International Journal of

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In some climates, massive buildings made of stone, masonry, concrete, earth and … can be utilized as one of the simplest and most effective ways of reducing building heating and cooling loads. Very often such savings could be achieved in the design stage of the building and with a relatively low-cost. Such declines in building envelope heat losses combined with optimized material configuration and proper amount of thermal insulation in the building envelope could help to decrease the building's cooling and heating energy demands and building related co2 emission into environment. This paper presents a typical study of thermal mass buildings, especially, a kind of masonry building called YAKHCHAL, where most of the buildings are constructed out of mud or sun-dried bricks. They behave like a thermal mass building types. In this climate, there are great many buildings which have been adapted to their climatic conditions. Such traditional solutions may help to overcome the energy crisis which the mankind faces today and may face in the future.

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Abstract The Qajar dynasty was a time of civil wars as well as the wars against Russia, meanwhile, Qajarid Shahs, understanding the power of sublime art both in internal and external political relations, tried to expand and renew the style of the mural decorations which is the issue of this article. Increasing the relations with European countries like England and France, Fath Ali Shah and his court were influenced by European diplomacy, culture and art. Also they were deeply inspired by pre-Islamic royal and artistic concepts and styles. Early Qajarid murals were the obvious return to tradition this study tries to identify the sources and socio-political reasons that lead to this movement. In the other hand, realizing the function of the mural decoration and political determination of the king and his court in early Qajarid period, which moved away from the common Zand theme and function (the Persian former dynasty) and followed the imperial art of the Achaemenid and Sasanid eras, can explain their formation of historical compositions and majesty of their artworks. By the seventeenth century, as a result of extended contacts with Europe the unfamiliar tradition of painting in oil on canvas was gaining currency among Persian artists. Although the medium was borrowed from European painting, the style remained largely indigenous. The influence of imperial Sassanian and Achaemenid themes also appeared on the carved figural reliefs. Mural decoration and art were led to serve political affairs in order to legitimise the Qajar dynasty.

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Urban planning has received tremendous public attention in the last few years. Energy cost, environmental issues, traffic congestion and the feeling of lack of belonging in the cities are among the factors that have contributed to the development of pedestrian areas. These public spaces provide opportunities for shopping, entertainment, eating facilities and gatherings where people can experience urban life as pedestrians. Over decades, the concept of pedestrianisation has become part of social urban life in the developed countries. However, developing countries such as Iran have just recently paid attention to pedestrianisation and walking as a mode of transportation. The historic core of Tehran, the capital of Iran, embraces significant tangible and intangible values. For a long time, enhancing the mobility in the area has been the important concern of the urban developers; pedestrianisation is their recently solution to this issue in this site. To study and evaluate this project, a literature and field research have been performed through investigating the valid documentations and using questionnaires and interviews with the locals and visitors. Taking advantage of the Historic Urban Landscape approach, the results of the field and bibliographic research have been evaluated and recommendations have been made for improving the pedestrian-oriented areas in the historic context. The findings of this research show that converting a street to a pedestrian zone does not mean to simply ban the vehicles from entering the site. On the contrary, there are essential bases in the site such as multifunctional places, human-scale dimensions or activities during the whole day and night that should be taken into consideration to provide a suitable space for pedestrians including citizens and tourists. Pedestrian zones include different functions such as residential, social, cultural, tourists, physical, economic, etc. on various dimensions and scales which affect the whole city design and management. Moreover, these spaces should be supported by variety of facilities like parking lots, public transportation and equipment for people with disabilities. Assessing the impacts of pedestrianisation in Tehran Grand Bazaar can pave the way for future studies with the aim of conserving unique features of the historic sites within an urban development process.

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Historically, access to water resources had always been a key issue in the formation and perpetuation of ancient cities, more importantly in the arid and semi-arid regions like the central plateau of Iran. Based on the environmental situations, Persian civilization considered ecological realities and social interaction of conservation and proper distribution of the water to sustain its availability to all the users. Thereupon, they succeeded in achieving a lasting solution to the problem of the shortage of water. To overcome the inevitable climate condition, Iranians developed unique water structures such as qanats.
However, as a consequence of modernization in the 20^th century, the traditional water structures underwent considerable damage and were replaced by deep wells. These changes affected the groundwater supplies in turn and intensified the water crisis in Iran.
Focusing on its importance in the sustainable development, this paper aims to study the qanat system. Introducing Tehran University Qanat as a vivid example, the role of qanats in a sustainable urban development is elaborated. Based on the analysis, suggestions are brought forward for the rehabilitation of this qanat. The findings of this research are believed to raise the awareness about the role of qanats in the sustainable development.