فصلنامه مطالعات محیطی هفت حصار
پیاپی 36 (تابستان 1400)

Increasing energy consumption in buildings has resulted in environmental issues and has led many researchers to explore ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption. One of the most cost-effective and logical ways to use energy resources in residential buildings is to use passive solar systems such as sunspaces.

In this paper, the effects of sunspaces on energy gain and reducing energy consumption are presented. The energy performance of the sunspace was calculated using parametric modeling in Grasshopper software and Rhino software, and energy simulation was carried out using Energyplus. Simulations were performed according to the meteorological data of Sanandaj. Different models of sunspace with different dimensions and orientations in Sanandaj have been studied to achieve simulation goals. Modifications of the models included different proportions of sunspace dimensions, orientations, the use of different thermal insulations.

The orientation towards the south receives the highest energy, and with 20 degrees rotation to the west or east, the highest amount of energy can be gained. Examination of sunspace models with three percentages of window-to-wall ratio: 40%, 50%,60% showed that the 50% WWR is more desirable than other models. The highest increase in energy absorption to help reduce the heating load during the cold season occurs when the sunspace has the longest length, ie 5 meters. In this case, the southward is increased, and the desired depth is 1 meter, while by reducing or increasing this amount, solar energy gain is reduced. Also, to improve the performance of the sunspace, the use of conventional thermal insulation has been investigated. Polyurethane with a thickness of 10 cm has the lowest efficiency in reducing energy consumption in the sunspace, while other insulating materials with similar thicknesses are effective.

In this paper, the effect of various parameters on increasing solar energy and reducing its loss is identified. The simulation of parameters using Grace Hopper software used in this research indicates that the proper design of the parameters related to the solar greenhouse system strengthens the efficiency of the greenhouse and has a direct and positive effect on increasing solar energy. And its loss indicates the positive efficiency of this system in receiving and absorbing solar energy. It can be used as a design framework for solar greenhouses in the city to strengthen the use of solar energy and reduce fossil fuel consumption to reduce the heating load in cold seasons. Also, the algorithm used and the optimization process b in this research show that if the solar greenhouses are modified in different types, it can reduce the heat load in the building by absorbing solar energy. Architectural design with an energy approach is a complex process that requires a combination of different parameters to optimize optimization. Using energy simulation and optimization can help designers do the design more comprehensively by providing valuable tools.

The place is a phenomenon to which man gives meaning to and becomes dependent in his lifetime. physical components of the body in architecture cause the formation of the existential base in individuals. This study aims to determine the effect of physical components on the two residential complexes of Kuy-e Ostadan and New Side town of Ahvaz and to determine the effect of each of these components on the dictation of place by individuals.

This study with qualitative-quantitative research method has first collected literature with documentary technique. Then Delphi technique has been used to validate the components extracted from the Theoretical Foundations in this article. The components in the questionnaire were distributed among the residents with a Likert scale. The results have been analyzed using SPSS software and various statistics.

In the Kuy-e Ostadan residential complex, the highest share is related to the diversity components, lighting, with a value of (1,000), the availability of benches with a value of (0.946), and the lowest share is related to ease of access with a value of (0.383). The lighting component had a significant effect in creating a sense of place. The diversity component and availability of the benches in this residential complex increased the time spent in this place. It is followed by incrementing the attachment and creating a sense of place. The highest correlation is between the green space variable and other variables in the New Side residential complex. The highest case is between readability and diversity with the value of (0.955). After them, green space with the meaning (0.921), and the lowest between the facade and flooring with the value of (0.104).

With an overview of the factors affecting the design of these two residential complexes, it can help to formulate more appropriate design criteria and provide the possibility of designing more quality housing. Therefore, urban planners and designers must pay special attention to the set of physical factors and characteristics that create the basis for the formation of different emotions between person and place on a home scale. This provides the basis for the qualitative growth and development of the residential environment for different residents as a platform for social life.

Since Lifestyle is related to behaviors and activities, studies in this field show the changes that occur over time. Also, the distinctions between the value system in the past and the present value system can be determined. For this purpose, in this research, the Mashhad houses from 1925 to the present are analyzed by using space syntax to analyze the effect of continuity and change in the physical environment of Mashhad houses on the Lifestyle of the people.

The research method of this study is the combination of descriptive, analytical methods, and logical reasoning. Also, information is collected from library research, field studies, and space syntax software (UCL Depthmap).

Results show since 1925 to present trend of homes patterns have been changed from introverted home to extroverted houses, and house’s Spatial organization have been changed from central yards at introverted homes to corridors, distribution spaces, and halls, respectively at extroverted homes. The Spatial organization of extroverted homes has been shifted first to axial then central and finally combinatory. Also, the least changes have occurred in the spaces of cultural, religious beliefs, and traditional practices, and due to considering the workspace in the home, the greatest changes occurred in livelihood and work activities.

In the first Pahlavi period and the first half of the second Pahlavi period, in the both axial and central organization, the most changes in the open space (yard and terrace) and the least changes in this period were related to the living space and the room. Also From the second half of the second Pahlavi period until now, the attention has been focused on the indoor space, especially the public and semi-public spaces such as living and dining areas. Also, private space plays an important role in present homes which were neglected in past. Moreover, vision infiltration between public and private spaces has been increased. It seems the definition of Private zone in homes have been revised and separation between Guest space and host space has been reduced in recent years.

In the traditional period, the human-nature relationship was balanced. Despite an increase in human knowledge and awareness about nature after the renaissance, the balance between the human-nature relationship was disrupted, leading to significant adverse effects on human life and the earthchr('39')s life. In the current paper, a holistic perspective on the human-nature relationship was provided to create a proper interaction between the human and nature. The current studychr('39')s questions are: how the traditional holistic view and modern partial view have formed the relationship between man and nature in various historical eras? How could we establish a holistic perspective of the sciences taken form regarding the relationship between man and nature in contemporary architecture? The current research compared the holistic view of the classic era and partial view of the modern era on the human-nature relationship to provide a holistic model on the human-nature relationship in the contemporary era by understanding the effectiveness of the influential factors.

The influential factors on the human-nature relationship in the architecture were obtained by content analysis of the texts and were coded. Among the key factors that orient the relationship between man and nature in architecture, These were the four main variables: "ontology", "human knowledge of nature", "human attitude towards nature", "human needs about nature" and two sub-variables: "teaching role of nature" and "tools and technologies Exploitation of nature ", the way that these factors influence the relationship between man and nature in architecture was explained based on a holistic perspective. The validity degree of the codes was obtained by presenting a questionnaire to the experts and using the CVR method. Cognitive mapping was also used to explain the effectiveness of the obtained codes in the human-nature relationship.

By mapping the causal relationships between the influential factors on the human-nature relationship in the architecture in both traditional and modern eras, it was concluded that the holistic view in the pre-modern era in the human-nature relationship, and consequently, the balance between the materialistic and value approaches towards nature, led to forming a balanced relationship between the human and nature. Furthermore, the partial and quantitative approach and its impact on increasing human knowledge about nature and developing a materialistic perspective about nature in the modern era were influential in damaging the nature and separation of the human-nature relationship in architecture.

In the second part of the research, using the obtained codes in the theoretical section of the study and the results of the cognitive graphs in the traditional and modern eras, a holistic model in the human-nature relationship was mapped for the contemporary era

The range of involvement with children in their specific decisions extends to architectural design for children. The aim of architectural designers in collaborating with children is to bring the features of the designing process product closer to the childrenchr('39')s ideas about their desired architectural space. Therefore, the main issue is to improve the quality of participation, influence children as much as possible in producing the architectural artwork, and bring the features of the artwork closer to the desirable features of children. The difference in perceptions between children and adults in architectural design for children has become a challenge for architects, has encouraged designers to work with children and meet this challenge. Thus, it is essential to look for factors that improve the efficiency of the architect-child partnership. The researcher began his work by asking the following questions. 1- What are the effective factors in improving the efficiency of the architect and child collaborative design process? 2- What are the strategies to increase the participation of the architect and the child?

The study was conducted according to the seven steps of the meta-synthesis method presented by Sandelowski and Barroso. These steps include 1- Careful review of research questions, 2- Systematic review of library resources, 3- Selection of appropriate resources, 4- Extraction of information from references, 5- Analysis of findings, 6- Control of reliability of findings, 7- presentation of the findings. MAXQDA 10 and Excel 2010 software were used to perform step 5. Step 6 was done using the Glynn tool. After finding effective points in improving the quality of the architect-child partnership, various architects were surveyed about the findings, and the survey results were analyzed in SPSS 25 software. After confirming the reliability of the survey results, the final results of the research were summarized and presented.

Providing the conditions for the active presence and maximum creativity of children during the designing process and strengthening the special features of architects interested in collaborating with children are the main effective factors in improving the quality and efficiency of architect-children partnership.

Numerous factors effectively improve the efficiency of participation, one of which is the deeper partnership between the architect and the child. The depth of participation depends on four primary characteristics: 1- Providing the conditions for deeper participation of the architect and the child. 2- Active and continuous presence of children during the designing process along with the architecture. 3- Creating a platform for maximum creativity of the participating children. 4- Strengthening special features in children architectural designers. As the role of children in the ideation and creating an architectural work increases, the depth of participation increases, and this depends on the childrenchr('39')s more realistic comments about their desired architectural space.

Megamalls are widely spreading as a new phenomenon in the form of mega-projects in Iranian metropolises. The procedural aspect of these projects receives heavy criticism from urban planning literature, mainly emphasizing the origins of this kind of development, the effects caused by it, and the reasons for its success and failure in the procedural aspect. What is generally neglected among the recent studies is the less focus on the content aspect of the mega projects. Admitting the criticism towards the procedural aspect of megamalls while considering that many citizens cover their needs at various levels by using the services presented by this kind of projects, the necessity of evaluating the content aspect of megamalls becomes clear.

This paper aims to evaluate the spatial quality variables of the content aspect of megamalls in two case studies of “Arge-e Jahan Nama”and “City center” in Isfahan metropolis to determine the factors and variables leading to the success or failure of these projects in the aspect as mentioned above. In order to do so, 20 variables of public spaceschr('39') spatial quality were evaluated using questionnaires (five-level Likert spectrum) from 120 users in each megamall (240 people overall). The data derived from the questionnaire have been analyzed using the F’ANP model. Using the F’ANP model, the relational importance of the variables is calculated.

The model results show different relational importance coefficients for each variable in each case based on the context. In both cases, social interaction is the most important indicator. Then, the security and the activity variation are in second place for city center megamall and Arg-e-Jahan Nama, respectively. The findings of this paper show importance of different factors, respectively: “megamall user comfort”, “vitality of the megamall,” “legibility and accessibility of megamall spaces”, “environmental facilities”, and “social interactions”. The five variables gaining the highest satisfaction scores from the users of the successful megaproject (city center) are: “the possibility of social interaction in megamall’s space”, “security of megamall and its peripheral area”, “sense of belonging towards the megamall”, “diversity of activities in megamall” and “safety of the megamall ad its peripheral areas”. The low scores of the same variables in Arg-e Jahan Nama can be perceived as factors leading to its failure from users’ point of view.

Finally, the paper suggests some architectural and urban design interventions to transform “Arg-e-Jahan Nama” into a successful mega project. Focusing on those indicators that make the “city center” megamall a successful project and emphasizing the indicators that significantly impact the environmental quality of “Arg-e-Jahan Nama” underpin the interventions.

The global elderly population is growing at an alarming rate. One of the main problems of the elderly is dementia, and the most common cause of dementia is Alzheimerchr('39')s disease. Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia are present in most Alzheimerchr('39')s patients since no definitive medication has been approved for dementia and Alzheimerchr('39')s patients. Adopting non-pharmacological treatments through a variety of interventions -especially those involving nature -offers therapeutic benefits that are critical for Alzheimerchr('39')s patients.

In this regular review, 31 eligible sources were selected, following PRISMA guidelines, and searching for defined keywords in the Google Scholar and PubMed databases, as well as applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the final screening, the quality of qualified resources obtained from the screening process of the first stage(titles and abstracts of articles) and the second stage(full text) was assessed with MMAT. With the unanimity of all three authors, data extraction was prepared in the form of a standard checklist of output information. BPSD-related keywords were first identified using up-to-date and specialized sources in Alzheimerchr('39')s disease in the elderly. In the second stage, by reviewing multiple eligible studies, the relationships between BPSD and spatial qualities of the therapeutic garden were identified by coding. In the third stage, the spatial quality relationships affecting BPSD in the therapeutic garden were categorized and presented in the form of therapeutic garden design guidelines for the elderly with Alzheimerchr('39')s.

The results in the form of therapeutic garden design guidelines include the location (visual communication, light), safety (enclosure, lighting, legibility), shadow, access, movement-pause paths, the culture of the place, and horticulture-therapy. Also, the relationship between therapeutic garden design guidelines and behavioral and psychological symptoms of the elderly with Alzheimerchr('39')s disease was identified. Most of the therapeutic effects of the therapeutic garden are through the reduction of disturbing behaviors, which is strongly related to the design guidelines, including: inside and outside communication, enclosure, garden, legibility, paths, and accessibility. As a result, compliance with a set of safety considerations related to reducing disturbed behaviors is of particular importance in designing a therapeutic garden for the Alzheimerchr('39')s elderly.

Therapeutic gardens in supportive environments are among the most effective ways to support Alzheimerchr('39')s patients in a nursing home and improve BPSD. Considering the three spectrums of cognitive/perceptual, emotional, and behavioral disorders of patients on the one hand and the capacities of the therapeutic garden due to physical and non-physical dimensions, we can expect to reduce the symptoms of the disease by adopting user-oriented design policies. Horticultural activity, attention to route and access, and cultural considerations are among the most essential components of designing a Therapeutic garden for the elderly with Alzheimerchr('39')s.

The concept of Walking-orientation” alongside Social sustainability” started as two revitalizing approaches to civic and social life with the goal of purposeful rebuild of destroyed or damaged cities due to political reasons such as war or social issues like forming a constructive bond between citizens with an insight to reduction of vehicle domination since 60s. But despite existing this thought among a significant number of urban planners and designers community, during the recent century due to the increase of city sizes as well as the density and quantity of vehicles, human beings have lost their priority over them and with their identity being diminished as the main elements of life in a city, they were pushed to the outskirt of cities over time; An event which could put concepts like interactions” and social bonding” at main spaces and nodes of the cities in a serious challenge.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cultural sidewalk of Rasht’s Shahrdari square in order to determine the levels of social sustainability and walking-orientation and extracting the affecting components on promoting these two subjects alongside providing theoretical and practical solutions to design high-quality urban public spaces.  The present research is of practical type and descriptive and survey method, using interviews and researcher-made questionnaires based on the statistical population of 384 samples, conducted by Cochran’s formula and Morgan’s table.

The results show the levels of social sustainability and walking-orientation at Shahrdari square of Rasht, with an average of 3.11 out of 5, stands in an acceptable situation. However, a notable point about the results of this study is the presence of more than sixty percent of the citizens to meet the living and occupation-related needs, which challenges increasing the level of interactions as the primary function of this physical environment.

Therefore, attracting the citizens in such spaces of a city which contain significant historical, cultural and social aspects, should be based on their personal desire to participate in these environments, not out of coercion and specifically economic and livelihood needs, but voluntarily in order to form high levels of interactions and social sustainability.  An objective that ultimately leads to the salvation of the spirit of citizenship.

The facade of a building is the essential element expressed by architecture. It has a significant impact on the viewer’s sensation and perception. The facade is the first component that people see when looking at a building, and they continuously “experience” it as they approach the building. Most studies about building facades have an urban planning approach to this subject, and it has not seen much scholarly attention from the perspective of architecture. Considering that there is no specific theory or model about the meaning of facades in architecture and since contextual factors such as culture, social conditions, and economic status affect the meaning of facades, the grounded theory was used to conduct this study.

This research use a mixed method. The qualitative part was performed using the grounded theory. The required data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews with the residents of Ardabil City. The sample population consisted of 25 individuals (16 women and nine men) who lived in residential apartments in Ardabil. Both physical characteristics (the geographical location, number of floors, and style of the buildings) and non-physical characteristics (the residents’ age and duration) constituted the selection criteria. The possibility of direct communication with the residents and performing spatial analysis were among the control criteria for choosing the sample population. The collected data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software, and the results were used to develop a conceptual model. The quantitative part was performed using correlation analysis. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire the validity and reliability of which were thoroughly examined. A total of 31 structured questions were posed to the citizens for testing the variables, and the conceptual modelchr('39')s validity was subsequently established.

In describing the appearance of their residential apartments, the participants used such terms as authentic, harmonious, grim, cheap-looking, which were used to identify the factors that determine the meaning of facades and develop a conceptual model. Facade design is influenced by cultural, economic, political, and climatic factors. Urban regulations and land lots with small widths tend to limit designers. Social networks have increased public awareness, and the resulting changes in people’s attitudes necessitate the adoption of different lifestyles and constant changes in building facades. Adhering to the principle of introversion in the Iranian architecture, installing covers and windows in the balconies to ensure privacy was found to have resulted in unbalanced facades and visual pollution, affecting the visual quality of the studied facades. Alongside construction, quality is also influential in shaping the meaning of a facade.

This research shows that facade components, physical and stylistic features, and apartment characteristics collectively lead to a unique experience of the meaning of the facade. Correlation analysis and quantitative analysis confirmed the validity of the conceptual model and the relationships of its factors. Designers can use this model to go beyond their perceptions and produce attractive and accepted designs by using desirable forms and facade components and considering the users’ mindsets. Since the sample population of this study consisted of the residents of Ardabil, it is suggested that this conceptual model be applied to different groups of people of various ages and education and be analyzed separately for each group.

Women have special needs for the presence and activity in urban spaces. The main purpose of research is to identify and present the spatial and cultural dimensions and components of urban spaces in accordance with the design of these spaces for the presence and activity of women in them. This article is a fundamental research and in terms of purpose is a descriptive-analytical one and in terms of the logic of conducting research is deductive. The three proposed components of the Canter, including meaning (womenchr('39')s immunity), function (raising the level of womenchr('39')s presence) and physical body (safe space), regardless of creating social barriers and harms, have created limitations for women; And creating appropriate urban spaces that respond to the needs of women and the relationship between the environment and their activities, affects the urban space. In the Stuart Hall model, "meaning" has been the basis of any event, phenomenon, or place and he equates this kind of meaning with culture. Paying attention to the effective criteria on the level of womenchr('39')s activity and creating an urban space in accordance with the activities in it, the amount of presence in urban spaces and sense giving to the physical body by strengthening the sense of place, also provides a way for women to function in that place.