| A dwelling refers to a building or house used for living.Dwellings are people's residences and contain the meaning of "home." "To dwell" means "to permanently settle or live," and its origin can be traced back to 1250-1300.Dwelling is a kind of private space which is not only a shelter between internal human behaviour and the external natural environment,but also reflects the life content of a person or a family.Charles Moore once said:"home is the centre of the world for its inhabitants[1]”.Home is not a structure for complex tasks but an institution for cultural matters that culture has influenced on it.Even from the outset,the concept of the home did not mean pure functional space;the positive aspect of creating a favourable environment for the family as a social environment refers to a home shelter,but what matters is that sheltering is the task of the home as a social institution.We can say that from the first day,human beings created their own houses according to their beliefs in rituals and cultural customs.Isfahan Homes Investigation in Architectural,Structural,Installational and Decorative Dimensions identifies what important values lie in them.The combination of the house with nature,the image expression of heaven,the concern for privacy and climate,and the unity and harmony with the whole city architecture,these views and many other valuable views show that every element of the house architecture is consistent with its ideas and images.Although these homes have lost the capacity to meet the needs of today's life,they still have values that first need to be recognized and then employed to restore the spirit of life to these homes by renovating and restoring them.The research object of this paper is to study the traditional dwellings of the city of Isfahan in Iran.This was achieved through studying relevant research results,collecting information about some cases(e.g.plan,elevation,sections)and also gathering first-hand knowledge through field research.As a summary of this information,the paper analyzes and compares the elements of layout,space,and decoration in different periods in Isfahan.This paper is divided into five chapters:Chapter 1 Introductionthe first chapter describes the purpose and significance of topic which divided to academic and practical,and the domestic and foreign research status of Isfahan traditional houses.It puts forward the research methods,content,framework,the innovation of the subject and technical route.Chapter 2 Features of the historic dwellings of Isfahan cityIn the second chapter,we describe the general characteristics of Isfahan's historic residences(The generative environment of Isfahan historical dwellings Location,geography,climate,culture),including Unity and harmony with the whole city architecture and the introversion of Isfahan houses and the role of the central courtyard,Features of Inner dwellings of Isfahan city include:Spatial division and layout in traditional homes,Design of indirect access to the yard,Geometric courtyard space,Odd segmentation of openings in windows and interior surfaces,The importance of interior architecture,Design of homes in four seasons and harmony with the climate and Coordination of interior architecture with the structural design of space.The function and symbolic significance of dwellings and the decorative elements in Isfahan's residential buildings that includes:Volume Decorations;Niche&Muqarnas,How to decorate surfaces;painting,stucco,and Mirror work,Wall heaters(fireplaces),Room floors and Windows.Isfahan is one of the oldest cities in Iran.Its geographical location in the centre of the Iranian plateau on the margins of the Zayandeh Rood River indicates that the city centre was once very active.Introversion and unity are one of the main features of Isfahan's architecture and urban development that can be seen at the scale of the whole city and in each of its buildings and components.Division and arrangement of conventional dwellings are often similar to agricultural lands in terms of proportion,and that these houses are built on irregular geometric shapes.The courtyard with a regular geometric shape has the role of organizing the spaces(improper outside geometry and intra-regular geometry).The main areas are formed around the yard,and service-related spaces such as the warehouses are arranged in the uneven section.The path which gave access to the courtyard often had an indirect design with one or two bends to protect the privacy of the courtyard and to prevent easy access to the house.The vestibule was the waiting area which in front of the courtyard and the interior of the house was not visible from there.The courtyard is an essential element in organizing different areas;a multi-space connector,an artificial ventilator for proper wind flow,and a safe and quiet space for family comfort.In Isfahan's houses,which were often introverted,interior architecture was fundamental.Because of the intricate and introverted textures,most of the time women and children stayed indoors and a vital part of the family's leisure time was at home.As a result,the interior shape of the houses was of great importance.The interiors include various type of rooms such as the hall,the Squinch,Panjdari room,Sedari room,backroom,the basement,and the service area which will be discussed in the next season.The size of the rooms depends on their function.Orientation,interconnected urban texture,arched roofs,openings,wall materials(high heat brick),central position of the yard,space design according to alternating seasons,and designing climate-specific spaces are dominant features of houses.For most efficient use of environmental phenomena and effects,especially of the sunlight during winter,the main winter-friendly rooms and spaces were usually built on the north side of the house and called the winter-time rooms.The areas intended for summer were located on the south side so that sunlight would not enter them in the summer.The interior design is often shaped by the structure of the spaces.Therefore in most cases,the role of columns and partition walls in the interior design can be observed.The structure of the roof and the covering were also often clearly componential.Most traditional houses have a common denominator with buildings that are influenced by Islamic culture and have a large part of the ornamentation.That is why the quality of the wall covering is of chief concern.The decorations used in these houses depended on the wealth of the owners.They demonstrated their ability to employ skilled artisans to decorate walls,floors,and ceilings with materials such as tile,plaster,or wood.The hall was particularly influential in the process of decorating the spaces.Chapter 3 Elements of space in the historic dwellings of Isfahan cityIn the third chapter,Historical residences Entrance Components such as:Portal,Wagon house,Vestibule,Dolan(corridors),Stairs(vertical communication),rooms and Types of that in historic dwellings of Isfahan city such as:Alcove(hall,sash room),Squinch,Panjdari,Sedari,Backroom,Springhouse,Dining-room and Service spaces and the other spaces are courtyard,balcony,badgir(windtower).Portal:The outer walls of the house were usually made of thatch with no outside opening to the outside They were the upgraded form of the house entrances which included a roofed space,retracted from the alley,which looked like a semi-open,porch-like space which was built in front.It separated outside from the passage leading to the indoor space.At the entrance,visitors had to stop and wait before entering the building.Carriage house:In the Qajar era,and by introducing the carriage from Europe,a carriage house was built next to some of the doors.This space has largely been demolished today in most places and is used as parking spaces.Vestibule:After the portal,there was a vestibule which often had an octagonal or square shape.In addition to the interior vestibules in the entrance space of the houses.Gallery:Gallery(Dalan)was a dim-lit,narrow corridor that,with a maze-like,connected the vestibule to different interior and exterior areas and was also a separator and a connection between the rooms.Stairs(vertical connection):The stairs usually had no lighting and ventilation and had very tall steps,making them difficult to move on.The room is a fundamental component of any house.In today's houses,rooms are named after their function such as the living room,bedroom etc.However,rooms in the past were called according to their height and shape,number of doors or windows(three doors,five entries),location(upstairs,backroom,basement),time and season of use(winter-and summer-specific spaces),function(kitchen and Stunt and coffee shop),their features and elements(spring house,home mirror,ventilation).In historic houses,rooms usually did not have permanent functions and were used as needed.For example,the Sedari(three-door room)was sometimes used as a bedroom,but also as a guest room in other occasions.In these houses,the height of the rooms varied and included low-rise(one floor)and high-rise rooms(two floors).Talar(hall,drawing room):The most beautiful and spacious room of the house was called Talar,richly decorated according to the taste and income of the owner and the techniques of the period(with painting,plastering,mirror-work,and tall sash windows panels).Squinch:The on both sides of the hall and connected to it were two upstairs rooms facing the courtyard with a view to the hall.These were the so-called "Goosh-vareh"(earring)rooms.They were beautiful squinches with sash windows.The squinches could often be accessed by stairs behind the hall or the side hallway.Panjdari room:The Panjdari(five-windowed room)was a room with a usually rectangular shape which was five doors long and three doors wide.It was a very large and very important room in the house,sometimes two floors high.Panjdari was often beside the Talar and used as a living room.Sedari room:The Sedari(three-windowed room)was a room with three adjacent doors facing the courtyard which was generally used for sleeping.Inside a wall of this room there usually was mounted an ample closet with plenty of cupboards for storing beddings and other items.Backroom:In houses of old Isfahan,usually several families lived together.In some houses,some larger rooms which faced the courtyard had a back chamber.The room at the back provided a private space for sleeping etc.,and was lit by the light coming through the front room.Springhouse:was a spacious room,which had a pool and a fountain in the middle.Sometime a stream ran from the pond to the central pool in the courtyard.It was usually connected to other parts of the house.The springhouse was often located on 1 level lower,and its light was naturally supplied through the ceiling.The springhouse was a nature-friendly living space designed as a cooling system in the hot and semi-arid climate of Isfahan for family comfort in the summer.Dining room:This room was placed in the corner of the house,three steps down,and had a beautiful pond in the centre.It was reserved for larger numbers and more distant relatives and formal guests.For the sake of the privacy of the family,the landlord did not want a stranger inside the house.For this reason,guests would go from the outside courtyard directly to the dining room and were welcomed there.Service spaces:Service spaces,or utility rooms,such as warehouses,bathrooms,and the kitchen were usually not directly connected to the central courtyard.Also,their geometry was not regular(square or rectangular),and the unevenness and rugged parts were seen in these spaces.I wan:The Iwan(balcony)was a semi-open,roofed space which had walls on three sides.The shallow and small Ivan was called the Ivancheh(little Ivan).There was also the columned balcony with columns usually in front of the rooms.Iwan was mostly used in summer.Badgir(wind catcher):The Badgir(wind catcher)is a traditional architectural element that is an integral part of residential buildings in hot and arid/humid regions of Iran.The primary function of the wind-catcher was to "catch" and conduct airflow down to inside of the house.It is therefore referred to the as catcher of the wind.Badgirs were usually located in the summer-specific parts of the houses and were connected to areas such as the hall,Howz Khaneh(pond house),basement(cellar),and the yard and provided natural cooling in these spaces by air circulation and evaporative cooling.Chapter 4 Patterns used in historical dwellings of Isfahan cityChapter 4 discusses the organization of ancient houses in Isfahan(Safavid Period,Qajar Period,Pahlavi periods and Contemporary periods)including the housing model,the climate model,and the cultural and structural models(Foundation,walls,ceilings,arches and domes,yard flooring,room and porch floors,water supply,pool and water wells.)Comparison of Isfahan houses from the Safavid period to the presentIn the Safavid and Qajar periods,the courtyard had a particular shape,which was later lost and was framed by the space.The porch was used in the Qajar period with high performance and full width.Its efficiency decreased in the Pahlavi era,and in the contemporary age with the loss of surface difference compared to the yard lost its performance.In the Safavid and Qajar periods,the courtyard was an organizing element that had a radial location in the centre of the plan.During the Pahlavi period,the spatial organization was via aisles and halls,and in the contemporary period public and private spaces are formed at the entrance.In the Safavid and Qajar periods,the general shape of the plan was rectangular;in the Pahlavi period,it was reduced in elongation and approached a more square shape.In the contemporary period,it is either rectangular or square.In the Safavid and Qajar periods,the three main axes were not equal in width and each axis had different values.The central courtyard had climatic functions,with openings facing that space.During the Pahlavi period,it was the garden space surrounding the building that turned the building into a villa.In the contemporary era,the openings face the garden or the urban space.The climatic patterns of Isfahan city dwellingsIn general,the following features can be mentioned for the climatic and geographic factors of architecture of Isfahan houses:1)Building houses at a same level with the ground,restricting the basement depth(often under the north side);2)Using three types of outdoor,semi-open and closed(yard,porch,room)spaces;3)Construction of areas towards and facing the sun(often the central front of the house faced the sun);4)Setting the geographic orientation on the northwest-southeast and other directions such as the east-west(due to specific land conditions and entrance to the houses);5)Organizing spaces based on summertime and wintertime(possibility of seasonal movement in home)at horizontal and altitude level.Summer-specific spaces include:terrace,springhouse,and the basement.Korsi room was used in winter;a family or a similar group of people gathered in the warmed room and sat on the floor around the Korsi during meals and special events[47];6)No direct entry from outdoor to indoor;7)The difference in the way of lighting based on space performance(direct light for the main spaces,and often indirect light from the courtyard for service areas);8)Using canvas materials,adobe,brick,and wood;9)Composition of vaulted ceilings and flat roofs(the dominant climatic roof is the vault)Dual scaling of roofs(due to climate and sunlight);10)Using elements such as Tabesh Band,awning,porch,wind catcher,springhouse(climatic elements in Isfahan)and materials with high heat capacity.Constructing a porch between the interior and exterior spaces,especially on the sunny side(e.g.the porches of Jolfa's Safavid houses).Interestingly,the porch in the Qajar houses of Isfahan have often changed to pairs of half-porches in comparison to cities such as Kashan and Yazd,and the size of the porch is smaller in the houses of Isfahan.The cultural pattern of dwellings in Isfahan cityCulture strongly influences the house's form and spatial organization.Thus,mapping Isfahan houses can be useful in understanding the cultural context in which they are built.Studies show that in the neighbourhoods and dwellings of followers of other religions,despite the prevailing Islamic culture,beliefs have been tried to be objectively expressed,as exemplified in Muslim homes,dreams,and ideas of paradise in the courtyards of houses.By planting trees,water,and ornaments,the home becomes a paradise full of flowers and birds(French:"rose et rossignol").Muslims also use Qur'anic verses in various parts of the house,such as the entrance,which provides space and security.Also,in Armenian homes,personal decorations and paintings are reminiscent of the stories of the Holy Bible,and the role of water is different.The components of national identity(=Iranian)and national norms such as hospitality and honour,cultural heritage such as traditional arts,national heroes such as Rustam,social elements such as flag,geographic features such as climate,religious dimensions such as beliefs and rituals are all that give houses an identity.Structural patterns and materials of Isfahan dwellingsThe materials used in traditional Isfahan houses are often compatible with the dry and semi-hot climate.The types of materials in these homes are influenced by factors such as ease of access,durability,financial situation,resistance to destructive factors(moisture,termites),influence from other styles(inspired by flat European arches and the use of wooden beams,instead of metal because of the lack of metal beams in Iran),the culture of landlords(e.g.,the use of red colour because of the culture of using cheerful colours among Armenians),and the laws and customs of the community(not allowing Armenians to use tiles for covering church domes because of the principle of non-differentiation between Muslim buildings and non-Muslim sacred tiles in the sacred spaces).There is a close relationship between form,structure,performance,and home decor In Isfahan house architecture,there is often a combination of structural systems,arched ceilings,and flat ceilings.The difference between using the vaulting system to the flat roof changes the shape of the original cruciform hall(arch)to rectangular chambers with side earring-rooms(similar to the Malabashi house and Angoorestan-e Malek).Also,the decoration is transformed from volumetric to flat.The main reasons for Isfahan architects' tendency for arched roofs throughout history can be attributed to climatic conditions(most of the spaces be in the shade),materials(the lack of wood and the termites of Isfahan),and the presence of knowledgeable architects.Using a flat arch during the Qajar era was due to the influence of the western architecture(with flat ceilings),the need for less skill,and the easy application of flat roofs to the arch because of the lower loads on it.One way to identify Isfahan's historic houses is to study their structures.Chapter 5 Protection strategy of historical dwellings of Isfahan cityThe final section discusses the disappearance and destruction of historic houses and the need to preserve and repair the ancient houses in Isfahan.It concludes with a summary of strategies for protecting landmark houses.Present situationAccording to Tasnim News Agency in Isfahan,there are estimated to be several hundred valuable historical houses in Isfahan today.Most of them are uninhabited and dating back to the Safavid,Zandieh,Qajar,and some to Pahlavi periods.Purchasing and deregulation of these historic houses are one of the major problems facing the Cultural Heritage Organization as they are owned by real persons,mostly through inheritance,and some are owned by more than twenty people due to disagreements between heirs.Maintenance are often abandoned.These houses have become a place where the poor,homeless and drug addicts stay and sometimes they have stolen or burned many of the objects,doors,and windows of these houses.Causes of destruction:1)Lack of municipal management and coherent laws and regulations2)The lack of attraction to live in the historical context of Isfahan3)Lifestyle changes4)Value-added land in case of demolition of historical houses5)The Legal problems and complexity of home ownership6)A struggling economy,no incentive to investThe necessity of restoration of the historic dwellings of Isfahan city:1)Preserving the historical identity of the city2)Protecting unique urban features3)Stimulating the vitality of urban districts4)Promoting urban developmentStrategies for protection and maintenance of historical dwellingsStatistical analysis and demographic studies,field studies and separation of historic buildings and modern buildings,roads and access analysis,and identifying local open spaces,green space,and pathology in Isfahan indicate the loss of historical values in the city.Although single reconstructed buildings(repairing)or restored pathways and to some extent,some of the local places have preserved the authentic identity of this locality,but entering cars and the new street named Kamal have had awful effects.The most critical components to revive the historical character of this locality are as follow:1.Upholding sustainable values of the locality2.Attracting and retaining tourists in the locality3.Creating unity in the locality4.Restoring and returning social and historical identity in the locality5.Reviving districts,neighbourhoods,streets,and past accesses6.Creating a safe and suitable environment for tourismNew policies can be put in place to prevent the abuse of historic buildings in the neighbourhood,and to change the application of education,culture,and tourism.The most important objective is to prevent the deterioration of motor vehicles in the region of Isfahan.Now,the most crucial part of the neighbourhood unit's resuscitation program is to identify all the buildings and to change the use of historic buildings in the area.Improving urban infrastructure and essential services such as gas,water,sewage,and electricity systems are crucial issues in this locality,and now with new technology and spending a little more money on preventing the destruction of housing and urban landscape of this locality are more easily done.Separating new and old historic buildings in this locality is another measure to destruct early mass and prevent the issuance of construction permits in this locality from restoring and rehabilitating historical elements. |
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