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سال هفدهم شماره 86 (امرداد 1399)

The historic town of Naraq has gradually lost its trade-dependent economy over the last century; yet, its agricultural and livestock sectors around the town have remained. Therefore, the town has extensive connections with its suburbs. The water shortage, urban development, and land use change have endangered mazraʿas (farmsteads) and gardens. On the other hand, initial surveys indicate a broad connection between farmlands and the urban structure of Naraq.

This article aims to understand the role of farmsteads and gardens in the urban structure of Naraq. So, it will study the location of the farmsteads, gardens and agricultural lands in comparison with the early urban core of Naraq and its historical development process.

The method applied in this article is historical interpretation and in addition to historical texts, urban texture and context will also be interpreted to achieve this purpose. Regarding this matter, the cultivated areas adjacent to the city and areas far away from its urban texture have been identified and studied as examples of inhabited farmsteads and gardens to illustrate the relationship between them and the early urban core and also its secondary development.

The analysis of article`s finding indicates that farmsteads in their micro-settlement pattern have provided utilizing water resources, planning to use lands for having a safe settlement and development, and expanding agricultural lands to reduce environmental hazards such as floods. On a larger scale, this pattern has continued to develop and has transformed the primary agricultural rural core into a secondary urban areas, and at the same time, it coincided with the urban development to the east, in accordance to the texture and shape of the farmsteads and gardens at eastern part of the original habitat or settlement.

 Designing and its methods are always the concerns of people who work in academic and professional fields in different areas. Architecture as one of the central disciplines in this field has always been challenging the genesis of its works during different periods and the thinkers’ opinion from a different point of views; the results of studies showed controversial views about the methodology of designing. Meanwhile, some researchers in psychology and anthropology believe in the influence of some indirect factors in the emergence of artistic works that have led to the appearance of new horizons in the analysis of artworks and its referral to some unconscious agents.

This study investigates some of the unknown factors and dimensions involved in the formation of architectural work that the designer does not sense it directly, which unconsciously influences the formation of his/her design.

In this research, we used the “mythical criticism” method which by an adaptive analytical approach and an induction method, analyses the elements and concepts that have contributed unconsciously to the creation of the work and interprets its mythical motifs. For this purpose, first, the emergence of archetypes in architecture was described, then an architectural archetype was selected and the work of a contemporary designer was compared with the selected archetype.

Using the mythical criticism method, it was found that the spatial system of the Yokohama port terminal, which an Iranian architect has been involved in its designing, was consistent with the spatial system of the Iranian garden archetype.

The “Rustam and Div-e Sepid (White Demon)” tilework painting on the Karim Khan citadel (Arg) is one of the Qajarian’s interventions into this Zandian’s building. In addition to its artistic features, this work has a special social and governmental significance. However, it has received less attention from researchers. A new interpretation of it could provide a deeper understanding of the developments of the Zandian’s complex at Qajar era. The research is based on the hypotheses that this tilework in spite of its artistic role -in keeping with the Iranian tradition of illustrating the struggle of Rustam and Div-e Sepid in the art- also has non-artistic (political and governmental) functions.

The aim of the research is to recognize the content and conceptual aspects of this neglected tilework in its historical and social context and to identify its political and governmental functions in the Karim Khan citadel (Arg).

This study attempts to obtain a new understanding of the aforementioned tilework by “describing”, “analyzing” and “interpreting” the existing documents using the three stages of the iconography method of Erwin Panofsky in history of art studies. Primary data included archived images of the tilework and historical documents.

The findings show that: A) The primary or natural subject of this tilework was similar to other examples, however, the scene’s components such as “animals” and “elements of Western architecture” on the margins are different from previous samples; B) The secondary or conventional subject of this tilework illustrates Rustam’s struggle with Div-e Sepid (the thirteenth scene of the story narration) in the last stage of the Shahnameh Seven Adventures story called Haft Khan, which also undergoes some changes over time; C) The intrinsic meaning of this tilework with respect to the three subjects named “Artistic Backgrounds”, “Shiraz Government and Administrative Conditions” and “Symbolic Social and Political Implications” indicates that the use of these figures at the Karim Khan Citadel portal-at two levels of “Populace” and “Elite”- can serve as a visual medium for the transfer of the glory and political power of Fars governor Hussein-Ali Mirza Framanfarma as well as a symbol of his centrality, individuality, and independence against central government in Tehran. This artwork is to be interpreted as a part of other similar actions by the governor to announce the succession after Fath-Ali Shah Qajar.

 Some architectural and artistic monuments have been preserved from the city of Bishapur, which was founded in the early Sasanian era by Shapur I. One of them is the remains of a building called the Cruciform Palace. The cruciform plan of the construction is surrounded by huge piers of stone and gypsum, about six meters thick, and its central square is over twenty-two meters long. There are currently no signs of ceiling or roof in situ.Hypothesis: The previous theories about the possible ceiling form of the Cruciform Palace of Bishapur are not based on documentation. The imagined dome over the central square of the Cruciform Plan would be the largest stone dome of that period in Iran. The existence of a dome above this building and its compliance with the conventional dome form of Sasanian architecture is the hypothesis of this research.

The purpose of this research is to find indications that demonstrate the possibility of the existence of the dome and then illustrate the possible authentic form of its structure based on the reliable evidences.

To achieve these goals, a comparative study method was utilized and the samples that were similar in structure, architecture, and historical style were studied. Their dimensions and proportions were examined to obtain a model for the size of piers and spans in the Sasanian domes.

According to the obtained results, the thickness for piers of the palace is consistent with the average size of the selected samples of the Four-Arches constructions in Iran and potentially confirms the existence of a dome over the square section of the cruciform plan. About the height of the dome, the range of results is various and the hypothetical height can be estimated based on the mean measurements.

The lack of identity and a sense of attachment to place and lack of attention to climate, nature and history have led modern architecture to face major problems. This has encouraged contemporary architects to search for solutions to fix the predicaments caused by modern architecture. This research is an attempt to understand how the integration of architecture, history and nature can offer a design that can satisfy today’s needs while benefiting from advanced technologies.

The purpose of this study is to find the key ideas in vernacular architecture by focusing on climate criteria that can be combined with new technologies It is hoped that the ideas form the basis of contemporary concepts and pave the way for sustainable architecture. The possibility of examining the text of vernacular architecture from another perspective leads to the creation of a new language based on a direct reference to or a symbolic interpretation of the text This is also another question to which the response can help us achieve the goal of this study

The study is interpretive-historical and it is qualitative in nature. The data related to case studies were analyzed using the library method. Finally, a comparative approach was used to examine the similarities and differences.

The results indicate that contemporary architects have a vital role in developing the linguistic and contextual aspects of contemporary sustainable architecture. This requires understanding the main features of the vernacular-traditional architecture. In most of the cases studied, the initial designs of vernacular and traditional architecture have undergone fundamental changes in form and function during the transitional process and in many cases, the designs have gained symbolic features while responding to climatic issues. This has led to some kind of cultural and environmental sustainability. Also, the integration of advanced technology with vernacular and traditional content in some cases has made it feasible for architects to reflect the spirit of the times and create the modernist expression of the traditional concept.

 Handicrafts are particularly important in terms of symbolic meaning they convey. This symbolic meaning, however, is in turn rooted in their authenticity. In the present study, first the criteria for measuring authenticity of handicrafts are addressed and then the extent to which these criteria, as set by the World Craft Council, have been respected in the wooden works of Abdol -Rahim Foroutan is examined. Foroutan is an artist craftsman in Dezful who makes wooden works by woodturning and is the holder of World Crafts Council Award of Excellence for Handicrafts. The main questions of the study include 1) what are the criteria of authenticity for handicrafts as set forth by the World Crafts Council? and 2) to what extent such criteria have been respected in Foroutan’s works? Hypothesis: This study is to inform handicraft makers and all those who are interested in handicrafts of such criteria set forth by the World Craft Council so that they are encouraged to raise the authenticity of their works. The final result is expected to remain the special place of handicrafts and the economic benefit is created for the handicraft makers.

This study is qualitative in nature and has been conducted comparatively. First, the criteria for measuring authenticity of a handicraft, set forth by the World Craft Council, have been addressed and then the extent to which the intended criteria have been satisfied in the works of artist Foroutan has been examined. Then, the results were analyzed descriptively. The data were gathered from library sources, accredited databases as well as field studies.

The results indicated that nearly all criteria set forth by the World Craft Council for an authentic handicraft have been present in Foroutan’s works. These criteria included respecting copyright, originality of the initial concept, social rights (such as commitment to considering the workers’ rights by the employer and working safety), training the volunteers to learn the art of woodturning, high quality of the materials used, taking into account cultural identity and aesthetic concerns, respecting environmental concerns (for example using one-piece wood without using chemicals like wood adhesive and the likes), management of waste, creating competitive potential in international markets (marketing) and planting Indian rosewood trees in the region.