An Introduction to Understand Semantic, Aesthetic and Functional Characteristics of Water in Iranian Architecture

In the vast territory called Iran, Consistently accessing to fresh water and springs due to the broad surface of the desert and lack of rainfall has been associated with many problems. Therefore the motivation to escape from problems of water absence, intelligent strategies for achieving, storage, and appropriate use has been developed. Nowadays, according to quantitative thinking, architecture and planning are viewed as machines and the elements and nature of them as parts of machine are considered that maximum economic efficiency. Water as the most basic natural element, has a significant impact on formation and effectiveness of urban spaces and architecture from the ancient till today. But nowadays the relationships between the men with the element of life have been changed. Therefore, it is necessary that the methods which reconnect and restore a culture of water in architecture, and design methods be reviewed. The present article describes the conceptual foundations, as well as the aesthetic aspect and analysis of water in architecture of Iran Background and past experience with emphasis on restoring material, spiritual and mental dimensions of water. The mentioned categories in contemporary life, cope with problems caused by cars on lifestyle, and therefore human contact with nature is neglected. in the first part of this article, as regards the human worldview and world communities play role on their own activities, to examine the predecessors worldview, with the aim of identifying “position and the role of water element” in the various period and feedback in arts and culture, especially in architecture, is considered as a scientific support to the other sections of this paper. Then, in order to explain the aesthetic principles, water will be reviewed from three aesthetic aspects: sensory, symbolic and formic. These characteristics are surveyed in the third section, by using the instances of Iranian architecture and functional aspects of water in architectural spaces, with four functions such as mosque, school, home and garden.At last these characteristics have been analyzed by using so samples, and at the end of each section, only two examples are presented. After analyzing the conceptual, aesthetic and functional characteristic of water, the design principles, is defined with emphasizing on “spiritual, aesthetic and material”. The results of this study showed a deep interest in the past, to access to the water resources although the structural relationship between water and the city, and moreover the usage of water in architectural spaces. There are different approaches for human tendency to excite and stimulate the beauty, but beyond that the water as an element with high spiritual qualities is present in the human sketches. Research and data collection in this study is descriptive-analysis and it is based on documents and library studies and surveys have been done in this study.