مجله صفه
پیاپی 93 (تابستان 1400)

The right imitation is a prerequisite for creativity. A student’s imitation of his or her tutor in architectural design tutorials can ignite their creativity. On the other hand, a tutor’s imitation of his or her student helps them to read the student’s mind, and offer a better teaching. In this paper, ‘reciprocal imitation’ in architectural design studio is introduced, which comprises ‘implicit imitation’ by the student of the tutor and ‘responding imitation’ by the tutor. In this regard, the views of two well-known researchers in design studies, namely, Donald Schön and Kees Dorst, are compared in order to attain two concepts of ‘descriptive imitation’ and ‘explanatory imitation’, clarifying them in the ‘designerly’ interaction between the student and the tutor; the interaction that propers architectural design education. Through ‘conceptualisation’ of the existing literature via rational reasoning, the various aspects of reciprocal imitation are deduced to identify how the ‘mainstream design’ arises from ‘mainstream education’, and ‘creative design’ from ‘creative education’. The overarching aim of the research is to identify and clarify those aspects of reciprocal imitation between the tutor and the student that can make tutorials more creative. The result is a diagram that shows the position and the relationship between different concepts of reciprocal imitation in tutorials.

Taught in a variety of levels, the teaching in architectural design studios requires an identification of factors and variables affecting student designs. Influential among parameters in design process and thought is learning styles of students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between reflective thought and learning styles. The research method is descriptive –correlational, with the studied group being male Architectural Drafting students in Hamedan vocational schools in the academic year 2019-20. A 120-strong community was selected in an accessible manner. Kember and Leung’s Reflective Thought assessment questionnaire (2000) was used for habitual action, understanding, reflection, and critical reflection. Kolb Learning Style questionnaire was used for divergent learning style, convergent learning style, assimilator and accommodator, and the author’s drawing test based on the Architectural Drawing course textbook. For analysis, data was used from descriptive methods (mean and standard deviation) and analytical methods for presumption calculation and for hypothesis analysis from Pearson Coefficient and Stepwise Correlation. The results indicated that there is a relationship between reflective thinking and learning styles on design abilities in students. In other words, reflective thought and intellectual capability can predict design quality. Therefore, one can conclude that the ability to design and draw is related especially to the divergent learning style. On that basis, it is suggested that in order to train students’ idea-making and presentation capabilities, we need to take cognitive processes, including learning style seriously. In this sense text books should be complied in ways to pay due attention to mental development, and teaching thinking and learning methods.

University education is an import into architecture education in the higher education system, with implicit impacts on architecture learning. Architecture education in Iran is a problematic and complex issue, as evidenced by the ongoing discussions between scholars and researchers, with a large number of studies conducted to investigate its anomalies. This research, which is of applied-developmental type, is intended to review the research carried out in the field of architecture education inside and outside the country to explore solutions, by identifying the components of architecture education in undergraduate courses of the world’s top universities, and comparing them with the undergraduate curriculum of the Iranian higher education system through logical reasoning, and thereby unearthing the roots of anomalies, eventually providing practical solutions to improve the quality of architectural learning in the form of university education system. The comparison has shown that whilst there are significant similarities, there are also differences in duration, quantities and contents of programmes, resulted from a number of factors. These can be classified into five categories: interaction between courses, choice, and professional-, research-, or identity-oriented nature of the course. In conclusion, remedial recommendations are made including strengthening connections between theoretical and studio courses through stronger interactions between tutors and lecturers, expanding optional courses, paying more attention to minors, encouraging practitioners to teach as lecturers, and creating research and exchange student opportunities.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, most educational interactions were redirected towards virtual environments. Architectural education was no exception, and continued in virtual and online environments. But architecture education has architectural design studios at its core, which makes it different from other disciplines. Architectural design studios need a cooperative, multi-sensory, and experimental environment concentrated on multi-faceted problems, which renders virtual environments questionable. These environments are no matching substitutes for physical environments for their shortcomings in providing essential features mentioned above. In response, an investigation was made as to how to recreate architectural education in the current situation, improving educational processes. To do so Grounded Theory method was used in the context of architectural design studios in Shahid Beheshti University held in 2020, all held in a virtual environment because of the pandemic. Structured observation, semi-structured interviews, and group discussions were used to collect data. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to analyse the data. In the end, member checking was used to validate final results and conclusions. Findings show that 11 factors in two broad groups can influence the performance of an architectural design studio, namely, Context and Possibilities, and Educational Processes. Context and Possibilities include attitudes towards the virtual studio, studio-holding methods, software, hardware, and information resources. Educational Processes include educational structure, programme content of the studio, time management, educational methods, presentation methods, and the interaction between students and the tutor. To conclude, recommendations were made to manage these factors based on the experience of the participating tutors.

Tagh-e Bostan is an outstanding historical site among the cultural and historical heritage of Iran and the world. It is demonstrated numerous historical and cultural values intermingling with durable facets of the natural environment. From landscape architecture’s point of view, anomalies in the town’s visual-environmental features have been degraded the quality of the historic urban landscape and the boulevard due to Kermanshah’s urban development, its increasing population, and congestion in the built environment. This article presents the results of the landscape assessment of the Tagh-e Bostan area and boulevard, and its condition in order to improve the quality of the historic urban landscape of Kermanshah. In this one-year qualitative research, the case study is based on the ‘Fundamental Values and Factors of Landscape’ (FVFL) model as strategic planning and designing framework in landscape architecture under the concept of ‘Historic Urban Landscape’ (HUL). Methodologically, the three factors of the FVFL model which are natural, artificial, and human activities & Behavioral, are in correspondence with the two main layers of natural and cultural features in the concept of HUL. This combination model has provided a general framework of documentary and field studies for Tagh-e Bostan and its pathology in the historic urban landscape of Kermanshah. The results showed that the attention to landscape design quality and harmonizing its visual features can develop construction qualities based on vernacular cultural values and particularly natural environment. Also, harmonizing visual features and cultural-natural values play a key role in the improvement of the quality of the urban landscape and historical identity. A systematic study of landscape and its pathology based on their formational factors with various environmental and climatic conditions are prerequisites of planning and design for improvements in landscape and historic boulevards such as those of Tagh-e Bostan.

Five decades after the initiation of urban development plans in Iran, these plans still face various challenges to implement and succeed. Using a performance-based evaluation approach, this research seeks to identify the most important challenges for urban development plans in Iran. The methodology of this study is qualitative, with data collected using non-reactive (archival records), interview techniques and measures. To analyse the data and finalise theory, Grounded Theory method was used. Based on Qualitative Sampling, Typical Case Sampling and Theoretical Saturation criteria, the opinions of 30 urban planning experts have been used, and their perceptions about the success of urban plans were studied and analysed. Using Grounded Theory and coding the data, the final eight core categories extracted from the original findings. The core of this paper is to draw attention to the country’s local, social and economic contexts in participatory procedures of planning, which covers other major categories and reminds us of the importance of considering socio-economic context, institutionalising Iranian society, and making use of stake-holders’ participation.

Deemed to be one of the most important problems in desert areas, sandstorms are among regularly-occurring disasters. They particularly affect rural areas due to their vulnerability, causing many economic, livelihood-related, physical, social, cultural, and environmental damages. Reagan County in Kerman province is known as one of the country’s most critical areas in this respect, with recent incidents causing 50 evacuations, and damages to a further 150 villages. Widespread droughts in recent decades have caused a lot of damage to the area’s nomadic communities such Sang Abad. Bearing in mind the frequent recurrence of the hazard, the rural settlements of this area are exposed to gradual decay. Exposure to local and regional sources of sandstorms, the high levels of vulnerability, and the poverty and deprivation necessitates the rehabilitation of the village. The action research method is used here. For two years, the researchers have participated in the reconstruction of Sang Abad village (August 2016 - September 2018). Devising a comprehensive and integrated reconstruction planning for the village, they have intervened in rehabilitation and reconstruction keeping in close contact with the residents. The findings have then gone through process of assessment and valuation obtained from the study of the action research methodology. Bearing in mind the differences between the method used here with those of mainstream approaches to reconstruction studies, the feasibility of using this method in future reconstruction studies is also examined. The results of evaluating rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in Sang Abad have shown the effectiveness of these activities in reducing sandstorm hazards. It also seems that rehabilitation of the economy and livelihood is one of the most critical reconstruction priorities in rehabilitation of rural settlements exposed to sandstorms and in particular Sangabad.

Located in in Firoozabad Bardaskan village, Firoozabad minaret is a neglected building, and there are inconsistencies in the works done on it. None of the existing literature fully reads the inscriptions of the minaret, and there are also inconsistencies about its date. The location of the minaret may be behind this lack of attention, since no roads pass through that village today. The Cultural Heritage Organisation has registered this work under number 91 and considers it to be from the late 7th century, and the inscriptions to be Quranic verses, the names of the creators and the date of construction. This article aims to address the ambiguities about these texts and their dates. To do so, the data were collected and analysed through field studies in the minaret site, as well as comparative surveys and reference to supplementary sources, and also a criticism and review of the findings of the researchers in this field through library and document studies. By thoroughly reading and reconstructing the inscriptions in a digital manner, and comparing its contents with historical sources, the study has concluded that, contrary to the views of the Cultural Heritage Organisation, the Firoozabad minaret was an independent minaret related to the period of Seljuk rule in Iran, built by the order of Muhammad-ibn Mansur between 447 and 496 AH en route connecting Herat to Neyshabur.