Analysis of How to Personalize in Mehr Apartment, Case Study: Workers’ Site No. 2, Mehr Housing in Pakdasht

A home is the place where people present their personal behaviors; because they can reform whatever they want in their own home and thus make it a place which represents their values and beliefs. According to various approaches, house is a place for human calmness and equilibrium; of course with various viewpoints. Western and non-Muslim thinkers view the house from an inert and superficial approach. They consider it just as a shelter, in which human feels serenity. Therefore, house is not assumed a place only for existing. In other words, Islamic house helps human develop their identity and achieve calmness; i.e. to achieve a divinely confidence and steadiness. Since the ultimate goal is to achieve divinely perfection, human house must help indivisual in this regard; the point is obviously egregious in the Iranian traditional desert life. Home is the display of individuals’ personal behaviors because individuals can make improvements in their own homes and thus make the place, a place to represent their values and beliefs. Personalization is the change that people make to meet their needs in the spaces that they use, based on their life-styles. They imp implement the highest levels of personalization in their homes.
Accordingly, the following research is done with regard to two main 1) Determining the desirability of different spaces in Mehr Housing units from the viewpoint of its residences
2) The method of personalization and determining the type of changes made by residents in Pakdasht Mehr Housing units
This research is about how and how much “personalization” will be considered in Pakdasht Mehr housing.
In order to achieve the above goals, first, the history of personalization and the goals of doing it were discussed from the perspective of theorists in this feild. Then, based on research background, the conceptual model of research was extracted. Based on the conceptual model, field studies were carried out in Pakdasht Mehr Housing units. According to the research hypotheses, the collected data was analyzed and evaluated. Finally, the reason and method of personalizing the Mehr Housing units and the level of satisfaction of individuals from the spaces were evaluated.
The research is historic, descriptive and analytical which is conducted on some selected samples from Pakdasht Mehr Housing units. The library study has been applied for data collection and a survey was planned to observe traditional and contemporary buildings, in order to draw ideogram and analytical diagrams. Moreover, some semi-structured interviews with a few architectures were planned in the survey, aiming at achieving more precise results as well as inferring religious identity factors.
By using descriptive-survey method and by conducting field studies, the study of personalization, location and purpose of doing it in the residential units of Pakdasht worker’ site has been addressed. According to Morgan’s table, 165 units of 288 residential units were selected by cluster sampling method and the changes in residential units were examined in the interior spaces which were done by residences to meet their needs. In order to personalize, the response rate of Mehr housing were evaluated through two main variables of functional and aesthetic in all residential units.
The research results contain interesting facts about the status of these two variables and the personalization level of the residential units. In particular, residents are dissatisfied with the kitchen, hall and entrance of the units. Moreover, most of rooms are aesthetically located in unpleasant situation from the residents’ point of view. Although most residents consider some spaces like terraces to be desirable, but because of the problems and deficiencies which were in the initial plan, such desirable spaces have necessarily been used for other uses, which leads to change its initial use.
Accordingly, Pakdasht Mehr Housing units identity can be classified in three overlapping and inseparable factors: structural, environmental and conceptual factors. It means that the religious identity models are firstly formed in structure; then they mature in environment; and lastly, achieve perfection through conceptual bonds. At the end of the paper we would consider the problem of reviving the personalization in the framework of the related factors; and we would also suggest strategies and policies to build contemporary houses based on the concept of personalization which means that the architects should consider some spaces in the home for indivisuals to impelemnt their desired changes. It would help people not only to feel satisfaction but also to help them to gain their perfection which is seen in Iranian architecture