According to many researchers, "culture" is the main factor in the formation of architectural spaces andplays an important role in social sustainability. Therefore, studying culture and its impact on architecturalspaces is important in order to understanding human behavioral patterns. In this research, it has beenattempted to examine the influence of socio-cultural factors on the formation of architectural spaces byapplying a descriptive-analytical method and using library resources. Also space syntax method was usedin order to evaluate the influence of social aspects on the formation of architectural spaces. The results ofthis study indicate that the structural system of traditional Iranian houses is based on a hierarchical systemso that in order to reach the private space, it has to pass through a few intermediate spaces. This way ofreaching from the public space to the private space has also been derived from the culture and customs ofthose regions. In this way, it can be concluded that socio-cultural factors have a great influence on theformation of architectural spaces. Also, the cultural concept of the architecture prioritizes its materialmeaning and the architecture is just through socio-cultural organizations that come to the vitality. تفاصيل المقالة

The study of Iranian gardens and the features of its elements make it possible to identify the symbolism of nature. In fact, we can understand the hidden concepts in the gardens by examining its semantic features and signs. The obligation of an architect in Islamic architecture is transmitting the semantic message to the audience. That is why signs and its features in art and architecture are concerned important. In this research, it was tried to identify the semantic components of the signs used in the Iranian gardens of Shiraz. According to the literature review of this research, index and iconic signs are based on qualitative analysis of the elements that are present in these gardens through observations. While in order to reach symbolic signs that is influenced by socio-cultural norms, Space Syntax method has been used. The comparison of the social logic in the case gardens shows that these gardens are similar to each other in terms of social structure which is derived from customs and beliefs of that society. By comparing the elements in the gardens, it can be concluded that some of the elements are used more often than others to express the concepts as signs. Accordingly, the repetition of the signs and the emphasis on their frequent use makes it possible for the audience to have a better comprehension from the signs and concepts of the gardens as a semantic aspect of universe. This research contributes architects to revive lost identity of the built environment in the developing countries. تفاصيل المقالة

Nowadays, due to the ever growing number of universities and institutions for higher education in recent years, the social requirements of students have not been adequately addressed; and in many cases, residential buildings, have been converted into higher education institutions regardless of the social demands of students. Therefore, social participation, as one of the fundamental principles of solidarity and social interactions, has largely been neglected, which will have negative consequences such as decreased efficiency and learning among students. This study attempts to investigate the role of sense of belonging to the symbolic architectural elements on promoting the social participation of architecture students within educational settings. Accordingly, it was intended to utilize a combination of syntactical analysis, the empirical observation of student activities on campus, and semi-structured interview to estimate the role of intervening variables such as sense of belonging to the symbolic architectural elements in promoting students' social participation. The findings of this study indicate that in most of the studied cases, the students' sociability level for social participation is in accordance with the integration value of their spatial configuration. However, the conducted field observations revealed that some spaces, despite having a low degree of integration due to the presence of specific symbolic architectural elements, encouraged the formation of attractive crowded student communities. Also, such symbolic architectural elements can have an indirect influence on the students’ social participation within the campus through stimulating their sense of belonging. The implication of this study highlights the importance of on-campus teaching systems. تفاصيل المقالة