Adaptive Comparison of the Connectivity of Courtyards with the Main Living Spaces in Traditional and Contemporary Houses with the Approach of Space Syntax: a solution to improve the position of the Courtyard in new houses

Subject Areas : Space Ontology International Journal

Mehrdad Karimimoshaver ^{1 *} , Simin Gholami ² , Amirhossein Samavatekbatan ³ , Nastaran Baharipoor ^{4 *}

1 - Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2 - Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Utah State University, USA
3 - Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Utah State University, USA
4 - Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Received: 2024-05-09 Accepted : 2024-12-29 Published : 2024-12-30

Keywords: space syntax, spatial configuration, Isovist, lifestyle, courtyard, Hamedan City,

Abstract :

This research deals with the relationship between the courtyard and living spaces in contemporary and traditional houses. The purpose of this research is to provide a method for spatial analysis of the house with the aim of improving spatial relations. The case study is the city of Hamadan in Iran. Three contemporary houses and three traditional houses were selected for analysis. After selecting the houses, their analysis was done in Space Syntax software, UCL Depth Map. Also, to understand the types of behavioral systems in the houses, several residents were interviewed. The results show how spatial relationships in traditional and contemporary houses have changed based on different behaviors and also changing climatic conditions. The main living room, where people spend most of their time in traditional houses, has less physical and visual connectivity with the courtyard compared to other living spaces. Meanwhile, contemporary houses pay a lot of attention to the visual relationship between the main living space and the courtyard.

References:

Adebara, T. M. (2022). Private open space as a reflection of culture: The example of traditional courtyard houses in Nigeria. Open House International.
Adeokun, C. (2013). The Orowa House: A Typology of Traditional Yoruba Architecture in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. WABER 2013 Conference, Accra, Ghana.
ali hessabi, l, hosseini, b, & nasabi, f. (2013). Visual quality analysis of residential space according to the capability and level of visibility (Case study: Bushehr old texture houses). Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism, 3(4).
Alitajer, S., & Molavi Nojoumi, G. (2016). Privacy at home: Analysis of behavioral patterns in the spatial configuration of traditional and modern houses in the city of Hamedan based on the notion of space syntax. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 5(3), 341–352.
Alkhansari, M. G. (2015). Analysis Of The Responsive Aspects Of The Traditional Persian House. Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 39(4), 273–289.
Al-Mohannadi, A. S., Mark, R. F., & Major, M. D. (2019). The Spatial Culture of Traditional and Contemporary Housing in Qatar. A Comparative Analysis based on Space Syntax.
Amiriparyan, P., & Kiani, Z. (2016). Analyzing the Homogenous Nature of Central Courtyard Structure in Formation of Iranian Traditional Houses. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 216, 905–915.
Azad, S. P., Morinaga, R., & Kobayashi, H. (2018). Effect of Housing Layout and Open Space Morphology on Residential Environments–Applying New Density Indices for Evaluation of Residential Areas Case Study: Tehran, Iran. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 17(1), 79–86.
Bemanian, M., Yeganeh, M., & Baygi, F. (2018). Role Of Nature In Increasing Liveliness Of Traditional Houses Of Iran (Case Study: Boroujerdi House). European Journal of Research, 1(4), 60–70.
Benedikt, M. L. (1979). To take hold of space: Isovists and isovist fields. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 6(1), 47–65.
Foruzanmehr, A. (2015). People’s perception of the loggia: A vernacular passive cooling system in Iranian architecture. Sustainable Cities and Society, 19, 61–67.
Gibson, J. J. (2014). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception: Classic Edition (1st ed.). Psychology Press.
Gupta, R., & Joshi, M. (2021). Courtyard: A Look at the Relevance of Courtyard Space in Contemporary Houses. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 9(7), 2261–2272.
Haq, S., & Zimring, C. (2003). Just Down The Road A Piece: The Development of Topological Knowledge of Building Layouts. Environment and Behavior, 35(1), 132–160.
Hassan, S. Z., Naeem, M. A., Waheed, A., & Thaheem, M. J. (2019). Assessment of socio-economic profile and residents’ satisfaction living in apartments and single unit houses in Islamabad, Pakistan. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 23(5), 284–297. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2019.8067
Hejazi, M., Hejazi, B., & Hejazi, S. (2015). Evolution Of Persian Traditional Architecture Through The History. Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 39(3), 188–207.
Hessari, P., & Chegeni, F. (2021). The Impact Of Environmental Construction On The Spatial Configuration Of Traditional Iranian Housing (Case Study: Comparison Of Dezful And Boroujerd Traditional Housing). Journal Of Architecture And Urbanism, 45(1), 50–59.
Hillier, B. (1985). The nature of the artificial: The contingent and the necessary in spatial form in architecture. Geoforum, 16(2), 163–178.
Hillier, B. (1999). The Hidden Geometry of Deformed Grids: Or, Why Space Syntax Works, When it Looks as Though it Shouldn’t. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 26(2), 169–191.
Huang, B.-X., Chiou, S.-C., & Li, W.-Y. (2019). Study on Courtyard Residence and Cultural Sustainability: Reading Chinese Traditional Siheyuan through Space Syntax. Sustainability, 11(6), 1582. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061582
Jiang, B., Claramunt, C., & Klarqvist, B. (2000). Integration of space syntax into GIS for modelling urban spaces. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 2(3–4), 161–171.
Karimi, R., Avazpour, B., & M.E. Sepasgozar, S. (2020). Effective Factors on Desirability of Private Open Spaces: A Case Study of Kuye Nasr Residential Buildings, Tehran. In S. Shirowzhan & K. Zhang (Eds.), Smart Cities and Construction Technologies. IntechOpen.
Kelcey, J. G. (1978). The Green Environment of Inner Urban Areas. Environmental Conservation, 5(3), 197–203.
Khajehzadeh, I., Vale, B., & Yavari, F. (2016). A comparison of the traditional use of court houses in two cities. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 5(2), 470–483.
Khalili, M., & Amindeldar, S. (2014). Traditional solutions in low energy buildings of hot-arid regions of Iran. Sustainable Cities and Society, 13, 171–181.
Khozaei Ravari, F., Hassan, A. S., Abdul Nasir, M. H., & Mohammad Taheri, M. (2022). The development of residential spatial configuration for visual privacy in Iranian dwellings, a space syntax approach. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation.
Klarqvist, B. (2015). A space syntax glossary. Nordic Journal Of Architectural Reaseach, 6(2).
Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., & Rubel, F. (2006). World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 15(3), 259–263.
Krause, L. R. (1991). Review: Architecture: Meaning and Place by Christian Norberg-Schulz. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 50(2), 197–199.
Lee, Y., & Asakawa, S. (1992). Characteristics of familiar greenery and images of a few green spaces in residential areas. : : Journal of the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, 14(2), 13–29.
Leijten, I., & De Bel, K. (2020). Facing financialization in the housing sector: A human right to adequate housing for all. Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, 38(2), 94–114.
Li, X., Meng, Q., Li, W., Zhang, C., Jancso, T., & Mavromatis, S. (2014). An explorative study on the proximity of buildings to green spaces in urban areas using remotely sensed imagery. Annals of GIS, 20(3), 193–203.
Makr´í, M.-C., & Folkesson, C. (1999). Accessibility Measures for Analyses of Land-Use and Travelling with Geographical Information Systems. Proceedings from the Annual Transport Conference at Aalborg University, Vol. 6 No. 1 (1999): Proceedings from the Annual Transport Conference at Aalborg University.
Malekhosseini, A., & Dargahi, M. (2010). Review of the principles of architecture compatible with the cold climate (Case study: Hamedan).
mazinanian, B., Sabernejad, J., Dolati, M., & Nikghadam, niloufar. (2022). The influence of culture in the body of traditional courtyards of Hamedan based on data theory". Space Ontology International Journal, Online First.
Mohammadabadi, M. A., & Ghoreshi, S. (2011). Green Architecture in clinical centres with an approach to Iranian sustainable vernacular architecture (Kashan City). Procedia Engineering, 21, 580–590.
Montello, D. R. (2007). The contribution of space syntax to a comprehensive theory of environmental psychology. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 6th International Space Syntax Symposium, _Istanbul, iv-1–12.
Rong, W., & Bahauddin, A. (2023). Heritage and Rehabilitation Strategies for Confucian Courtyard Architecture: A Case Study in Liaocheng, China. Buildings, 13(3), 599.
Soflaei, F., Shokouhian, M., & Mofidi Shemirani, S. M. (2016a). Investigation of Iranian traditional courtyard as passive cooling strategy (a field study on BS climate). International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 5(1), 99–113.
Soflaei, F., Shokouhian, M., & Mofidi Shemirani, S. M. (2016b). Traditional Iranian courtyards as microclimate modifiers by considering orientation, dimensions, and proportions. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 5(2), 225–238.
Soflaei, F., Shokouhian, M., & Zhu, W. (2017). Socio-environmental sustainability in traditional courtyard houses of Iran and China. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 69, 1147–1169.
Steadman, P. (1983). Architectural morphology: An introduction to the geometry of building plans. Pion.
Tandy, C. R. V. (1967). The isovist method of landscape survey. Methods of Landscape Analysis, 10(9–10).
Zabihi, A., & Mirzaei, R. (2023). The evolution of privacy in contemporary houses in Iran using space syntax techniques: A case study of Kerman. Open House International, 48(1), 55–80.
Zhou, M., & Zheng, Y. (2022). Typology Research from Traditional Courtyard Housing to Old-type Lilong Housing in Tianjin, China. Cities as Assemblages, 2, 161–172. https://doi.org/10.36158/978889295356714
Zolfagharkhani, M., & Ostwald, M. J. (2021). The Spatial Structure of Yazd Courtyard Houses: A Space Syntax Analysis of the Topological Characteristics of the Courtyard. Buildings, 11(6), 262.