Abdolhamid Noghrekar, Samaneh Taghdir, Salman Noghrehkar, Mahdi Soleimani,
Volume 13, Issue 4 (1-2026)
In line with achieving the New Islamic Civilization and the objectives outlined in the "Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution," the overarching approach in architectural education must focus on realizing "Islamic-Iranian identity" through revised curricula and course content while avoiding imitation and direct translation of foreign methodologies. Consequently, the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Iran University of Science and Technology has undertaken significant measures to revise and enhance its architectural educational programs, explicitly aimed at embedding Islamic and Iranian identity into educational processes. This research aims to propose effective strategies and methods for teaching architecture courses based on extensive discussions and studies conducted by expert faculty members across four primary architectural disciplines. The research methodology employed is grounded in logical reasoning and adopts a holistic Islamic approach, comprehensively examining its relationship with these core architectural subjects. This methodology serves to analyze key concepts and align them with fundamental Islamic cultural principles and specific Iranian contexts in architectural education. The proposed strategies derive from comparative studies of architectural education across various institutions in Iran and internationally, complemented by over 30 hours of specialized consultations and expert workshops hosted by the Architecture Department at Iran University of Science and Technology. The recommended educational framework highlights several primary approaches: human-centered processes in architecture, viewing architectural design holistically, from "whole to part" and "idea to realization," within a cause-and-effect framework; the Islamic divine school, recognizing the essential integration of Islamic beliefs, laws, and values into architectural design; material and formal selection, emphasizing the dependence of human-centered architectural processes on specific temporal and spatial conditions and the integration of scientific and empirical findings; and preparatory educational background, incorporating foundational theoretical and engineering courses to adequately prepare students for advanced architectural design. These approaches not only strive to embed Islamic and Iranian identity within architectural education but also critically examine human processes and architectural outputs through Islamic perspectives on aesthetics, art philosophy, and stylistic principles. Ultimately, this program aims to systematically revise architectural curricula and course content to contribute substantively to realizing the "New Islamic Civilization" through principled, scientifically-grounded architectural education in Iran.
