The Cultural Capacities of Indigenous Housing A Case Study of Native Housing in Central Baluchestan, Iran

A large number of houses all over Iran have an identity-less architecture that pays little if any attention to the architectural background of the region in which the houses are located, the needs and desires of the users, and even the sociocultural context of the abodes. The indigenous houses built in the central Baluchestan region have valuable cultural capacities. In this region, any type of housing model certainly has valuable and beneficial capacities, including cultural ones. Respect for elders, familial hierarchy, the possibility of multiple generations living in one house, etc. are among the cultural capacities of such houses, which are often neglected in modern designs. This study used a qualitative method consisting of library research and field surveys to identify the cultural capacities of indigenous housing in the central Baluchestan to improve the quality of modern housing models in the region and help enrich the identity of Iranian architecture. The findings of this study showed that cultural factors including customs, traditions, family and kinship ties have influenced the formation of indigenous houses in this area. They also suggested that using motifs and Colours according to the preferences and culture of the local people, proper interaction with neighbors, spatial flexibility based on the needs of the resident family, and harmony with the beliefs of the local people are among the most important cultural features and capacities of indigenous houses in this area.