Larestan A ̅b-Anba ̅rs: A Fine Congruity between Sustainable Architecture and Sustainable Tourism

The predecessors were very careful in dealing with the environment when trying to meet their needs. Without inflicting any harm on the environment, they utilized best out of the least possible in the environment. In the past, the architecture practiced in Iran made use of all that the surrounding environment and climate capacities. In doing so, architecture never weak or wreck the structure and the nature of environment, but its purpose was to consolidate the surrounding environment. Being acquainted with the natural, economic, social, and other capacities of a region enables the tourism planner to come up with a sustainable tourism development for the region based on its current status and potential. This paper was an attempt to study Larestan’s b-Anb rsand examine their potential impact on the development of tourism in Larestan County by drawing a connection between the principles and elements of sustainability with the architecture of these b-Anb rs. Accordingly, the present research, using a comparative research method, aimed at comparing the principles of sustainable and compatible, with the environment, architecture with the structure of b-Anb rs.The results indicated that the climate of Larestan County had an underlying influence through a historical process on the quality and construction of b-Anb rs. Both in the construction and use of b-Anb rs, special attention must have been paid to the principles of sustainable architecture such as energy conservation, climate compatibility, reducing the use of new resources and materials, meeting the needs of the locals, being in harmony with the environment and the site of construction, holism, and the protection of residential areas against the atmospheric agents. Using accessible and native methods, optimal use had been made of the atmospheric agents. In this regard, Larestan are the real examples of adaptation to the climatic conditions and factors. Far from causing any damage to the environment, the architecture of these water reservoirs is compatible with the environment and is actually devised in a fashion to protect it. Larestan, despite its enormous potential and capabilities as regards tourism, it has not yet found its true place in Iran’s promising tourism industry. With respect to this dormant source of tourism, both the central government and people in the region should pay more attention to restoring and using these water storage facilities.