International Journal of

---

Visibility is an important factor of environmental quality that has various influences on the quality of neighborhood. This paper aimed to find the relationship between urban form and visual quality. A public space with a spatial configuration in one of Bushehr city's neighborhoods was selected as the case study. Bushehr city is surrounded by urban development and the sea. Compact urban space, squares, long and narrow streets shape this fabric. Correlational research method was used with Isovist tool to evaluate visibility. A grid analysis and two paths inside the fabric with different urban forms were analyzed using Syntax2D software. The results show that the paths with different urban forms have various visual qualities.

---

Technology has had many influences on the Iranian society in different eras. Today, information and telecommunication technologies have revolutionized the basic structures of society and a new network society has been propagated inside the traditional and semi-modern context. In countries like Iran, which are in the process of modernization, a chaos deriving from the transition period is observed that leads to a certain peculiarity. In this transition era the norms of traditional societies, which offer discipline for these societies, have been eliminated in favor of new norms that are not codified yet. The transformation to the new situation and also the confrontation with the electronic world has instigated many disorders and anomalies in the society, with its physical expression becoming visible in contemporary architecture. Today, Iranian architecture is affected by Kitsch Art and has become superficial. Using attractive visual capsules and exploiting the human habit of imitation, information viruses have spread everywhere and have changed the physical world dramatically. The propagation of networks has made this process even faster. This paper reviews the confrontation of Iranian architecture with the electronic realm and investigates the role of visual viruses in the formation of the physical fabric of Tehran. It is argued that in the future, emphasis on design supported by collective intelligence [1] and individual creativity can decrease physical anomalies in the built environment.

---

---

---

It is claimed that perception is the result of objective measurement and subjective reaction, when people immerse in an environment. This statement is the main theme of this paper. This study tries to set a framework in analyzing built environment that is to comply with human perceptive processes. The approach of this article presents a methodology to assess the perceptual environment . The paper initially reviews the literatures that deal with perception theory and perceptual procedures. As a case study, a part of historic Noghan Bazzar in Mashhad has been examined to understand how people's perception and behavior can be directly influenced by landscape features. To explore this relationship a research technique has been employed that employs perceptual assessment survey by experts. Some measures introduced in this paper are useful to understand how environmental qualities, as well as patterns and combinations of particular qualities, affect people’s perceptions of landscape. The outcomes would be the identification of a connection between the designed, physical aspects and the subjective sense of environment. The result of this study could be employed as a research technique to analyze the built environment in order to recommend design solutions, especially for valuable old heritage fabrics of cities that encompass common memorable spaces and convey common social values.

---

Housing is the second need after food for human beings. Since the housing crisis began with the increase in population, respective governments were forced to construct houses for a large number of families. Ignoring the qualitative aspects of these houses has caused social and cultural harm. Therefore, designers need to pay more attention to the quality of housing and living environments. The main objective of this study is to find the most important factors that affect the quality of low- income housing. In order to achieve this goal, the first stage of the research was to undertake a systematic review of the literature and interview the residents. The housing environment factors were classified in four categories: environmental, functional, formal and semantic factors. In order to give priority to the factors, a questionnaire was distributed among 15 experts (according to the Delphi technique, two rounds of surveys were taken). In the first round, some factors were removed and a new category was added. In the second round, experts gave priority to the factors. Once the data was collected, the next stage was to analyze it. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 18 SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The results obtained - based on the weighting of each factor - showed that some factors, such as interior space function, volume, relationship with nature, safety and social security are the most effective factors of low-income housing quality.

---

This paper classifies green envelopes as green roofs and green walls according to effective factors, which were derived from literature to compare the green envelopes’ thermal and energy performance in a more effective way. For this purpose, an extensive literature review was carried out by searching keywords in databases and studying related journal papers and articles. The research method for this study was bibliographic and logical reasoning. The paper proposes five classification factors: contextual factors, greenery factors, scale factors and surface and integration factors. It also demonstrates the influence of physical and geometrical properties of plants and their supporting structures on the thermal performance of green envelopes. The paper argues that climatic conditions also have an important role on the thermal behavior of green envelopes and it determines the types of greenery integration into building envelopes.

---

The importance of small urban parks (SUP) in mega cities has been accepted as an essential component of urban lung and restorative settings. As urban population in the world increases and the cost of maintaining large parks escalates, urban authorities are shifting their attention to creating and maintaining smaller urban parks. However, SUP may present a different ambience due to their location, size and visual appearence. In this regard, visual preference which is associated with spatial configuration and content of space, plays a vital role. This research examined 394 respondents’ visual preferences related to 16 SUP located in the city of Tabriz, Iran. It employed a quantitative photo survey method, based on Kaplan and Kaplan's information-processing and Appleton’s prospect-refuge theories as preselected variables by expert panels. Results indicated that mystery, as an indicator of having winding shapes of paths and expansive body of trees, was the most preferred spatial configuration of space, followed by coherence, refuge and complexity. Legibility and prospect as indicators of wide perspective and sky lines with clear focal points were the least preferred constructs. The results provide information on preferred visual configurations for SUP that may assist urban designers and landscape architects to improve their design of these specific green areas for the public.

---

The numerical investigation of computing the rate of radiated solar-energy requires equations as a function of solar-time according to the radiation angle of the sun (β) in the latitude 37°N and the shape. This paper implements the Lagrange interpolation to obtain the equations of normal diagram of elements based on data obtained from surveying. Also the method of Hann-window equation used to estimate the sun path. Albeit, the solar radiation angle effects on the length of element`s shadow on the ground but it is a function of solar-time too. The parameters of the dome traits did compute using the solar-geometry principles in a coexisted function of time to reach a viable equation. The amount of absorbed and wasted energy is presented by analysing its surfaces in the all sides simultaneously. Every single element of BM has been considered to define its especial equation of geometry to analyse their different reactions while transferring energy. Quantitative method of this paper has based on library method of research to define especial equations and field survey to experiment data analysis. According to the mentioned methodology, around 7,54e+4(Kcal.h/m2) solar energy radiate on the BM that its value is equal to around 9,43 (lit/h) energy of gasoil. In other word at least 75,44lit/day fossil energy is saved by the Blue-mosque.

---

Daylight in classrooms is a critical factor in school design, in terms of its impact on students’ health, learning and visual performance. Providing adequate amount of evenly distributed daylight and glare prevention are important challenges in classroom design. Window configuration significantly affects the intensity and uniformity of daylight. This paper aims to investigate the effect of window configuration on daylight performance through parametric analysis. Different window configurations such as window to wall ratio, incorporating light shelves and roof monitors have been analyzed on a typical south-east facing classroom in Kashan based on results from DesignBuilder Radiance simulation which has first been validated against field measurements. Daylighting credits of green building rating tools; Leed EQ 8.1 and BREEAM HEA1 have been used as indices for evaluating and comparing different window configurations. Results show that by increasing the window-wall-ratio to 35, 40 and 50% and by installing a roof monitor, the daylight credits of the BREEAM and LEED could be achieved respectively. According to the fact that none of these window configurations have reached the standards required by both rating tools, the authors believe that a combination of installing monitor roof and light shelves and increasing window-wall-ratio may result in enhanced daylight levels.

---

Due to the superiority of functional requirements of equipment and systems over human requirements in the field of architectural and environmental design of industrial buildings, users have to adapt themselves to the conditions which might be followed by imposed biological and psychological pressures. The present study examines the components and environmental parameters influenced by building features (thermal comfort, lighting quality, office layout, interior decoration, acoustic quality, air quality, cleanliness and maintenance) in typical control building of combined cycle power plants. Using a questionnaire based on Vischer’s model of environmental comfort regarding people’s environmental perception, the level of users’ satisfaction with the environmental factors and their self-estimated performance in relation to these factors at the two levels of physical and functional comforts has been determined. The statistical analysis of the results shows that the lack of consideration of the environmental comfort parameters of workspace in the process of architectural design of industrial buildings influences users’ satisfaction with these factors which is directly related to their self-estimated performance in workplace and consequently their job satisfaction by decreasing them. Taking into account the fact that the amount of impact of various environmental factors on the individuals’ function was evaluated differently, prioritizing the physical factors in the work place for corrective purposes was finally done using affectability of performance in the degree of satisfaction with any factor.

---

Informal settlement as a global urban phenomenon encounters different social, physical and economic shortcomings. These fabrics especially in cities of the global south experience an escalating gap with developed urban areas. In this regard, faltering economy plays a major contribution in continuity of poverty and exclusion. In Iran, Empowerment plan could not lead to favorable and stable results which has mainly been related to stereotypic, homogenizing and dehumanizing viewpoints to current empowerment plans. As regards the ultimate effectiveness of place branding becomes true in economic context and these settlements are one of suitable candidates for branding, the main aim of this study is improving economic empowerment plans realization for informal settlements through integration urban planning with place branding process to determine more efficient strategies for falak-e-din informal neighborhood by its identity and discovering how place branding, economic empowerment and place identity have conceptual, practical relations with each other to signify this integration. The method of present study is mainly qualitative which is best to cognition of place complexities. Falak-E-Din settlement, has been selected as the case study because it benefits from place market maker advantages and yet encounters the threat of identity crisis. Surveying practical and theoretical facets of Results show place branding with a focus on marketing view is trying to use all aspects of the place(as a complete identity) to draw the image of economic prosperity through comprehensive branding strategy. The findings from analysis of gathered data from inhabitants(observation, interview and archival data) by SWOT and evaluation through brand creation process in Falak-E-Din quarter by ANP ( Analytic Network Process) based on evaluation criteria- reveal the best alternative for creating Falak-E-Din quarter brand is to provide brand strategies based on the brand identity which is built with an emphasis on quarter human factors. Accordingly brand strategies are codified at four main steps to create chosen brand identity: create direct and indirect job opportunities, physical elicitation of place personality with execution of physical components of the brand identity, physical complementary proceedings, and eventually marketing proceedings which include final actions that lead the place to its economic purposes.

---

Power plants with complex technology have various gradations in design process so that this level in the current time by maintaining the goals of sustainability and sustainable development have a critical importance. These buildings require to be sustainable according to their complexity to provide the finance and discrete budgets for functional needs, meanwhile to design solutions to avoid creating pollution and the reduction of energy should be careful and they are in their life cycle which have a social function. These solutions are possible to offer providing a method in design. Focusing on interventional and unique procedures in design can be very efficient. The present research is applicable with the aim to emphasize and recognize the importance of prioritizing in selecting different areas in combined cycle power plants based on the parameters of sustainable development and responds to the question on what priority should be set in the areas of combined cycle power plants,while observing the principles of sustainable development in the direction of control and decrease of economic, social and environmental risks, describes the infrastructures of sustainable development in the areas of combined cycle. Therefore while addressing senior managers, advisors and contractors ,has presented a list with the consultation of the experts and in the second stage through scrolling using questionnaire and survey from experts and AHP software analysis among consulting companies managers, contractors and professionals the criteria were prioritized in hierarchical method. The economic-functional criteria with rank 0.541 have been in the first priority of attention form the experts’ choice and considering the effect of these criteria on the choices, the choice of steam in combined cycle power plants was placed in the first priority with final weight 0.313 and the gas area was determined in the second priority with final weight 0.266. This was also true in the sensitivity test. Thus paying attention to the functional criteria in order to gain economic productivity in the steam area was defined in the priority of attention.

---

The present paper focused on architecture students' learning styles based on Kolb's Experiential learning theory (ELT) and evaluated relationships between students' learning styles, degree of their academic achievement, gender, and duration of study in architecture. Based on the results of this research, divergent, accommodating, assimilating and convergent styles were the architecture students' dominant learning styles, respectively. Furthermore, there was an unbalanced distribution of dispersed different learning styles as more than a half of the students' preferred divergent learning styles while divergent and accommodating styles in the half north of scatter plot generally covered more than 85% of the participants. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the students' mean scores of learning style test at the end of the first to fourth years of study. It was found that there were significant relationships between male students' learning styles and their achievement in architecture education. Accordingly, male students with divergent learning styles had higher academic achievement in terms of their total grade point average, compared to that of assimilating and accommodating groups. Meanwhile, there was a significant relationship between the students' academic performance and gender. In general, female students had better performance in architecture in terms of their total grade point average.

---

The green hydroponics walls are among new kinds of building facades, which receive more attention from architects lately. In addition to the positive effect these walls have in maintaining humidity in arid regions, they also have positive thermal performance in both cold and hot weather conditions. Therefore, they are in the center of designers’ focus for public spaces such as schools. In terms of soil-free cultures, these walls are of three general types: wide, horizontal, and vertical. The use of different types of green walls in each zone allows for different thermal performance. This paper aims to investigate the thermal performance of hydroponic green walls in different facades of green school in term of thermal performance. Moreover, the present study only addresses green schools in cold climates. We conducted a simulation by using Energy Plus software with three different types of hydroponic green walls in Shahrekord city of Iran, which were monitored in 20 years" from2000 until2019".The thermal performance of each type was analyzed and compared with other samples. Finally, the best kind of green- hydroponics wall with the best thermal performance was identified for each wall.

---

Rest areas have been built on the freeway to avoid traffic accidents and drowsiness so that road travelers can rest. These supplemental rest areas are very small-sized resting facilities located between the larger regular rest areas, which is a unique design. However, the management of rest areas and their accommodations need to be improved by considering the effective factors involved. In this spirit, the purpose of this research is to study the effect of users’ preferences into planning parameters in rest areas. The study examines several rest areas, their roles and services. Customer satisfaction includes check-in time and purchase, type of service for travelers, intention to use the rest areas service, and satisfaction with the rest areas service.
A survey study was carried out among 360 passengers of four rest areas in different locations in Iran. The participants claimed that providing praying room (M= 4.13) is the service most expected from rest areas. They also expected better landscaping of these places in providing shaded spaces (M= 4.13) to mitigate temperatures in hot seasons. The results also show that there is a significant difference between genders in terms of recreational activities (t= 2.81, α= 0.005), landscape amenities (t= 2.01, α= 0.044), welfare services (t= 3.05, α= 0.002), where women prioritized these factors more than men did. The findings of this research can be used in better management, accommodating, and designing of future crossing rest areas according to tourists’ preferences.
 

---

Zoning has always been one of the basic tools of land use control available. Zoning is the regulation and restriction of land uses according to a predetermined plan. This paper will present a look at conventional zoning, its origins, the evolution of the zoning, and the scope of zoning types. Regardless of the varieties, most zoning codes can be classified into at least one of the following broad categories: Euclidean zoning, Performance/Impact zoning, Incentive zoning, Form-based zoning and Hybrid Zoning. In this article, a descriptive-analytical method is used to review the existing documents and extract the materials in order to introduce the approach of FBC, its advantages and disadvantages. So, after defining each concept, the Critiques of Euclidean Zoning will be explained and then a new approach of zoning named Form-based Codes will be introduced to develop a better way of zoning in order to select homogenous areas of urban and rural terrain to adopt determined and certain rules of planning.

---

The advent of modern planning in the early twentieth century and its failure in practice caused the emergence of planning crisis which theory-practice gap has been its central theme of debate. This gap begot various readings of urban planning theory to make theory and practice much closer. Radical planning, as one of these readings, deprives the power of central government in favour of empowering the citizens and considers the highest level of participation in decision-making processes for them. Nevertheless, it failed to address the planning crisis and theorists continued theory making to address the crisis. Hence, the current study aims to investigate radical planning with a critical perspective by using a deep-seated research method and referring to related topics. Results ended in finding reasons led to the failure of radical planning to address planning crisis. The uncertainty of radical planning process, the idealistic looks of theorists and radical planning mismatch with the current forms of state planning are three main reasons which hindered it from addressing planning crisis despite being the turning point of urban planning theories. 

---

Abu Hamed Mohammad al-Ghazālī was a mystic, jurist, and theologian who lived in the fifth century AH and significantly influenced Iranian culture. His most significant work is Iḥyaʾ ʿŪlum al-Dīnʾ, written in his seclusion period to revive religious knowledge, with the subject being applied knowledge. Therefore, it can be regarded as an architectural information reference. This research is dedicated to understanding al-Ghazālī’s principles for architecture and its status in Iḥyaʾ. It was done by the Historical-Interpretation approach, reading and interpreting the original text of Iḥyaʾ, and that is why just for mentioning the evidence and having an improved perception of Iḥyaʾ, other al-Ḡhazālī’s books and references were used.
The outcome of this research is two architectural categories from Iḥyaʾ. These are form and content and the rules of architecture. In al-Ghazali’s opinion, the craftsmen, along with other people, can also make the spiritual journey based on their crafts. He has to do his crafts with the ḏhekr (God’s Remembrance), Seek the real contents from the world's forms, construct as an implication to the most beloved, God, and construct the world to construct his hereafter.

---

The purpose of this research is to investigate the travelers' visual preference criteria in caravanserai hotels’ interior design to enhance human’s social, historical and cultural interactions. Using 356 questionnaires and Quantitative Research approach, the travelers' visual preferences of three hotels in Tabriz city are assessed. Photo questionnaires are prepared according to the Information Processing Analysis theory and were examined by SPSS software. The results indicate that preferred caravanserai hotels are mysterically related to physical factors like medium intensity of light, warm and neutral colors, modern and traditional furniture integration, green space and wooden decoration. Interior architects can increase peoples’ interest for using Caravanserai Hotels by considering this results and its application in their design methods.