An evaluation and comparative analysis of physical structures in eco-tourism resorts (Case study: Telarkhaneh Bordbar and Deylmay Gasht; Guilan province)

Those eco-tourism resorts that are principally built and are compatible to virgin rural environments are considered as the important elements of tourism services especially eco-tourism. One of the most important principles of such resorts is their architectural criteria. There are many eco-tourism attractions in Guilan province which is a suitable place for establishing eco-tourism resorts. The growing number of tourists in the study area necessitates enough attention to the architecture of such resorts. The aim of present study is to do an architectural comparative evaluation of two eco-tourism resorts namely Telarkhaneh Bordbar and Deylmay Gasht with special attention to their physical structure and related attributes. Required data was collected based on architectural parameters including physical structure, planning, atheistic and environmental indices through theoretical study and field observations. A qualitative method through deductive analysis was applied to assess the data. The results indicated that in compare to Deylmay Gasht, Telarkhaneh Bordbar resort is standing on a higher level of architectural structure and its construction is more different from native buildings. There exist family management and presentation of local culture and native arts in both resorts, but the architectural similarity with local buildings is more observable in Deylmay Gasht resort. Meanwhile, the lack of capital and high cost of traditional architecture apply to both resorts. Also, local people are interested in development and promotion of both resorts. The final result of the present study recommends betterment for Deylemay Gasht resort and improvement for Telarkhaneh Bordbar resort.