Manifestation of Culture in Traditional Architecture of Iranian House Based on Old Houses in Kashan

Abstract

Culture has huge effect on designing architecture form and space and also on quality of resident lives. Architecture applied in the places should be based on recognition of resident culture so as to satisfy their mental and physical needs, otherwise they would not be able to communicate with the space and feel pleasant sense of belonging. Although most designers focus on significance and influence of culture on building, they simply ignore the essence of culture and its impact on designs. In this research, in order to recognize how Islamic Iranian culture components manifest in the body of traditional house architecture, old houses in Kashan by using case study and descriptive and analytical method are studied. Considering culture elements including values, national norms and customs, myths and religious beliefs, spatial hierarchy, internal and external consistency, privacy, and communication with the nature and type of planning as the main criteria, this conclusion can be drawn that despite of all functional and regional limitations, architects pay adequate attention to resident culture and its impact on the deepest layers of their mind. Such researches are truly essential to survive contemporary housing pattern which is constantly falling into decline under the municipal laws