Investigation of Components Affecting of Sustainability in Rural Architecture (Case Study: Armian Village of Mayamey)

The concept of sustainability has long characterized the rural architecture of Iran. However, today, social and economic changes have brought about developments in rural architecture, as modern villages have focused less on the concept of sustainability. Old rural architecture has valuable sustainability indicators which can be utilized in new designs. This research investigates the component affecting sustainability creation and its representation in the architecture of Armian village. This research was applied in terms of goal and descriptive-analytical in terms of methods. First, library sources were reviewed to determine the effective components. Then, a theoretical framework was presented after the content analysis, as the village of Armian was examined following field studies and analytical methods. Results indicated that social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions contributed to rural architecture sustainability. As regards the social sustainability dimension, such components as social identity, sense of attachment, social interactions, vitality and social security; as regards cultural sustainability dimension, such components as participation and solidarity, cultural heritage and capital, value and cultural value; as regards economic sustainability dimension, such components as the type of material, effectiveness and avoiding nullity, employment and subsistence; and as regards environmental sustainability dimension, such components as an adaptation with the climatic conditions, dynamism and adaptability, respect and preservation of the environment were effective. These components and indicators have been noted in the Armian village fabric and housing. The Armian village architecture is an example of local, sustainable architecture in conformity with the rural life's identity, climate, culture and lifestyle.