Architectural Design in Rural Heritage SiteCase Study: Designs of Historical Village of Maymand

The challenge between the old and new has always been a matter of discussion. This gap has been widened with the modernism movement and the new language of architecture. This issue manifests itself more acutely in new designs in historical contexts. On one hand, conservation rules and regulations, and on the other hand, the negligence and inconsistency of new projects in the field of heritage are the subjects of serious controversy. The use of the language of contemporary architecture in understanding the traditional style of life and construction, identification and adequate perception of the local architectural system of the site and the spirit of the place can result in a design that is compatible with the heritage of the place. Meanwhile, planning a new design in a rural heritage site is a difficult task due to its special features and the complex socio-cultural, economic, and natural relations, and that is why in practice there are fewer successful examples. Analysis of the effective factors in the design of rural heritage architecture presents a perspective for designers. The new design can play a significant role in preserving, encouraging, improving, or enhancing the values of built heritage in attracting the public attention and providing amenities for its owners and even neighbors. The purpose of this article is to study and develop effective principles and criteria in the design of new buildings and architectural elements in rural heritage sites, in order to achieve multiple criteria and principles and the key relations in the design of buildings and new elements in a rural context. The research method of this study is qualitative. Studying and analyzing the international documents, which are part of the achievements of valuable experiences in design in heritage contexts and their related challenges, will assist in developing these principles. Also, by examining various approaches and theories in this field the question of how to appropriately deal with rural heritage in order to protect its values, can be answered according to different approaches of architectural design. In the next step, the research examines and analyzes the designs that have been done in the historical village of Maymand (case study) and tries to check the compatibility of the designs with the principles that have been developed in the first part of the research. In addition, the validity of the research and the verification of the data will be assessed in this way. The results show that the principles and rules of conservation in a historical context cannot be considered as a limitation, but could be interpreted as an opportunity to create a lasting heritage in the future. These criteria help to enrich the new design and create identity. The designs made in the village of Maymand, which has proved its success due to several years of operation and the acceptance of the residents, showed good adaptability to the principles and components obtained from the theoretical foundations of the research. Finally, it was found that beyond the physical criteria, the basic factors are the ones that play a decisive role in the success of a design in rural heritage.