A Classification of Traditional Architecture; an Introduction to the Order of Rural Architecture (According to explaining and criticizing Christian Norberg- Schulz's thought)

Rural architecture is generally studied through a typological and climatic approach. Such an approach to rural architecture either as a single housing unit or texture، explains the interaction between rural skeletal feedbacks and climatic factors more than it studies and identifies rural architectural spatial qualities. So such an approach limits the understanding of design quality in rural architecture، especially for projects that aim to address the architecture of the rural buildings and textures. This paper aims to present or suggest a different approach in understanding of rural architecture to identify the truth of this architecture and its values and qualities with more worthiness. According to this approach، it is expected to achieve more comprehensive study، and consequently valuating and classifying dominant principles on the rural architecture. This theory is shaped through a close study of Ibn Khaldun’s thought، especially where he categorizes the architectural buildings of the traditional human societies that have abandoned their nomadic life and preferred to reside as Bedouins، Villagers، and City dwellers. Based on a critical application of Christian Norberg - Schulz’s architectural theories and building upon Ibn Khaldun’s thought، this study presents a new conceptual framework of rustic architecture، common architecture، and stylist architecture. In this paper it is considered to survey critically the Christian Norberg - Schulz''s opinions، because the formative nature and local properties of examples doesn''t necessarily adapt to features of Iranian villages. However، this matter doesn’t prevent studying and accepting Schulz''s thought. Nevertheless، Schulz’s regard and consequently this inquiry have public view to the order of rural architecture. However، we can rely on Schulz''s opinions to achieve an appropriate usage relevant to Iranian rural architecture. This criterion considerably includes rural features which can validate the credibility of the rural buildings. The other achievement of this approach is keeping and training the architectural tradition of each culture and civilization in villages. Thus paying attention to the rural architectural features and cognition of them is a necessity and protection of them is a basic principle. Based on what is explained in this article، traditional architectural buildings to meet the comfort of human needs، manifest three orders of architecture. So the rural architecture، rustic architecture، common architecture and the stylist architecture are the subjects which this article presents critically according to Norberg - Schulz’s architectural theories. The proposed criteria for each concept offer a more thorough understanding of the traditional architectural buildings in general and rural architecture in particular. For the first part of this paper، Ibn Khaldun’s theory for formation of oasis، village and city is mentioned. In continue of this paper the relationships between of Ibn Khaldun’s opinions and Christian Norberg - Schulz''s ideas are investigated. A nontrivial simulation of these two ideas is derived from this comparison Furthermore، Christian Norberg - Schulz''s opinion in valuation of rustic building is studied. This results in some criteria which are different from common ones.