Urban Architecture
maliheh taghipour; maryam bagheri
Abstract
The attendance of people in a public space overshadows many issues, including issues that have multilateral links with economic, cultural, social and other areas. The first spark needed to be in the place comes from the entrances of that place to the mind. So one of the most basic expectations that can ...
Read More
The attendance of people in a public space overshadows many issues, including issues that have multilateral links with economic, cultural, social and other areas. The first spark needed to be in the place comes from the entrances of that place to the mind. So one of the most basic expectations that can be expected from any input is the affordance to that space. In this context, the bazaar, as a public space, has a significant role in the economic, social, cultural, political and other prosperity of cities and the issue of its presence is of particular importance. Accordingly, the present study investigates the role of inputs' permeability qualities on the degree of attendance of people in traditional bazaar as a research issue and analyzes the factors affecting this issue in the traditional bazaar of Shiraz. The research method in this paper is a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods that analyze the physical structure of space in quantitative part using field studies as well as computer tools such as Depthmap software and in the qualitative part based on field observations and interviews with users. From the bazaar, it analyzes the results of the quantitative segment as well as the factors influencing this issue. The results indicate that the three components of accessibility, spatial connectivity and neighborhood quality are the most important factors in enhancing bazaar attendance. In this regard, the possibility of visualizing the input channels from the surrounding tissue, the degree of adaptation and dependence between the uses in the rows leading to the inputs, the density and variety of these applications and finally the geometrical and spatial characteristics of bazaar entrances as the most important factors related to the quality of the permeability of the inputs. That affect the bazaar attendance of people.
Urban Architecture
sara Mohebinejad; Khosro Movahed; Ali Akbar Heydari; malihe taghipour
Abstract
Highlights
- Various studies have demonstrated that several factors, including social, physical, and economic ones, affect the degree of socialization of an environment.
- Spatial organization in a residential complex has a significant role in the increase or decrease in its open space sociability.
- ...
Read More
Highlights
- Various studies have demonstrated that several factors, including social, physical, and economic ones, affect the degree of socialization of an environment.
- Spatial organization in a residential complex has a significant role in the increase or decrease in its open space sociability.
- Open spaces with central and mixed layouts offer greater sociability than other patterns in residential complexes.
- Improper placement of various outdoor functions of a residential complex will reduce the sociability of the space.
- A new method involves measurement of the effect of the formation of open spaces in residential complexes using space syntax.
Introduction
Different arrangements of blocks in a residential complex create different patterns of open space that enable the occurrence of different potentials in terms of spatial socialization. In this study, four different patterns of arrangement of residential blocks in the city of Shiraz, Iran were selected, including linear, complex, single-element, and complex central patterns. Their spatial structures were analyzed using the spatial syntax theory tools and field and documentary observations, and different aspects of socialization therein were compared.
Theoretical foundations
1- Sociability of the architectural space
Socialization in a public space is based on people’s need for a sense of social belonging and interaction with each other, which can be realized in a supportive social space along with provision of physical comfort, territory claim, sense of ownership, and reception of justice in space.
2- Factors affecting socialization in the open spaces in a residential complex
Among the factors affecting socialization, physical factors (pertaining to spatial order) that affect the sociability of open spaces in residential complexes were studied and analyzed.
3- Physical components affecting socialization
3-1- Type of spatial organization
Hierarchy
The concept of hierarchy denotes a set of features and phenomena that cause different spaces to be classified or ordered in a spatial configuration.
Accessibility
The issue of accessibility can be examined in two ways: physical access and visual access.
3-2- Locations of spaces and types of access to them
One of the most important factors that affect the sociability of different spaces is their locations in the context of a site and the way in which people access them.
Transparency
Transparency means the possibility of visual connection of different spaces with each other, and is an important factor in the provision of a feeling of peace and security in the environment.
3-3- Form, geometry, dimensions, and proportions of the space
The morphological characteristics of space specify its appearance, and have a direct impact on people’s mood in interaction with space and their desire to attend it, as measured by the following two factors.
Spatial diversity
Spatial diversity is associated with a variety of concepts that are related both to the uses and to the formal diversity of spaces.
Percentages of open and closed spaces
It is very important to consider the proportionality of open and closed spaces and the visible skyline.
Methodology
In this research, spatial organization was evaluated using the indicators of hierarchy and accessibility. The tools of connection, relative connection, and depth were used in the space syntax technique. The locations of the spaces and the types of access to them were evaluated using the two indicators of spatial location and transparency, the subject of spatial location was examined using the tools of communication, relative link, and depth, and the transparency indicator was assessed using the tools of vision control and obstruction.
Result and Discussion
- It was observed that the least spatial depth was formed in the central layout, leaving the open spaces in the center of the complex with greater sociability.
- Where the playing space was located in the middle of the entrance area of a mixed complex, it occupied the largest viewing area, thereby increasing sociability.
- Mixed and central spaces exhibited the highest degree of interconnection, minimum separation, and maximum accessibility of the open space due to the type of arrangement of their blocks.
- Central and mixed spaces provided greater vision control and transparency despite their great spatial diversity and the possibility of mutual view of the spaces.
- In the examination of the indicator of spatial diversity, as observed, the presence of a skyline with a wider field of view and a sense of open space increased the sociability of the public space.
Conclusion
- Improper placement of spaces in the site of a residential complex will leave them less appealing and desirable to the community.
- If a space is relatively deep in terms of access, it will hardly be welcomed.
- Variety in the arrangement of blocks can increase sociability in the open air, because it increases the variety of space on the plan.
- An open space will enjoy greater sociability if it meets everyone’s needs. Children and families should be free to respond to their basic needs in these spaces.
- By establishing a balance between the percentages of open and closed spaces, we can help increase sociability. A visible skyline and consideration of the height of the blocks increase a person’s motivation to be outdoors.
- Greater sociability is required to create less visual depth and more communication and interconnectedness.
The following suggestions are made about the design of a complex:
- tendency to design residential complexes of the mixed and central types
- inclusion of playing spaces that are more connected and more frequently used
- development of spaces suitable for sitting with a focus on provision of the right shade or the possibility of sunbathing and applying maximum transparency and accessibility
- creation of a playing space in a lower hierarchy with the possibility of providing maximum transparency and communication
- creation and development of semi-open common spaces on the floors of a residential complex, such as social balconies, and consideration of the availability of public, private, and semipublic spaces
- recognition that residents of a complex who have better observed the indicators of physical quality will find their living environment more favorable in the same conditions of the neighborhood.
Acknowledgment
This article is taken from the first author's doctoral dissertation entitled "Compilation of Shiraz apartment housing schemas with emphasis on indicators of optimal physical quality" which is being conducted at the Islamic Azad University of Shiraz.
Urban Architecture
aliakbar heidari; malihe taghipour
Abstract
Highlights
- The physical health of people in residential complexes is directly related to the environmental quality of those complexes;
- The mental health of the residents in the residential complexes is directly related to the structural quality of the complexes;
- The social health of the residents ...
Read More
Highlights
- The physical health of people in residential complexes is directly related to the environmental quality of those complexes;
- The mental health of the residents in the residential complexes is directly related to the structural quality of the complexes;
- The social health of the residents in the residential complexes is directly related to the functional quality of the complexes;
- Providing health dimensions in residential complexes is directly related to the quality of life of residents.
Introduction
Due to the inattention of designers and architectures to the quality of biological collections during the rapid growth of urbanization, the residents of these collections have faced many problems, the most important being the sharp decline in their quality of life. On the other hand, since home is the most important space in human life, and people spend most of their lives in residential environments, the quality of housing and its role in improvement of the quality of life is a significant issue. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate how the environmental quality of housing is related to the residents’ quality of life to analyze the mechanism of this relationship. Accordingly, the environmental quality of housing was considered as an independent variable and the quality of life as a dependent variable. In addition, given that the quality of housing is an objective issue, and the quality of life is a subjective issue, a mediating variable was needed with both objective and subjective aspects for analysis of the relationship between the two concepts. Therefore, the notion of health was considered as the mediating variable in this study, and an attempt was made to explain the relationship between the main variables through examination of the relationship between health and the dimensions of environmental quality, on the one hand, and its relationship with the quality of life, on the other.
Theoretical Framework
Based on the objectives and hypotheses of the research, architectural quality was considered as an independent variable, quality of life as a dependent variable, and health dimensions as a mediating variable. According to the research literature, the quality of architecture was evaluated in the form of three indicators: environmental quality, structural quality, and functional quality. The quality of life was evaluated in the form of a psychological-semantic concept including satisfaction with residents’ various aspects of individual and social life. Finally, the dimensions of health were analyzed in the form of three aspects: physical, mental, and social health.
Methodology
After a review of the literature and extraction of the indicators concerning each of the research variables, the theoretical framework of the research was presented. These indicators were examined as a case study using tools including observation, interview, and researcher-made questionnaires at three residential complexes in the city of Shiraz, Iran. A standard questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life. The quality of architecture was assessed using the above tools based on the indicators provided for that purpose. Finally, the residents’ health conditions were assessed using a researcher-made closed questionnaire. To specify the validity and reliability of the questionnaires, the items concerning each variable were first designed and provided to the experts. After a number of the items were corrected and deleted, the final questionnaire was designed in the form of a set of 26 items, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for each group was obtained.
Results and Discussion
The eventual research results follow.
- The physical health of the people in the residential complexes was directly related to the environmental quality of the complexes.
- The mental health of the residents of the residential complexes was directly related to the structural quality of the complexes.
- The social health of the residents of the residential complexes was directly related to the functional quality of the complexes.
- Provision of health dimensions in the residential complexes was directly related to the residents’ quality of life.
Conclusion
1- The quality of architecture in residential spaces is directly related to improvement of the residents’ health conditions. In this regard, the following are significant:
-Improvement of the level of environmental quality promotes all aspects of health in housing, especially the residents’ physical health. This means that the most important factors ensuring the residents’ physical health include the provision of health, creation of environmental comfort in housing, and assurance of the residents’ safety, which lie in the field of environmental quality.
- Improvement of the level of structural quality in housing promotes mental health. Psychological peace is provided in the house through attention to the structural features of housing with respect to the method of spatial configuration, proper spatial zoning, provision of the residents with psychological security, creation of an appropriate visual space in the home environment, and the like. As a result, the residents’ mental health is improved at home.
- Improvement of the level of functional quality improves the residents’ social health in residential environments. We can refer to the capabilities of housing in provision of individual and social functions in the housing environment. are These capabilities include the establishment of collective spaces in the residential environment, creation of a space with functional diversity to perform a variety of activities in public spaces, generation of a spatial hierarchy, and individual and social privacy in space. Such solutions raise the possibility of increasing the interaction between neighbors, which leads to greater recognition among them, formation of the residents’ collective identity, and increase in the desire for social participation among them, which can ultimately contribute to social health.
2- The residents’ quality of health in residential complexes is directly related to the improvement of their quality of life.
This means that provision of all the three dimensions of health in residential environments increases the residents’ quality of life from all aspects. Therefore, if any of the dimensions of health is not provided in a residential environment, it can reduce the residents’ quality of life.
3- The quality of architecture in a residential space is directly related to the residents’ quality of life.
This issue, which is one of the main purposes of the present study, is quite obvious and understandable in light of the above. Thus, on the one hand, there is a two-way relationship between the quality of architecture and health dimensions; on the other hand, the residents’ quality of health in a residential complex is directly related to their quality of life there. Therefore, it can be stated that there is a direct relationship between the quality of architecture in a residential complex and the residents’ quality of life. Hence, improvement of the quality of architecture in a residential space increases different dimensions of the residents’ health, leading to an improvement in their quality of life.
Urban Management
Malihe Taghipour; aliakbar heidari; maryam haghayegh
Abstract
The rapid population growth and transformation of apartments into the dominant form of urban residence have created new health issues in human life. The consequences, threatening residents’ health, include increase in vitamin D deficiency, overweight, decrease in physical health, social isolation ...
Read More
The rapid population growth and transformation of apartments into the dominant form of urban residence have created new health issues in human life. The consequences, threatening residents’ health, include increase in vitamin D deficiency, overweight, decrease in physical health, social isolation and a variety of social injuries, decrease in personal space, and decrease in mental health. From the World Health Organization’s point of view, health involves provision of three dimensions thereof at the same time: physical, mental, and social. In addition to the above, however, it seems that the economic index has a direct, immediate impact on individuals’ quality of life and health. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the three aspects of health in terms of the achievement of cooperation with the fields of architecture, medical science, psychology, and social sciences in the preferences of people with different economic conditions upon selection of apartments as housing and the priorities of the components from the three areas that influenced their selections. In this descriptive survey, SPSS 22 and AMOS 23 were used for data analysis, and Friedman test and ANOVA were employed to examine the hypotheses. The results indicated that individuals’ economic and livelihood conditions affected their preferences and concern for the three dimensions (physical, mental, and social) of health in the area of housing. It is noteworthy that economic conditions are considered today as a health-threatening factor, hence their great significance in health policies and disease prevention and intervention measures. Furthermore, the results obtained from the paper emphasized the need to consider the effects of the physical components of buildings on residents’ health, where a building could prevent the occurrence of disease in the residents and prevent an excessive amount of money from being spent for treatment. These findings can provide useful guidelines for policy-makers in the field of construction and social institutions influencing the promotion of modern urban living patterns. What is clear is that the current pattern of modern urban living and housing common in Iran is an obsolete model imported from other countries regardless of the psychological, physical, and social aspects of individuals’ lives. It therefore fails to meet the current requirements of the society, and can have harmful physical, psychological, and social effects in the long run. Modification of this model requires cooperation from medical and social scientists, psychologists, and architects and designers, development of regulations and construction standards, and cooperation from the relevant bodies (the municipality and engineering system) and medical, humanities, and social scientists. Based on the results of studies that have critically scrutinized the details of living in apartments, the organizations in charge of construction can also take important steps in establishment of laws and regulations that affect residents’ health to improve their quality of life. Based on the comprehensive dimensions of health, further achievements will hopefully be made in the construction industry and the design of residential units, so that people’s health will not be threatened by buildings, which can even have therapeutic properties.
