Hamed Hayaty, Mahsa Behdarvand,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
With the arrival of Islam in Iran, the knowledge that had a strong connection with religion flourished in this land. Although in later periods schools were established independently from mosques, because of the religious studies in schools, the connection between mosques and schools was recreated again and they were called mosque-school in Islamic architecture. The integration of the two functions of mosque and school led to spatial innovations and creativity in the architecture of these buildings. Therefore, the architecture of these buildings had quite a special importance in the history of Islamic architecture. This article is based on the assumption that the body of Iranian schools from the Seljuk period to the Qajar period has evolved; It seeks to find the structural characteristics of Iranian schools in each historical period and also the evolution of their spatial arrangement by examining the models. For a better understanding and more specific analysis, the evolution of the spatial arrangement, typology of the structural system, and the relationship of traditional schools were conducted for the mentioned schools. This typology includes topics like structural system, spatial layout, structural communications, how to connect educational and worshiping (prayer) areas, methods of defining space (closed, open, and covered). The data were initially presented using a descriptive method and then they were evaluated through an analytical and adaptive method, and in terms of historical-interpretive approach, it was accomplished with typological analysis method and using library sources, collecting data from historical books, mapping, documents and receipts reading.
Study results show that schools in each historical period in order to meet the needs of students, have found specific structural characteristics and this has led to spatial changes, including residential, educational, and worshipping areas. For example, the porches of traditional schools initially had an educational function, and students gathered on the porches to discuss. In some cases, they also had been used for praying purpose. As a result, according to the present study and the case studies, the body of traditional schools in terms of the characteristics of the main components (porch, dorm, madrasa, etc.) and spatial arrangement, have passed evolutionary developments during the Seljuk period, Timurids, Safavids, Qajar.
Hamed Hayaty, Marzieh Nasirpour,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (4-2025)
Abstract
Geometry and proportion have served as foundational organizing principles in Iranian architecture, particularly evident in the spatial configuration of historic houses in Qom during the Qajar, late Qajar, and Pahlavi periods. This research presents a comparative analysis of spatial proportions in 23 heritage residences, examining dimensional ratios of primary spaces - including courtyards, rooms, three-door (se-dari), and five-door (panj-dari) halls - against three established proportional systems: the golden ratio (1.618), the Iranian golden rectangle (1.73), and the Gaz and Peymon (1.066). Employing an analytical-comparative methodology, the study combines field measurements with architectural plan analysis, utilizing statistical evaluation through ANOVA and one-sample t-tests in R software.
The findings demonstrate that while overarching proportional principles maintained relative consistency across the three historical periods, specific spatial elements exhibited distinct patterns of alignment with the examined systems. Rooms from the Qajar period showed the most consistent correspondence with all three proportional frameworks, while late Qajar reception spaces predominantly adhered to the golden ratio. The Pahlavi era witnessed a return to Gaz and Peymon proportions in courtyard design, likely reflecting contemporary standardization efforts. Notably, courtyard proportions in earlier periods diverged from the studied systems, potentially resulting from land availability constraints, evolving domestic requirements, and broader socio-economic transformations.
This investigation highlights the enduring significance of geometric principles in Persian residential architecture and proposes their thoughtful integration into contemporary design practice. Such an approach offers potential for maintaining regional architectural identity while addressing the climatic demands of Qom’s arid environment. The study contributes to ongoing scholarly discourse on Islamic architectural heritage preservation and adaptive reuse strategies.
Hamed Hayaty, Ehsan Ghorbani,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025)
Abstract
Elderly individuals and their sense of vitality in residential neighborhoods and housing serving as providers of diverse human needs and among the most human-centered subjects of architecture play a crucial role in ensuring well-being, tranquility, development, and self-actualization. Due to its direct and long-term interaction with the elderly, housing emerged as one of the primary concepts in architecture and urban planning at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. This issue forms the core of the present study, which examines the decline in the sense of vitality among the elderly within the morphological pattern of residential fabrics in contemporary Iranian cities. Accordingly, this research seeks to answer the main question: "What is the relationship between the physical structure of residential fabrics and the sense of vitality among the elderly?" Methodologically, this study is applied in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature and data collection approach. It employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. A correlational research approach was adopted to analyze relationships between variables using SPSS software. Data were collected through both library research and field studies (questionnaires). The questionnaires were distributed among 290 elderly individuals residing in two residential areas of Qom city: one with a villa-based fabric and the other with an apartment-based fabric. In selecting the sample, an effort was made to control independent variables related to the physical structure while also considering other factors influencing the sense of vitality among the elderly, such as their physical and psychological conditions and length of residence in the neighborhood. The correlation coefficient results indicate a significant and positive correlation (0.728) between the residential physical structure and the sense of vitality among elderly individuals living in villa-based neighborhoods. Conversely, in apartment-based neighborhoods, the correlation coefficient was calculated as -0.432, indicating a negative and inverse relationship between apartment living and the sense of vitality among the elderly. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the vitality scores for the elderly in Ensejam neighborhood (1.93) and Danial Nabi neighborhood (2.02) exhibit a significant difference, highlighting a meaningful variation in vitality levels between the two areas. Based on these results, a significant relationship exists between the morphological structure of the residential fabric in the two studied areas and the sense of vitality among the elderly.
