International Journal of

---

When a specific building is examined and analysed for its architectural merits, it is the visible, superficial aspects, which are considered, for example: aesthetics, function, spatial relationships, and landscape. One of the most important invisible factors that should be considered in the design process is the safety of buildings against natural hazards, particularly against earthquakes. While the provision of earthquake resistance is accomplished through structural means, the architectural designs and decisions play a major role in determining the seismic performance of a building. In other words, the seismic design is a shared architectural and engineering responsibility, which stems from the physical relationship between architectural forms and structural systems. It is economic to incorporate earthquake resistance in the stage of design than to add it later in the structural calculation or strengthening after completion. In addition, a building with proper earthquake-proof design will be more effective against earthquakes than the one with complementary strengthening. This paper will demonstrate that evidence for this lies in many historical buildings, which have withstood earthquakes throughout the hundreds of years without having been reinforced with special material. The fact is that the master builder or Mimar (traditional architect) of historic buildings was simultaneously designing the architecture as well as choosing the suitable form, proportion, and material for the best structural performance.

---

School buildings as a major part of public buildings are considered as one of the basic consumers of energy in Iran. Based on building typology and occupancy patterns, school buildings have a great potentiality for energy optimization while providing thermal comfort. This study investigates the architectural design parameters such as orientation, optimum window to wall ratio, space organization, sun shading, building shape etc. which have a great impact on the energy demand. For the purpose of this study a typical elementary school has been selected, modeled and analyzed by integrating different design measures using a dynamic simulation software tool. The optimum amounts for various architectural design parameters are calculated. The results reveal that through energy efficient architectural design the primary energy demand of the studied case has reduced by 31% while keeping visual and thermal comfort compared to the existing building.

---

---

Architectural training is a part of higher education. One of the most important issues in this context is the judgment and measurement of design students' abilities and achievements. This research aims to answer the question of possibility of a model or method for a purposive and clear judgment, so that in addition to the academic achievements of architecture as a field of study, the level of architectural design for future engineers and designers will be promoted. Reviewing the literature of the context, the two terms "assessment" and "evaluation” are initially clarified. Through these two concepts, the JAAD (Judgment of Academic Architectural Designs) model is introduced and then examined for the judgment of undergraduate architectural designs, considering design of a commercial complex as a sample to arrive at a prototype. It is expected that by using this model, lecturers will be able to achieve more purposive and accurate judgments. In addition, students can take effective steps through purposive designs in order to improve the level of training and learning of architecture, which ultimately results in flourishing architectural achievements in future.

---

The importance of using visual social media as the digital learning and inspiration resources in architecture is blatantly obvious. On the contrary, there are still gaps in the position of those platforms in the elements of creativity and performance within design studios. The major research question is how does the architecture students' use of architectural content on Instagram relate to their creativity and design studio performance? The paper aims to determine the relations of defined Instagram usage parameters with creativity indicators and students' grades in studios. After crafting the theoretical framework, the correlational research method was used to define the correlations between variables by Spearman’s correlation coefficient. All 72 students of the Design Studio III course during 2018-2020 at Tabriz Islamic Art University reported their Instagram usage parameters and design grades. Their creativity was measured by Abedi’s version of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results revealed significant and positive correlations between the students’ performance and the overall score of creativity, fluency, and originality; but, no correlation was found in elaboration and flexibility. Also, there is a significant and positive correlation between Instagram use and flexibility of creativity. However, no significant correlations were reported between Instagram use and their studio performance. Hence, despite enhancing the flexibility, students cannot consider Instagram as a tool to achieve success in studios. Furthermore, the assessment system of the studios in Iran doesn’t cover all aspects of creativity, and it’s crucial to construct a new architecture-oriented creativity test.

---

Architectural education at the undergraduate level primarily focuses on design studios, which are conducted through critique sessions. These sessions are crucial for fostering communication between tutors and students, making them a key component of architectural education. Despite the emphasis on visual presentation in various courses, verbal communication receives less attention. To address this gap, it is essential to explore knowledge centered on human communication and strategies for improvement. Rhetoric, a concept introduced by philosophers and literary scholars, forms the foundation of all human communication by focusing on persuasive techniques. This research investigates critique sessions in architectural design studios, particularly examining the communication between tutors and students within the framework of rhetorical knowledge. The goal is to enhance this communication by elucidating the critique session and the relationship between teacher and student. The research employs a combination of descriptive and analytical strategies, along with logical reasoning, to address two primary questions: "How can the critique session be defined as a rhetorical situation?" and "What are the persuasion techniques used at each stage of the architectural design studio?" By applying rhetorical situation theory and persuasive methods, the research presents techniques for each stage of the architectural design studio, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of critique sessions. The findings suggest that effective communication in these sessions relies on clear, coherent expression and logically presented criticisms and suggestions. This creates a persuasive context that facilitates mutual understanding. As a result, architectural students not only acquire design skills but also develop the ability to communicate convincingly and defend their designs effectively in various scenarios.