A New Look into Developments of the Yard in Rural Houses; the Case of Central Garmsar Plain

The study of the rural situation in Iran shows that the sustainability of rural housing, which safeguards the survival of their inhabitants, has been affected by recent decades’ procedures and policies, in terms of their physical body, economies and culture. This has led to the threatening of rural life as well as environmental and human instability. This study has considered the yard and other open spaces of rural housing as important parts of life, in order to then explore the role of yards in the sustainability of rural housing. A survey is conducted in the villages around the city of Garmsar, collecting information through field observations and questionnaires, which is then described and analysed, with findings and analysed data going through factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA). The results show that out of the nine identified factors, six are more influential. Livelihood and production, the physical factor in terms of area and percentage of unbuilt space, social adaptation factor and the yard function in interactions between residents and neighbours, environmental stability and adaptation factor in rural housing, are found to be most influential, both in traditional and rebuilt houses. On the other hand, the biological and residential factors of the yards in terms of constant life functions and fulfilling basic needs, and the service-comfort factors concerning daylighting and parking etc. have been most influential in contemporary houses.