An Investigation of Spatial Transformation of Historical Houses in KermanQajar Vs. the First Pahlavi

House architecture is an important topic in the study of architectural styles, and the study of its evolution can provide lessons for architectural knowledge. This paper focuses on the spatial transformation of historical houses by comparing the courtyard houses of the Qajar and the first Pahlavi period in ​​ Kerman. The research questions are as follows: 1) what geometric and spatial transformations occurred in Kerman between the Qajar and the first Pahlavi periods? 2) what changes took place in the structural role of the courtyard in these two periods?

Determining the differences between Qajar and the first Pahlavi houses in the spatial and geometric arrangement of spaces, indicates the changes between the two periods.

This paper used a descriptive-analytical method and after selecting the houses, the criteria for the analysis of the houses’ plans were developed.  By comparing the samples with research indicators, the spatial and structural similarities and changes of the two types were determined through logical reasoning, and then qualitative results were provided.

Based on the analysis of samples, although there are similarities between the houses of the two periods in terms of geometric features in the facades and the second spatial layer in the plan, more freedom in designing houses of the first Pahlavi than in the Qajar is observed. This increases the variety of the second layer placement in the plan, the arrangement of the spaces around the courtyard, the lack of emphasis on using harmony in opposite facades, and the decrease of symmetry. The rotation of the courtyard axis and the change of organization pattern around the courtyard indicate the gradual transformation of the role of the courtyard in the first Pahlavi houses, the fading of the basic role, and the centrality of the courtyard.