and significant results obtained. The cause of the negative beta coefficients and the lack of significance were lacking.

In addition to impressibility from geographical and continental components of region, housing architecture in rural society is influenced from general culture of villages. Therefore, rural housing is considered as a social-cultural phenomenon that from one side with the impact of cultural features of native people is the place of manifestation of cultural features and life style of the inhabitants, and on the other side influences on formation of folklore and life style, by its unique structure and physical features. Gender as a social-cultural character has mutual relation with space. This essay studies relation between gender and space and impact of this relation on rural residential architecture of Guilan and related spaces. This qualitative research is a practical-developmental one that is based on bibliographical studies and field studies, following descriptive-analytical method. Thus, field studies consist of villages from different cultural areas, east and west of Guilan. Conclusions indicate that geographic, economic, social, and cultural circumstances of rural society in Guilan influenced on women’s position in native culture of these areas and consequently form the relation between gender and space in local housing. Hence in Guilan’s rural housing, there is no requirement for spatial differentiation between men and women in the outward of buildings, but in inward of spaces, male and female ranges are separated.

The vernacular body of the villages of Guilan, with its entanglement of paths, houses and agricultural fields, reveals the dispersed texture. The residential unit, side buildings and service spaces of the house are arranged erratically in the midst of relatively large areas.
The enclosed fences are integrated with vegetation and trees and appear to be unconfirmed in a vague of being connected or disconnected.
But is it possible to find unwritten rules behind this erratic appearance? And what are the factors that determine the elements of the residential area in the villages of Guilan?
This research is descriptive, with a look at the natural features of the southern Caspian Sea region, to analyze its human environments based on field studies. This research has been carried out in the structuralism paradigm.
In this paper clime refers to economic and livelihood activities, the culture and social interactions of residents in house and elements of the rural residential area.
The findings of this research indicate that the natural characteristics of the region including geographic and climatic features in all types of villages of Guilan seem to have the greatest impact on the texture and the arrangement of the elements of the rural residential area.
This factor causes the characteristics of economic activities and livelihoods, social interactions and cultural features, as well as the formation of criteria of rural residential units.
Furthermore, due to geographical features, regional potentialities and economic activities, it is possible to use materials for construction, which is an important factor in choosing the patterns of structures and technology used in vernacular architecture and is one of the variables influencing the formation of the house and its site.
As said before, the clime-based characteristics represent the dispersed context of the rural physical structure based on the aggregation of residential components, and the house-farm and the house-garden. But the effect of cultural attributes on the arrangement of the elements of the residential site has the greatest impact.
So Final choices for the pattern of settlement in this area and the criteria of the rural residential area resulting therefrom, based on the dominant culture of the villages of Guilan, and most of the clime-based choices correspond with the culture of the people.
People living in the villages of Guilan province, based on their cultural backgrounds, have chosen different ways for daily activities, whether from an economic or social perspective.
The Socio-economic way of life is one of the most important factors in the difference of style of housing. Following this, it has shaped the housing and residential site pattern make it distinct from the other parts of Iran.
In Guilan, the residential area is not only apparently in direct contact with the passageways, but also in the mental structure of the people, the relationship between the house and the passageway is comprehended differently.
People's perception of life is not limited to the private spaces of house. In this regard, the transparent fences of the area are considered.
Therefore, considering the summary of the criteria of the arrangement of residential site components in Guilan, it is observed that most of the criteria are influenced by socio-cultural activities and features. Human acts on the beliefs embodied in him in the social context, and on the other hand, these beliefs are so rooted in him that sometimes it is impossible to violate it.

The Mehr residential project is recognized as the largest national housing project that its implementation has been accompanied by a general policy of marginalization, diminution and ambition. The Rasht city residential project, with a capacity of 52,000 units, has been implemented and 40,000 units have already been delivered to applicants, and many families from different classes have lived in different cultural, religious and social levels. These differences in themselves lead to problems such as the absence of social ties and serious concerns about the increase in the number of crimes and abnormalities in the housing estates. To overcome this problem, arrangements must be made to ensure that residents of this residential town, in spite of the existing problems, can approach each other and engage in social interactions. In the current study, the current status of the pathology was identified through studying sources such as books, articles and other related documents and observing the Mehr residential project of Rasht, identified the factors affecting the establishment of security and prevention of crime, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the project specific solutions and solutions were introduced through environmental design.

Human’s house without any consideration to physical dimensions and natural and climatic regulations is affected by the cultural factors of society, beliefs and the non-material needs of life, which give meaning to human’s residence. In residential architecture, socio-cultural factors, effective on people’s daily life and their living methods, exert some important regulations on the subject of house; therefore study of the characteristics of vernacular houses without cogitation is not very useful. Paying careful attention to cultural characteristics of the architecture of people’s houses and mentioning the functions of house with this respect, originated from socio-cultural characteristics, reciprocal actions and human relations, are the subjects of this article. Therefore the main question of this article is this: what socio-cultural needs have affected on vernacular houses, in other words, what are the needs of vernacular houses? This article which is theoretical with a view to type, in post-structuralism and qualitative paradigm and paying careful attention to daily life is in the theoretical frame extracted from the theories of Amos Rappaport and Edward Hall. Gathering the information of this article was based on library studies and investigation of field observations. The research strategy is descriptive- analytical. The article information was analyzed independent from numerical documents and in a comparison procedure. In this article, house has been studied from the viewpoint of cultural needs. The research findings show that selection of house has been one of the most important transformations of people’s life in pre-historical period following to taking an important decision based on settlement and is synonym to an existence selection. House is visualization of the view to life and is built in continuation of life style. Vernacular house, which is one of the people’s architecture, is the visualization of culture without any chapter and as well as being originated from social characteristics, has a key role in production and visualization of culture. Architecture of vernacular houses is the symbol of tangible needs and the society’s values and the people’s ideology. Reciprocal effects of natural, economic and socio-cultural factors on each other and on house depend on time and place and totally form living methods, which are some of the most important factors for vernacular houses formation. The research result is a statement of distribution of cultural functions on promoting residential quality, meeting non-material needs and inclusion of belief characteristics.

The rural skeletal texture in Gilan province like the other regions is influenced by the various natural, climatic, economic and social/cultural factors. It is clear that these factors impact on each other too. But this paper topic is the impact of the social/cultural factors on the skeletal characteristics of biological and rural systems. This paper is seeking to find an answer to the social/cultural factors influencing the texture of Gilan villages and the characteristics of the impact on its skeletal structure. This paper, which is based on an applied developmental research with a descriptive/casual study's strategy, focuses on a case study on Gilan province. It uses some documentary evidences and literature on the one hand and investigates the social/cultural conditions and the concept of rural skeleton from a holistic perspective on the other hand. In the most sections, the theoretical basis of this qualitative research is according to the structuralism paradigm and it is independent of common literature and documentation. The field study data of the paper have been collected from 150 villages of Gilan among 2800 residential villages during 14 years. These villages have been selected among the different cultural areas in the east and the west of Gilan and the climate zones in the mountains, foothills, plains and shorelines in order to make a generalization to the other regions of Gilan. In this paper, at first the social factors influencing the settlement's skeleton was generally investigated and then, the architecture of Gilan province's villages has been studied in terms of social/cultural characteristics and some of its most important aspects were explained. The research findings indicate that the rural people's social interactions are influenced by the natural conditions on the one hand and are based on economic characteristics and livelihood practices on the other hand. This issue itself is one of the factors to coordinate the social actions and leads to integrate the rural resident's social and cultural relations. All of these factors create a homogeneous skeletal texture that has been made in response to the same social, cultural, livelihood and climatic demands. The basic elements of the human societies in Gilan province's villages include the population, culture, material products, technology, social systems and social institutions that have a significant impact on the rural skeletal characteristics such as land-use, streets network, neighborhood classification system, and architectural structure. These factors along with the skeletal form of residential complex lead to the social and personal authentication that not only is influenced by the culture and living methods, but also it establishes some requirements for the residential skeleton that is resulted from the human significant social actions.

Paying little attention to the identity of Iranian architecture is one of the problems of contemporary architecture of Iran which has caused the absence of a precise definition of Identifying criteria in contemporary architecture of Iran; so that diversity of selected views is one of the main features of this architecture. Perhaps it can be said that many Iranian architects design without codified principles and even without theoretical knowledge and precise understanding of mental concepts in different styles. However، the lack of attention to values of Iranian traditional architecture is followed by eclecticism crisis in contemporary architecture. The questions raised in this context is whether a new definition of architecture can be given by examining the thoughts and opinions of Iranian philosophers like Mulla Sadra gave a new definition of architecture and whether according to their theories outlined principles Can be codified for contemporary architecture? The general approach in this research which intends to paraphrase the ideas of Mulla Sadra in contemporary architecture is Interpretative - historical and descriptive. The research data are derived mainly through observation and documentary studies. The results indicate that by using Mulla Sadra''s definitions of being (al-wujud) and essence (mahiyyat) we can have a new defined view at architecture. As Sadra considers all phenomena in two dimensions، architecture also has both being and essence aspects. The essence of architecture responds to material needs and its being is a truth which architecture maintains and brings it to presence. Indeed، the Physics of architecture is the essence of architecture (mahiyyat) and the valuable concepts underlying the architectural Physics are the being of architecture (al-wujud). Considering Mulla Sadra''s primary of being (asalat al-wujud) we can conclude that there is also primary of being in architecture. Of course this does not mean that the architect who cares about the being of architecture pays no attention to the essence of architecture. It means that the architect who cares about the being of architecture tries to discover and understand the being of traditional architecture and to present it in a new body which is appropriate for today''s architecture. Therefore by regarding the Principles of Mulla Sadra''s thought and practice used to achieve the roots of his philosophy، principles can be formulated for architectural design. The principles are formed in order to achieve the lofty goal of traditional Iranian architecture and they attend guide and direct the audience attention toward the pure being (God). Using concepts as inspiration and metaphor and manifestation of the light can be useful to achieve this goal. These concepts are the essential to make the basis clear for contemporary architecture and shows that we can achieve our goals for contemporary architecture of Iran in the same way that Mulla Sadra was able to resurrect the underlying concepts of traditional philosophy. From the perspective of al- wujud ontology، the first target of architecture is to show the truth of being essences; to show the being within the essences without them there is no sense of architecture. If we consider the context of architecture as an activity consisting of a combination of emotion and symbolic meanings، according to Mulla Sadra''s method، architecture must accommodate itself to life as a significant whole. In this case the main task for architects will be to shape living spaces and to create necessary content for human presence (al-hozur) and to provide features for human identification. So there is no doubt that one of the main goals for architecture is to create the perfect place and to promote the human presence (al-hozur). Architecture is the genuine sense of human presence (al-hozur)، and it may be understood by the human presence (al-hozur). Creation of art is a kind of creation that its nature is extracted from god. According to Mulla Sadra''s principles، man unites with his artwork and then the truth would emerge. Architecture is a part of the whole art that tends to reveal the being (al-wojud). From the perspective of being and essence (al-mahiyyat) architecture itself is consisted from two sides; one side is being and the other is essence. And the perception of its essence is possible because of its being: but the being of architecture obtains its existence from the creator and so architecture is always in compliance with its creator''s rank of being (mrateb al-wojud). In this theory the origin of architecture is the being of architecture (al-wojud) and the essence of architecture (al-mahiyyat) is manifested through its being. If the architect is higher in the rank of being his designs will also be higher and more spiritual. Therefore as mentioned، there is no doubt that one of the main goals for architecture is to create the perfect place and to promote the human presence (al-hozur). To improve the rank of human being by the effect of space is among the most sublime objectives of architecture. According to al-wojud Philosophy and Mulla Sadra، when an architect designs the different parts and details of a building it is necessary to emphasize the overall structure of notion and so the overall structure of space and of the geometry which is known as the architecture generator. The two mentioned elements are such abstractions in architecture and to emphasize them is to help us accept the concepts and principles of the being (al-wojud) for the prospective architecture considering the variables that influence it. This structure is basically a coded architecture. Since al-hikmat al-mota''alie is based on alhikmat al-eshragh and in alhikmat al-eshragh god or al-wajeb al-wojud is equal to the absolute light، therefore the light manifested in architecture، is an allegory of al-wajeb al-wojud or god. The sublime architecture upgrades man to the level of meaning and wisdom and leads him toward the perception of al-wajeb al-wojud. Architecture answers to this character of perception by metaphor. According to Sadra''s point of view Subscription between the human spirit and architecture is required so that the presence of pure meaning in human perception is based on the human presence (al-hozur) itself.

The appearance of villages of Iran has been changed very rapidly in the recent decades in such a way that sociologists are seeking a response for the quality of such changes and also the related cultural damages. Among them some are proponents of protection of villages traditional feature without any change and the other group deems such transformations inevitable and as the result of urbanism and increase of immigration from villages to cities. In this article it has been tried to challenge the cultural factors of such transformations and to take a look on the necessity of operation optimization. The subject matters of this article have been collected on the basis of library studies and field observations about more than 90 villages at plain, mount and mountainous at Guilan province and analyzed with causal research method. For the same reason, first culture has been defined and its relation with architecture was investigated and the importance of study of architecture as one of the symbols of social culture and specifications were mentioned. Then the necessity of change in rural societies and therefore relative transformation of village's residential architecture in relation to cultural changes was propounded. This research was performed with the aim of stress on the necessity of change in architectural techniques in relation to villager's current life needs and mentioned the importance of the effect of cultural needs on rural house pattern.

Criticism of the architectural works, which are not very old, is one of the constructive forward looking critics that may be effective in positive changes of design methods. Determination of the positive aspects of an architectural work and the statement of the project proper specifications are the methods requiring architectural work criticism. Some of the most important duties of the common critics in this domain are the extension of better perception and understanding of the space, discrimination of the good and bad, and the judgment in relation to the architectural work and also the promotion of the project following to supporting, amendment, and the optimization of the designing approaches in creation of a more desirable space. In this article, which has been performed on the basis of descriptive- analytic research and with library study method and field investigations, at first, we reviewed the aims of criticism of the architectural works and then interpretive (hermeneutic) criticism, i.e. the criticism method used in critization of the building of Mosalla (Public Prayer Place) in Rasht City, was mentioned briefly. The main part of the article is related to the statement of the specifications of the building of Mosalla (Public Prayer Place) in Rasht City that has challenged the building with a view to interpretive (hermeneutic) criticism. At the end part of the article, the positive and negative aspects of the work were mentioned with the aim of using the criticism advantages in strengthening of proper methods of design in the future. Also some aspects of designing of the building of Mosalla (Public Prayers Place), which had lasting effects on individual's mind, have been distinguished from those aspects, which decrease the space desirability. At all, the whole all points of design review obtained from criticism do not have equal value in people's mind and all people do not have the same view against the building. On the strength of looking forward for durability and public acceptance of a building, if it is tried to decrease the negative aspects, attractiveness of the architectural work increases and therefore, the quality of the designed spaces will be improved. But with a focus on the large number of the positive or negative aspects of an architectural work, the building is considered as qualified or unqualified for attractiveness in people's minds. In relation to the building of Mosalla, the positive aspects were more than the negative ones that caused acceptance and attractiveness of this architectural work in one of the main areas’ of the city.

The old tissues of the cities have been faced to rapid changes and turned to destructive process during the last decades, because of the huge rush of technology and consequently the social revolutions and changes as a conceivable result of such technological attacks. As a general argument, in one hand, such changes and technological flourishing provided urban modern services and let the modern equipments to enter in lives, but unfortunately, on other hand, the increasing slam of the changes invited us to the battle of rapid compatibility, which inherently could not lead to wisdom decisions about the living patterns, and even the conservation of cultural characters which as a result leads to an unknown urban patterns and meanwhile urban instabilities. Although, the observation on advantages and disadvantages of constructive evolutions which substantially depend on the decisions and policies of the planners and urban designers is not the main goal of the current paper, it is highly recommended and necessary to record the ancient architecture patterns, finding out the outlines and the main characters of the older architecture characteristics. In current paper, during the investigations about the history of Rasht, and how it has been constructed, upon information and issues, a deeper concern was made on city borders and its constructive frame in older eras. On this way, the old quarters were specified and divided from each other to perform the required assumptions and fundamentals of architectural investigations to find out the characters of the houses in such old periods. The architectural and urban characteristics of Rasht from the view of overseas scientists were generally reviewed within the context. In addition, some older houses were chosen in the defined quarters, and consequently studied as the samples to perform the required data and information for further predictions. These studies contain the maps, photos. However, a set of worthwhile information was gathered from older residents and the people who had reliable knowledge about the history of the houses and even in more details, how estates faced to constructions. Naturally, on the way of completing the conclusions about the quarters and the houses of the old Rasht, further descriptive researches were provided, and at first, the general architectural characteristics were investigated and explained, in which the constructive properties of houses, space configurations of the old architectural designs, general directions and moods of house patterns, and their applications in old residences were gathered, and finally the classifications of the old houses were concerned, to provide the required foundations of scientific predictions and architectural forecasting. In these regards, all the old houses were classified in four styles (may be interpreted as moods or patterns), and all of them were described and compared with each other to cater for a better further proposed recommendations. The conclusions were efficiently applied to find the way how to improve the performances of residential houses, and finally to find out the required, robust, and sufficient reliable rules for essential future constructions in Rasht.