The position of Zen philosophy derived from haiku poems in the architectural design process

Subject Areas : Art

Siamak Panahi ¹ , Fatemeh Ahangar ²

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Received: 2024-08-04 Accepted : 2024-10-20 Published : 2025-06-25

Keywords: Zen, architecture, haiku, design process, philosophy,

Abstract :

This paper investigates the role of Zen philosophy, as derived from haiku poetry, in the architectural design process. It explores the nature of Zen, its unique perspective on art and literature, and how this perspective is reflected in architectural design processes. The paper also examines how the creation of architectural spaces can be integrated with the poetry and (haiku) influenced by this philosophy. This research seeks to answer the question of how Zen thought can be applied in architectural design through the utilization of haiku poetry. A descriptive-analytical approach, combining inductive and deductive reasoning, is employed. Initially, Zen theories based on haiku are deductively applied to case studies. Subsequently, Zen architectural theories based on haiku are extracted from these case studies. Finally, the results are obtained by combining inductive and deductive methods. This paper aims to introduce haiku, elucidate the role of Zen philosophy in haiku poetry, and explore the influence of Japanese Buddhism on the architectural design process. The result of this research reveal that haiku is the product of immediate, intuitive experience and cannot be evaluated based on conventional poetic criteria. Haiku is a form of enlightenment or illumination, in which the poet perceives the vitality of objects and grasps the meaning of the ordinary and commonplace. Haiku poetry presents viewers with perspectives on nature, humanity, and life. By integrating literary concepts into the architectural design process, haiku can serve as a powerful cultural and artistic medium, fostering audience engagement with literature and cultivating a unique, philosophical understanding of phenomena.

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