Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability
Volume:5 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

Refurbishing water distribution networks necessitates simulating the impact of implementation options to enhance sustainability. The study introduces a novel point evaluation index to assess changes’ effects on consumption points based on sustainability components. The results showed that in the state of maximum consumption, the point stability distribution had lower values than in other consumption states, so that the trend of changes in the total stability index of the network decreased from 0.66 to 0.41 with pressure reduction. In the same situation and at the same time, the average point index of the network had decreased from 0.8 to 0.27. Therefore, the comparison of the total and point stability indicators of the network showed that the amount and distribution of the stability index of the network points have decreased more with the increase in consumption (pressure reduction) compared to the total stability index under the same conditions. The research revealed that enhancing point index sustainability positively influences the network’s overall sustainability. Notably, the point sustainability index, particularly in the maximum consumption mode, is recommended for local network improvement plans. Therefore, it can be recommended that in network reform and reconstruction programs, evaluation and promotion of point stability will provide more favorable operational results. In order to continue and further clarify the results of this research, it is suggested to evaluate the general and point stability indexes corresponding to the water pressure decimal intervals that form the basis for dividing the acceptable limits of the pressure conditions in the network.

Since the 1920s, minimalism entered the thoughts and works of architecture. Cleanliness, the use of simple volumes and neutral colors are the most specific signs of minimal architecture. However, deep and special thoughts can be read through the analysis of intertextual signs in minimal works. Intertextuality explores the relationships between different works beyond the temporal and spatial perspective and can reveal the traces of each work in another work even with a different image and in another place of the world. The research is based on a qualitative method, with a content analysis strategy based on logical reasoning, and with the categorization of intertextual signs, in the form of internal-external cultural relations, vertical-horizontal relations and representation-reference in two contemporary Iranian minimal works, including the Islamic Republic of Iran's universities, by Hadi Mirmiran. And Laleh Park prayer hall in Tehran by Kamran Diba has been analyzed from an intertextual point of view. The aim of the current research is to explain the components of minimalism in architecture through semiotics using the intertextual method. The results of the research, along with the intertextual analysis of each work, point to the continuous relationships of the elements of the universe based on intertextual thinking.

In the style of urban photography, unlike street photography, people and their surroundings are equally important. In fact, urban photography in the form of a narrative examines the environment and humans as well as the relationships between them. The current research is descriptive-analytical and the research paradigm is interpretive. The method of collecting information is in the form of libraries and documents, and it is also prepared in the field. First, using theoretical sources, the literature review related to the subject of urban photography and the perceptual approach in understanding it is discussed, and by focusing on the opinions of Kendall Walton, the subject of photography in urban elements is examined and analyzed using several examples. Takes place, the resulting result is deduced and interpreted in the context of realism. The results show that urban elements usually have other social and cultural functions in addition to their building function. The photos were taken in natural ambient light; This point, in addition to showing the photos real, has also increased their transparency. Especially for those who see these photos, the reality and transparency of the photos and the feeling of being in the place of the towers are evoked so that they see the architecture and structures of the towers with high clarity and transparency in front of their eyes.

In recent decades, scholars have proposed using daylight in buildings as one of the main aspects of design due to the necessity of energy consumption decrease and also the positive physical and mental influence of natural light on users. Using ordinary glasses in buildings causes energy wastage and thereby increases energy consumption and cost. Consequently, it is necessary to use the appropriate types of glass and windows in order to reduce energy consumption and not prevent daylight from entering the building. Therefore, comprehensive and extensive attention to the compatibility of the architectural design of façade systems and current advancements in computational tools for understanding specifications of such systems and parametric tools, genetic process (GAs), and building Performance Simulation (BPS) that help designers, are necessary. Hence, In the present study, an attempt has been done to explain recent developments and existing gaps of knowledge with a comprehensive study of research literature.

Thermal comfort can affect the performance and efficiency of individuals from physical and mental aspects. A suitable architectural design based on various aspects of providing people's comfort can significantly contribute to reduce energy consumption, increase the time people spend in different spaces and increase their willingness to utilize them, increase visitors' attendance and many other benefits in addition to strengthening the mental and physical conditions of individuals. Although it is very important to investigate the impact of shading on thermal comfort in semi-open spaces of Mashhad County with an emphasis on balconies. The results indicate that what is obtained from investigating the thermal behavior of various models among the various simulation models in Honeybee Software is that all models are in the thermal comfort range for a very short time on the summer solstice day, models number eight and nine have provided the longest duration of thermal comfort with an amount of 2 hours. Of course, it is necessary to point out that after these two models, all the models that are open on one side have created the highest amount of thermal comfort provision on the winter solstice day with 1.75 hours. In addition, from the viewpoint of providing the lowest amount of thermal comfort on winter solstice day, the eastern model with three open sides and the western model with three open sides have gained the weakest position by providing thermal comfort conditions for only 1.25 hours.

The purpose of this research was investigating personal development coaching in the academic staff of Islamic Azad University of Iran. The research method was qualitative approach and using the grounded theory method. The statistical population of this research consists of experts who are aware of the topic of coaching. Sampling in this research was done purposefully and chain sampling (snowball) has been used. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews and also the Delphi method application. Data analysis was done in 3 stages of open coding, central coding and selective coding. Based on that, a qualitative research model was designed. The results show 6 general categories and 37 sub-category and 155 sub-categories that were included in the paradigm model. By using the Delphi method and considering concave of elite and expert opinions, effective factors have become the primary suggested indicators that have been tested and finally the framework and model of the research have been extracted. The results show the research infrastructure Index with a score of 4.41 is the highest and after that, education infrastructure index with a score of 4.33, indexes of skill and expertise and participation with a score of 4.25 and 4.21 had the least effect. Therefore, the personal development coaching in academic staff is proposed as an effective method to help academic staff to make fundamental changes in the work environment.

The city of Isfahan in Iran has historical centers that represent different paradigms: "narrative-mystical," "rational-philosophical," and "scientific." The “Buyid " and "Safavid" dynasties built symbolic centers with "ontological" dimensions, bringing unity to the city under a centralized government. Naqsh Jahan Square is a historical symbolic center that encompasses all dimensions of human existence and allows individuals to rise above themselves. This research aims to understand the process of continuous creation and the factors influencing it, focusing on the historical symbolic centers of Isfahan city. The research method is qualitative, using hermeneutic phenomenology, historical-interpretive, case study, and logical reasoning approaches. Information is gathered through a systematic review of historical texts, examination of scientific, mystical, philosophical, and physical-spatial opinions, field observations, interviews, and content analysis. The historical symbolic center of Isfahan city is described as a complex with a physical-spatial character, starting from the origin of the old square, passing through the market, and reaching Naqsh Jahan. The continuous creation process is dependent and interconnected, involving "topology," "functionalism," "morphology," "landscaping," and "typology," which all contribute to the relationship between humans and the place, creating mutual perception and meaning.

The lifestyle and its place in the social structure is one of the noteworthy features of Iranian house architecture, especially in the Qajar period, which can be of interest to planners and designers. considering the lifestyle of the noble class. Also, the recognition of cultural and social components in the architecture of noble houses in Tehran at the end of the Qajar period, according to the lifestyle of the noble class. It tries to answer this question: What physical changes did the architecture of the noble houses of Tehran in the late Qajar period have, according to the lifestyle of the noble class? The present research is conducted in a combined method, based on quantitative data extracted from A-Graph software and analysis of the obtained data using logical reasoning method. Among the houses of Tehran at the end of the Qajar period, 20 houses have been selected as case examples and in a purposeful way, and the indices of space syntax in these houses have been investigated. The results of the research show that this privileged social class lived in two types of introverted and extroverted housing over a period of time. The appearance of spaces such as the central hall and numerous foyers have replaced the central courtyards, especially in the pavilions and palaces, so it can be said that the study of the style and way of life of different strata is influenced by their class status.

According to psychologists, flexible people are people and they react more appropriately to changes. Environmental variables are among the factors influencing human reactions and they play an important role in the category of flexibility and its relationship with learning. As one of the important learning tools, the open spaces of schools have turned educational environments into a stimulating factor for the intellectual and physical growth of students. The current research was conducted with the aim of identifying the components affecting the flexible physical body in open educational spaces and its effect on learning and using the descriptive-analytical method. Information was collected by library and field methods and the sample size is 250 people based on Morgan's table, as well as the simulation of pristine nature in the campus for the purpose of spending leisure time and education, are considered to be effective on the level of students' learning. The results of this research showed that the flexible furniture of the yard and open spaces with flexible forms in the open educational space is much more effective than being in a uniform and soulless yard on children's learning. Based on this, qualitative components in open educational spaces in the form of diversity, adaptability and changeability have a higher importance than individual and social components, and the requirement to pay more attention to it, as a vital factor in the quality of educational activities, can lead to the formation of a platform. It is desirable to increase the learning rate of students.

Social health, defined as a form of mental, individual, and social well-being, leads to citizens having high motivation and enthusiasm when it becomes a reality in society. Ultimately, this results in a healthy and vibrant community. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of social factors affecting the social health of Tabriz citizens. Based on this, the impact of five social variables: social support, social trust, religiosity, social and economic base and the participation in social networks on social health was investigated. Also, determining the relationship of nine contextual variables with social health was another goal of this research. This paper utilizes Kinzer’s theories and employs a survey-based research method, using questionnaires to collect data. The sample size was 400 people, and a combination of stratified and cluster sampling methods was used. The results indicate that the average social health of citizens in Tabriz is slightly higher than the national average. Among the variables, social trust, religiosity, and social support significantly impact citizens’ social health. Only two variables, economic and social status, and participation in social networks, did not have a significant relationship with citizens’ social health. Evaluating the effects of direct and indirect influences, social trust, education, religiosity, and age respectively have the most significant impact on the social health of Tabriz citizens.

Performance evaluation has become one of the basic concerns of managers of organizations in today’s competitive conditions. The window analysis method, by enabling the combination of observations in time and cross-sectional series, to some extent solves the problem of insufficient observations. Therefore, firstly, by using interviews with experts and reading the library and reviewing the subject literature, in order to evaluate the efficiency of bank branches, four input indicators. Up to the identified branches of Yazd city national bank, 40 bank branches were evaluated and analyzed. In the evaluation, the efficiency of 40 branches was evaluated using the crosssectional window data overlay analysis method, of which five branches were efficient, and in order to confirm the presented model, the efficiency of the branches was evaluated first with the window CCR model and then via Shipley value. The comparative results of the cross efficiency method and the integration algorithm were shown to be the same. Considering the efficiency of five bank branches, the cooperative game theory between efficient branches was established. Each efficient unit or branch was defined as a player and the set of efficient branches was defined as a coalition. Then, different coalitions were formed for each efficient DMU, and the income from the alliances was Each DMU was calculated and using the concept of Shipley value, the cooperative game value was obtained between efficient branches. At the result, 17 branches were introduced as the most efficient unit in the evaluation of hyper-efficiency.

The green roof is one of the new approaches of architecture and urban planning and is based on the concepts of sustainable development, which can be used to increase the number of green spaces per capita, improve the quality of the environment and sustainable urban development. The current research is analytical-descriptive and has a practical purpose. The method of data collection is both documentary and libraries, and survey method has been used. The main aim of this method is to create a set of perceptual data in the landscape organization of Shiraz city in order to examine the quality of perception and understanding of different people with the property evaluation level in relation to urban green spaces as one of the main indicators of urban landscape sustainability. After determining the average score of the case samples, taking into account the SAW weighting method and the TOPSIS ranking method, as well as the weighted feedback of each index in the Delphi method, qualitative ranking is done. Findings show the scale of the green roof and the function of the building can be considered effective in influencing the conceptual model in the urban landscape, but it cannot be concluded that the larger the scale and area of the green roof, the more effective it is in improving the quality of the urban landscape. The results show visual-perceptional component quality is related to aesthetic preference, and in future researches, the relationship between the indexes can be evaluated.

In Iran, due to the low price of energy carriers, the amount of energy consumption in the country is high and it is considered one of the countries with very high energy consumption. The aim of this research is to investigate the amount of energy consumption in its optimization approach in a simulation room in Tehran, which is done by focusing on the type of openings and its dimensions and evaluated by Design builder software. The first stage of the simulation of the heating and cooling load of the simulated room was with 27 samples of opening combinations with glass, gas and different frames. The second stage is the evaluation of 4 opening modes with the size ratio of 1 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 1 and 2 to 2, which determines the best aspect ratio for the opening. Findings shows shows the comparison of the monthly average cooling load in the dimensions selected for four types of windows, shows that the highest cooling load is observed in type D and size 2.3, which is the largest opening size in the four options selected for evaluation, and naturally It leads to more cooling load. Types A and B, which indicate the dimensions of 1.5 x 2 and 1 x 2, show almost the same values in comparison of the average cooling load. Among these, the best result belongs to type C with dimensions of 2 x 2, which has the lowest amount of cooling load.

Fine dust is one of the environmental challenges, which disturb human comfort. Wind is the main factor in the movement of fine dust, and the movement pattern of wind is affected by the architecture of cities. semi-open spaces such as balconies has an effect on the nature of wind and fine dust flow. The purpose of this research is to compare the distribution of wind flow and fine dust in the interior plan, with three variables: location, proportions of balconies and partitioning of interior.Study was done by CFD. K-Omega-SSD turbulence model is used. In order to the software data (the size and type of particles) and software validation, the field sampling method has been used. Research findings show that the design of balconies has a better performance against ventilation. On the other hand, shallow balconies with a wider opening are more suitable. Also, the presence of an internal partition has a positive effect on the ventilation of spaces. The results show that the design of the balconies at the entrance and exit of the wind flow increases the number of suspended particles. The design of these balconies with a shallower depth and a wider opening lowers particle with smaller sizes in the interior spaces with a higher percentage. Also, the design of closed spaces, compared to the design of open spaces, improves the design in dealing with the flow of fine dust.

This study investigates wall heat transfer, including the optimization of wall layers in Tehran’s buildings. This paper represents that poor wall structure has a positive effect on energy costs and thermal comfort, as well as negative environmental degradation because of using fossil fuels. The paper addresses the great relevance of thermal transmittance to building energy performance and underlines the necessity for a theoretical and practical analysis and experimental measurement of thermal behavior of building components. In aspect of methodology of the current research, five common wall details in Tehran local buildings are investigated, and their insulating options are evaluated on the basis of Iranian building regulations. The thermal physique formulas are the main tools used to calculate each wall’s thermal transmittance qualities, and the results are presented under specific temperatures. This article presents the findings of the heat transfer calculation for each wall type and discusses the variables and equations used in the calculation procedure. The new formula relations are established on the U-value, which is counted as the basis thermal property. This study plays a critical role in the optimization of thermal transmittance of wall layers in energy-efficient buildings. It has reviewed a wide range of studies related to wall heat transfer in various environmental conditions in Tehran. As the main potential of this research, it will help architects and designers select appropriate wall details that are energy-efficient, especially in insulation materials. Further research work might also be extended to other Iranian cities with different climates, considering eco-friendly insulation materials.

Traditional schools in historical periods have played a significant role in education and the advancement of various sciences. Notably, during the Safavid era, remarkable examples can be observed in important cities like Isfahan. Recognizing the formative spaces within the conceptual framework of spatial configuration can lead to strategies for designing contemporary schools. The research methodology of this study is applied in terms of purpose and combines descriptive and logical reasoning methods regarding its nature and approach. Data collection is primarily library-based, and regarding primary data on spatial arrangement methods, the research sample studies have been gathered through document studies and articles. The case studies consist of various types of schools from the Safavid era in Isfahan, including six schools: Jaddeh Bozorg, Jaddeh Koochak, Chaharbagh, Molla Abdullah, Kaseh Garan, and Nimaavard. In the analysis part, the spatial arrangement method is initially used to call up maps and analyze the spatial parameters of the schools in the software. This involves connectivity and readability using the analytical graph system. The findings indicate that the parameters of connectivity, readability, and the connection relate to the form of the floor plan, access from the courtyard to public and private spaces, and the degree of visual depth in the way spatial connections are configured. Consequently, during the Safavid era, due to the existence of cohesive architectural patterns and the creation of modular and spatially compact, symmetrical structures with central courtyards, these schools are considered outstanding examples in the history of Iranian architecture.

Frithjof Schuon is a pivotal figure in the traditionalism movement, known for his profound insights into art and spirituality. Schuon’s artistic philosophy is rooted in the awareness of the Absolute and the symbolism it encompasses. He posits that beautiful shapes, the external or material realm, while virtue cultivates the internal space of the self. This article aims to explore Schuon’s philosophical perspective on art and its implications for interpreting the works of Sohrab Sepehri. Key elements of this discussion include the transition from the sensible to the intelligible realam, the symbolic nature of art, the absence of innovation in traditional forms, the practicality of artistic expression, and the alignment of form, materials, and symbolism with the principles of traditional art. Employing a descriptive-analytical research method, this study synthesizes fundamental theoretical frameworks and conducts an in-depth analysis of selected artworks. The goal is to elucidate Schuon’s influence on Sepehri’s artistic vision and to analyze the intellectual nuances present in his paintings. A selection of Sepehri’s works is analyzed to understand how the lack of representation, the intentional simplicity of materials, and the transformation of nature facilitate access to the intelligible realm an alignment that resonates with Schuon’s philosophical tenets. This research is based on comprehensive library data, primary sources, and scholarly articles within the realm of art theory, revealing the connection between nature and intelligibility in Sepehri’s artistic expressions. Findings show Schuon proposes a specific approach to art based on the concept of beauty as a spiritual truth, suggesting that beauty can lead to a deeper understanding of truth and existence. Sepehri has repeatedly explored this theme in his poems, using the clarity and simplicity of nature to convey profound human emotions.