A Comparative Study of the influence of Culture and Climate in the Form of Qajar Houses in Shiraz and Kashan

Climate and culture both played a very important role in design of Iranian traditional houses. Nowadays, the effect of these two categories reduce and, as a result, they have less contribution to providing physical and intellectual comfort. Different shapes of houses without paying attention to native and cultural identity is the reason of this event. A comparative study of the differences between houses in various cities of Iran with a different climate, displays these contradictions better. Research Question: What are the main differences in the structure of houses in Shiraz and Kashan during the Qajar period? How can these differences interpreted on the based of the eco cultural of these two cities?

The purpose of this research is to analyze the traditional houses in the Qajar period of Shiraz and Kashan to identify the effects of important factors such as climate and culture in the shape of the building, the type of ornamentation, facade and etc, to use the past instructive patters in future design. If the influence of the Qajar houses of Shiraz and Kashan from the different climatic and cultural factors becomes clearer and by releasing these abandoned components and modernizing them, it can be a basis for today's eco cultural designing in different cities of Iran. Not paying attention to the issue of the crisis of fossil fuels and the need to return to Natural and native patterns, identity crisis and decreasing the Life expectancy index, the gap between generations and reminiscent of Western culture, they all show the necessity of this research in each of the cities in Iran. By reviewing the traditional architecture of Iran, the physical distinctions and the identity of houses in biological zones, cultural and social differences along with the climatic differences are quite clear. The people's worldview of Iran, with the consideration of the principles and values that have been creating for the people of these lands over time. Made them their identity, allowed the emergence of cultural distinctions in each region, but gradually these values and ways of life have been forgetting, and it has led us to seek our identity in the foundations of foreign culture. This neglect has caused that all the houses of Iran's societies, being similar to the culture and the western architecture.

In this research, library and field studies are used together to clarify the impact of climatic and cultural factors in the traditional Qajar houses of Shiraz and Kashan, the research method is qualitative approaches with applicable goal, and based on its nature is historical interpretation, comparative and phenomenological. This study, which is part of a more comprehensive applied qualitative research.

Results of this research show that the most important differences are in the area, height of the rooms, the organization of open and closed spaces, the type of decorations etc. In Kashan, the area and height of the rooms are more than Shiraz. Kashan, in comparison with Shiraz, has more space hierarchy. In addition to the climatic comfort justifications for the above differences, another issue that can mention is the difference between the social culture of Kashan people and Shiraz people. People working hard in Kashan and this causes differences in the facade decorations, the area of houses etc.