International Journal of

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Considering the problems facing contemporary architecture in Iran, a better understanding of the meaning of architecture has become necessary. Architecture, like language, defines and facilitates the relationship between Man and his environment. The word architecture both in Arabic (Amara) and in Latin (Architecture), attempts to define the attributes of the maker before determining the characteristics of the product - a fact that points towards a more profound understanding. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important for researchers to define the process of formation (the how of architecture) more than the specific attributes of built form (the what of architecture). In this way, creativity and the different processes by which it is achieved, would gain a higher significance in architectural circles. Using an Endogenous Development model, this article seeks to offer an alternative approach towards architectural design. Accepting the hierarchy in causal relationships and expanding on the concept of elevating hidden meaning up onto the surfaces of expression, this article proposes a model of thought in which design consists of a process starting at the depth of ideas and common beliefs, moving up to the individuals' images and finally arriving at rational and general concepts. It is then argued that this process provides spaces in which it is possible to experience a sense of belonging to place, and even further, it allows users to abandon material belongings to arrive at feelings that occur in sacred places. This article offers the author's own particular teaching as one expression of this model of thought, whereby students start by working with mud and then gradually leave their childhood status to reach full maturity in design. Through this process, they obtain an ability to overcome technical and rational challenges in their projects, moving from "intuition" towards "wisdom", "knowledge" and finally "science" in the material world.

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  In this paper, authors tackle three very important questions that need to be answered if a theory of design is to be constructed. The first is what designers do, Which we attempt to illustrate with the help of case studies and theories of design practice. The second question is what guides designers. Here, authors try to present some of the proposed normative positions about design, to show the similarities and differences between positions and a framework of how they can be categorized. The main (third) question is how the design thinking process can be represented drawing upon on a review of recent studies of design practice and designer's creativity.

  One approach to design thinking is to extract the features of the designers' strategic knowledge, for which comparative studies between expert designers and novices are useful. Also, controlled experimental studies may be adopted in order to understand the nature of the idea generation process.

Finally, the methods of research and representation of design thinking in order to gain a deeper understanding of the designers' creativity are proposed.

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In the architectural design, designers are focused on the early stages of the design process or conceptual design. The ultimate goal of this stage is to find a solution for an existing problem, investigate design space, or explore an idea. This stage conventionally begins with sketches and diagrams to explore ideas and solutions; the ambiguity and vagueness of conventional freehand sketching can be a source of creativity.
Nowadays, with the advances in digital technology, there are attempts to integrate digital tools into the conceptual design in order to construct a digital design medium in the architectural education. Recent developments in CAAD software shows a shift in focus toward conceptual design interface; but these tools have not developed and still fail to offer an appropriate design environment for sketching; So application of digital tools in the early stages of design, has created problems and challenges especially regarding creativity. The problem is that why digital sketching could not yet replace the conventional freehand sketching. Therefore, this research focuses on the early stages of the design process and aims to investigate the current situation of digital sketching and its related discussions and challenges in architectural design education, also, study the current sketching tools in the architectural schools and tendency of instructors and their students to use digital sketching in real world. This research has a qualitative approach and a survey has conducted via an online questionnaire. Findings show that, there are attempts to study and propose interfaces and programs to enhance digital systems or new ways of working with them in order to support creativity and sketching. Also, findings indicate that the professors yet doubt over digital tools, but there is a tendency to use these tools among educators and their students if these tools can meet educational demands.

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Persian garden have deep roots in paradigms and beliefs in Iranian culture, from arts and crafts to architecture and landscape and from literature to philosophy and wisdom in particular. The current study was done based on a qualitative methodology. To understand the latent concepts of the quadruple paradigm, those engaged have aimed at testing in practice and analyzing new concepts through the latent directive content analysis. This helped us through the objectives of this article for developing the quadruple paradigm and a new classification of quadruple Persian gardens. In this regard, this study sought the relationship between archetypal and historical Persian gardens and four fold plans as the key factor for finding the secret meanings and symbolic concepts. For the analysis, seven case studies on the Safavied dynasty were selected. This is the first study investigating focused on the quadruple in Persian gardens to the extent of believing and art history as a philosophy of paradigm could be categorized into three main groups and the themes were identified as a major classification: 1) Sacred-Archetypal gardens as an interpretation of supernatural beliefs and paradigms, which might be manifested through a spiritual landscape, carpets, paintings, or architectural façades; 2) governmental and authority gardens, which could be seen in the fields of architecture, landscape, and many Iranian arts and crafts; and 3) orchards as the blessing gardens representing birth and growth, thus bringing spiritual blessing and genius loci for human comfort.

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The hedonic valuation method has been considered in various fields by researchers in order to estimate the value of a commodity or the demand for exploitation of a commodity for many years. Besides, the hedonic method has been widely used to identify ‘value’ indicators in the housing market. The need for indicators as the key tool for housing planning is related to the need to prioritize planning. Indicators are also critical to understanding housing characteristics. This article tries to develop a "conceptual model" of value by meta-analyzing the existing theoretical literature regarding the valuing indicators in the hedonic model, which has been done by the
meta-analysis method, uses MAXQDA software and open and axial coding to analyze the texts in order to compile and classify the features that explain the value of housing. The research findings, which are taken from 335 highly cited articles between 2009 and 2019, show that despite the long period of application and theoretical development of the model, there is no theoretical consensus on the explanatory indicators of housing value. So, 7 main categories can be identified in the form of 350 concepts and 5883 codes (including frequency), which can show the range of housing value dimensions, in addition to summarizing the issue. Also, the share of basic structural-physical and peripheral categories, with 53.5 and 25.5 percent, respectively, has the most application in the hedonic housing valuation model. In the two-mentioned categories, the share of variables affecting the residential unit, the building of the property, and access to services and land uses with relative shares of 23.6, 19.2, and 16.5%, is more than other variables. The results show that while the concepts of many explanatory indicators of value are the same, a suitable range of explanatory indicators of housing value can be used in the hedonic model according to the goals and the target community, and this can lead to the formation of indigenous and specific values of a society.

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This study endeavors to explore the predicament associated with spaces lacking distinctive character and identity, ultimately resulting in the estrangement of shrines from their peripheral surroundings. Focusing on Mashhad, renowned as the holiest city in Iran and a site of numerous interventions, this research employs it as a case study. The central inquiry revolves around establishing a coherent nexus between the notion of polarity and the intellectual foundations shaping the development of environs surrounding holy shrines. The core objective is to discern the alignment of contemporary advancements around these shrines with their initial conceptual underpinnings. Employing a qualitative approach, this research adopts a descriptive method rooted in the case study framework. The outcomes derived from statistical analysis and the application of space syntax techniques reveal that extensive interventions encircling the shrine of Imam Reza have significantly disrupted the city's connectivity with the shrine. This disruption has led to the displacement of residents, severed emotional ties with the surrounding fabric, and a perceptible attenuation of the sense of place, culminating in the erosion of the genius loci or spirit of place. Furthermore, an examination of the fabric of this separation underscores an anti-Shiite intellectual basis, demonstrating incongruence with the ideal of human communion with "the perfect man." In light of these findings, it is proposed that development initiatives in Islamic cities should prioritize considerations aligned with the intellectual foundations governing city construction. This emphasis is crucial for sustaining the inherent character and spirit of the place amidst developmental endeavors.