فصلنامه مطالعات محیطی هفت حصار
پیاپی 44 (تابستان 1402)

Numerous global studies have demonstrated that interacting with nature in our surroundings can greatly benefit our mental health. The biophilic design approach can aid in connecting individuals with nature in a man-made environment, making it a useful tool. Further studies are needed in treatment spaces throughout the country to develop an understanding of how biophilic components affect the mental health of patients through experimental research. This study aims to identify the beneficial aspects of biophilic design in the mental well-being of patients receiving treatment within the country. This research focuses on the relationship between biophilic design elements and their impact on the mental health of patients in therapeutic spaces in Mashhad. The study assumes that experiencing nature directly through biophilic architecture can reduce anxiety and depression while increasing life expectancy, ultimately leading to better mental health outcomes for patients.

This research utilized qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate biophilic factors' impact on patients' anxiety levels in hospitals. The qualitative portion involved analyzing library documents and coding concepts using the foundation data method and MAXQDA10 software. The field and survey studies focused on sample hospitals in Mashhad city, including Hay Farabi, 17 Shahrivar, and Omid. A standard questionnaire on anxiety in hospitals and a questionnaire on biophilic components in therapeutic environments were distributed randomly to 270 patients over a period of two months. The quantitative portion involved measuring the relationships between variables using factor analysis and structural equations with Smart PLS.

During the survey of hospitals to determine the presence of biophilic components, Shahrivar Hospital was ranked first with 35.71%, followed by Farabi Hospital with 28.57% and Omid Hospital with 14.28%. Research shows that the dimensions of biophilic design have a significant impact on the spiritual and psychological well-being of patients in therapeutic spaces. When patients are more connected to nature in these spaces, it can decrease anxiety levels and improve spiritual components of health, such as life expectancy. A survey of hospital environments and the assessment of patients' mental health revealed that 17 Shahrivar Hospital, which had more biophilic components in indoor spaces, had a greater positive effect on patients than Farabi Hospital, which had components in external spaces. This research model confirms the usefulness of biophilic design in therapeutic spaces to improve the mental state and satisfaction of patients. Incorporating biophilic components into the environment can have a positive impact on the patient's experience in a therapeutic environment.

According to the study, the direct experience of nature in indoor spaces for therapeutic purposes was the most important factor in promoting mental health. Following this, the indirect experience of nature and the nature of space and place were also found to be significant factors, in that order. Furthermore, it was discovered that the biophilic environment of indoor spaces had a greater impact on reducing anxiety and depression among patients than in outdoor spaces in hospitals. Overall, these findings suggest that incorporating natural elements into indoor spaces can have a positive impact on mental health.

In recent decades, the concepts and ideas of human sciences have been closely related to art and architecture; So that this relationship has led to the production of new forms, spaces and readings of architecture. This relationship occurs both as a common chapter between architecture and human sciences. On the other hand, with the importance of finding language in postmodern theories, architecture has been seen as a text. A text that conveys a set of values, thoughts and traditions along with it and has a language behind its curtain that talks to the audience and the audience tries to read its meaning and interpretation. Semiotics, as one of the methods of text analysis, seeks to analyze texts in terms of structured wholes and focuse on the system of rules that govern the discourses involved in texts and emphasizes the role of semiotic context in the formation of meaning. Each and every detail in traditional Iranian houses had its meaning and concept for users, which has made it valuable.

This study examines the meaning of home from the perspective of social sciences that pays more attention to the cultural and social aspects of the home. In this approach, one of its methods is the semiotic method. Semiotics in the field of architecture is the acquisition and recognition of meanings beyond the functional implication of architecture, and attention is paid to the communicative nature of architecture, which is rooted in social-cultural relations. The foundations of semiotic knowledge, which is based on meaning and interpretation, can be a platform for understanding the relationship between how the semantic and structural components of the architectural space are perceived. Since semiotics is related to the basics of deciphering meanings, the role of the interpreter is important in understanding these concepts.

This study is to investigate the effective components in creating meaning in a traditional urban house and to develop a conceptual model for proper reading of the text of the house by layered semiotics so that its layers are identified and the objective appearance of the signals network is determined in an interactive context.

The research shows that the house is a text that consists of several layers of meaning and systems involved in creating a work of support and create a systematic whole called the house

As the third generation of tourism, creative tourism engages tourists with the cultural attractions of the destination and provides the opportunity to learn and connect with the host community. The development of creative tourism in the Zayandehrood axis is really necessary in a situation where the majority of tourists in Isfahan are cultural tourists and where successive droughts have caused damage to this natural attraction. The purpose of this research is to explain creative tourism indicators from the perspective of the citizens of Isfahan. 

The method is descriptive-analytic and survey-based. In this study, the indicators of creative tourism based on the data obtained from 384 citizens of Isfahan were examined and tested. In order to analyze the findings, confirmatory factor analysis was used in Amos software.

The results of this analysis show that physical factors are the first, social in the second, economic in the third, management in the fourth, cultural in the fifth, and ecological is the sixth priority of creative tourism on the Zayandehrood Axis; and if creative uses are created in accordance with the architectural style of historic bridges, the Zayandehrood axis will attract citizens and tourists even in dry times.

Among the cultural indicators of local festivals, stories and considering spaces to display the native arts of Isfahan, such as music, handicrafts, food, etc., are in priority. Among social indicators, sociability and memorable mental images are in priority. In this regard, educational and recreational spaces for different age groups can be considered according to the potentials of different Zayandehrood axis sequences. In the economic indicators of creative tourism, technology is a greater factor in providing services and branding slogans; and creative tourism designers should identify the brand message according to the potentials of the Zayandehrood axis and Isfahan and create a marketing campaign. In physical indicators, consideration of infrastructure, safety, and creative design are in priority. Therefore, upgrading the tourism infrastructure of the Zayandehrood axis along with designing creative places and spaces to stimulate the creativity of citizens and tourists should be considered. Among the environmental indicators, new technologies to reduce environmental pollution, conservation of green spaces, energy saving, water flow in the Zayanderood, and considering creative benefits as incentives for eco-friendly citizens can be a priority. Apart from that, from the management indicators, non-governmental organizations will have a significant impact on the creative tourism of the Zayandehrood axis. Cultural, social, economic, physical, and managerial factors have a factor load of more than 0.9 and ecological factor has a factor load of 0.871; therefore, all factors have a great impact on creative tourism of the Zayandehrood axis planning and will provide active participation based on original and unique experiences.

Aggressive behavior in various forms is one of society’s major and fundamental problems. The importance of this issue at the global level has led to proposals and solutions to reduce aggression. Environmental experts believe that the environment with its components can significantly impact mental health, behavioral stress, the sense of belonging to space, and the amount of social interactions of users. The onset of aggressive behavior in childhood will lead to serious social harm and threats in the future. Aggressive behavior is very concerning. Aggressive children are harmed in their relationships with family, peers, and teachers, and this behavior will affect their academic performance, concentration, and learning. For this reason, the identification of factors affecting this behavior has been the focus of mental health researchers and should be considered by the educational system. Thus, school is the most effective environment in which students, along with their friends and peers, can imitate aggressive behavior or they can behave relatively calmly and logically. The main purpose of this research to reduce such behaviors of students in schools is to achieve a model of optimal causal relationships between effective environmental components.

The research method is based on a survey to evaluate the environmental components that are affecting the reduction of aggressive behavior, which was extracted from the framework of theoretical foundations. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed among 317 male high school students. Data analysis is a method of factor analysis in which the relationship between environmental components is explained, and the final research model is drawn from Emus software. Also, causal relationships of the model are evaluated using path analysis.

In the findings of the research, the relationship model between the seven main factors of environmental components and students' aggression in schools has been drawn. These factors include the effect of a stress-free environment in establishing a sense of empathy among students, the effect of diversity in increasing spatial attractiveness, the effect of readability and accessibility on improving students' mental peace, the effect of naturalism on the formation of a fresh environment, the effect of privacy on increasing environmental security, and the effect of flexibility of environmental elements. In improving the performance and finally, the effect of furniture and diverse arrangement is on setting the activity of the environment. In the final model, three cycles of naturalistic factors impact the environment without stress. The first cycle, which expresses the role of nature along with the readability and flexibility of space, will lead to the movement of the second cycle with the addition of the diversity factor and then the third cycle with the activity factor.

The results indicate that the cycle of naturalism with the mediation of diversity at 39.8% and activity at 40.2% has led to the formation of a stress-free environment. Also, the spatial readability factor with 65.4%, and the environmental security factor with 50.2% were identified as the most effective factors in the model, and the final model was influenced by these two factors.

Thermal comfort has always been one of the primary goals of architectural design. Many studies have addressed indoor thermal comfort. However, less attention has been paid to outdoor thermal comfort. Outdoor spaces need to be equally emphasized because of the occurrence of daily activities in them. Open spaces play a unique role in the spatial structure of traditional Iranian architecture. Mosques are among the most important buildings in the history of Iranian architecture. With the spread of Islam in the early centuries of Hijri, many mosques were constructed in the great province of Khorasan, some of which are still standing. Most of these mosques have open spaces that are built based on the climate; therefore, they are among the best sources of modeling for contemporary architecture to achieve thermal comfort. Thus, the research questions of the present study can be expressed as follows: What is the range of thermal comfort in the open spaces of Khorasan mosques based on the PMV index? What are the optimal geometry patterns of mosque courtyards in the Khorasan region to achieve thermal comfort? In order to answer the questions, ENVI-MET4 simulation software was used.

The approach of the current study in terms of its purposes and methodology is applied research and quantitative respectively. In the first stage of the study, the form, dimensions, and proportions of the yard and the percentage of open to closed spaces of the traditional mosques of Khorasan province were analyzed through an analytical method, based on library studies. The courtyards of the traditional mosques were categorized, the patterns governing them were extracted, and thermal comfort was evaluated. Four sample cities were selected based on four different climatic zones. In the second stage, using the simulation method, the models were made on July 23rd during the summer solstice for the four cities in the ENVI-MENT 4 software. The simulation results were illustrated and analyzed in the Leonardo software, and the PMV thermal comfort index was used.

Three types of mosque courtyards in the mentioned cities were analyzed. Based on the PMV index and the comparison of plan structures, the results revealed that in Qochan City, the plan with a square geometry is close to the thermal comfort range. In Mashhad, a rectangular courtyard with an extension in the direction of the Qibla is the best option to achieve thermal comfort in open spaces. Moreover, in the city of Sabzevar, the rectangular plan perpendicular to the Qibla direction, and in the city of Tabas, the rectangular plan parallel to the Qibla direction were identified as the best models of thermal comfort.

The proportions and forms of the courtyards are square in the high foothills; rectangular in line with the Qibla in the low foothills; rectangular in the direction of the Qibla in the plains, and rectangular in the direction of the Qibla in the desert climate. Considering the joy of outdoor worship, it is necessary to design the courtyard in such a way that it can provide comfortable conditions as a subclimate, particularly during hot summer days.

Residential architecture is not only literal words based on specific arrays and techniques, rather, it is a kind of colloquial language in which social contradictions and distinctions are exhibited with the same oral language. The presentational variable is one of the influential factors in the architectural body. Nowadays, dramatic architecture in society as a public affair is a barrier to policymaking with a cultural challenge in the field of architecture. From the point of view of culturalism, presentational variables are associated with culture, while culture, affected by time and field, can be derived from each of the cultural layers or areas; ideological culture (Culture of specialist forces, books, and articles), custom culture (Common culture), elite culture (Imported culture) or foreign culture (Religion and Nationality). Perceiving the relation between the presentational variable and architecture is a part of perceiving the architecture-culture relation. On the other hand, the difference between academic and daily conversation is displayed in the form of the building's skin by entering the distinction which has shown itself in “language”. The explanation of this cultural category in the duality of opinion and action on today's exterior body of housing architecture will assist the audiences in understanding it more accurately in the direction of today's housing pathology. Therefore, in the present study, the indicators of the presentational variable have been explained and then investigated on the exterior body of contemporary Iranian housing.

First, the seven proposed indicators of the presentational variables on the exterior body of a building have been explained according to variations of research literature and reasoning/qualitative analysis using the mixed method, and then the indicators and characteristics, in selected buildings from the domain of “artistic institution”, including selected buildings in architectural competitions, the domain of “public” architectures namely architectures of the artificial texture of society has been investigated using mean comparison test. Data collection for the statistical population of the first and second categories has been done by library and field methods, respectively, and the sampling model of both categories has been purpose.

Among the seven indicators of the presentational variable (modernism, prodigal, isolated, dominant, bourgeois, seducer, rupture of culture), there has been a significant difference in five indicators among the buildings of these two domains; so the most effective indicators of the presentational variable in the first domain means indicators of "isolated" and "modernism" have been the least effective indicators in the second domain and conversely, indicators of "rupture of culture" and "bourgeois" have considered as the most effective indicators in the second domain while they have considered as the least effective indicators in the first domain.

This lack of congruence has revealed an incompatible situation as it seems that public architecture has not been subordinate to the selected buildings of institutions of society and this institution has not shown the required field – according to Bourdieu – in shaping the exterior body of housing in order to gain public obedience.

Since vernacular architecture is formed in harmony with the "lived experience" of the natives, it is an architecture of existential space, which, from a poetic point of view, is an unexpected and at the same time liberating space that is discovered and understood through imagination. Therefore, the present article, by referring to the phenomenological approach that is rooted in philosophy and refers to concepts such as "lived experience" and "perception" of human beings, examines the issue in a way that "how" is possible.

to answer the main question of the research: "How can the phenomenological criteria derived from Heidegger and Schultz's theories provide an existential analysis of the realization of habitation/dwelling in the indigenous architecture of Manoujan region?", Phenomenological criteria derived from basic theoretical studies in Heidegger's philosophy of existence and the phenomenology of place in Schultz's research, include: one case dependent variable of "Dwelling", and ten independent variables including: "Spatiality", "Gathering", "Character", and "Poetic" were extracted and compiled.

Then, the findings of field studies on Manoujan vernacular architecture were presented in the form of analysis and description by Schultz and Heidegger phenomenological criteria in order to achieve a deeper and better understanding of Manoujan vernacular architecture in describing and interpreting the phenomenological phenomena with the mentioned criteria. What significantly distinguishes this habitat - the collection of adjacent capers - from similar specimens is the type of material, the shape, and manner of the capers and other related elements, on the one hand, and the habitat that has been established there, on the other.

The results showed that the settlement in question, despite all the economic problems and severe poverty of its inhabitants, has the necessary components for the realization of habitation/dwelling and sense of place in accordance with the authentication and admittance of utility and therefore in relation to form and space. Finally, it was tried to show that this "dwelling" method has advantages that are neglected in current architectural research and studies; the advantages are focused on the "lived experience" of the residents and their existential relationship with their environment and place of living, which seems to be better seen with existential analysis and a phenomenological approach.

In the latter half of the 20th century, it was recognized that good urban spaces must provide opportunities for social interaction and communication. This was deemed essential for the survival of cities. However, the advent of social media and mobile communication has gradually shifted the focus away from physical presence and towards the content and nature of cities. Information and communication technologies have become pervasive in human life, yet their impact on human presence and behavior in urban spaces is often overlooked. The introduction of connected users has redefined the concept of urban spaces in the age of technology, resulting in significant changes in interactive, cognitive, and spatial behaviors.

This study utilizes the qualitative content analysis method and coding technique in ATLAS.it software to explore the shifts in user behavior within Tehran's 6 and 12 districts. Specifically, the focus is on changes in relationships and interactive patterns.

The research based on behavioral maps shows that users' interaction behavior has shifted from direct and active communication to indirect and two-way communication. This change is more focused on the media, attention, and perception of the surrounding space and communication with others. As a result, the nature of public spaces has moved from traditional landmarks to temporal domains. This blurs the connection between the user and the space, causing the connected user to be moved from the center of the space to the margin. In an interactive approach, the user's focal role in space is weakened.

The research shows that technology plays a crucial role in how people choose, navigate, and socialize in physical spaces. This dependence on technology has led to changes in how people interact with each other and their environment. These changes offer valuable insights for urban planners and designers to create more efficient and effective spaces in modern cities. By understanding the various dimensions of these changes, planners can develop optimal solutions and patterns to enhance the user experience.