Sustainable architecture in Iran focuses on using natural energy resources and materials to decrease energy consumption. For example, windwards are towers built on rooftops for ventilation that were commonly used in traditional Iranian architecture. However, modern Iranian architects have struggled with a lack of support and turned to copying foreign designs instead of innovating sustainably. For Iran's architecture to progress, architects need more education on sustainability and permission to develop unique designs using today's technologies and materials without limitations on their style.
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Sustainable Architecture in Iran
Nowadays, one of the hottest topics about Iranian architecture is sustainability. It is a term
that for some people is still unknown; even architects would understand this term by saying
some examples such as going green, natural materials and some similar terms. we want to
talk about sustainability and architecture and their relations that will lead the reader to be able
to compare Iranian new architecture methods with olden architect methods.
Currently, energy saving and productivity are the most discussable topics in the world.
Increasing demand for energy saving the popularity of sustainable architecture and using
natural materials grow rapidly. The necessity of consumption natural energy is being believed
by everyone; specially architects, engineers and developers. Therefore, by using natural
energy resources like wind, solar systems, geothermal and ect. in buildings plus the
consumption of natural architect materials and its decoration and design, energy consumption
decrease and that going to be more profitable for the home owner.
Without considering the meaning of architecture it is simply
understandable that it tries to define itself in terms of political,
social and cultural issues. Sustainability term in architecture is
like using a new substance in a missing cultural topic.
Unfortunately at the moment Iranian architectural community
view of “sustainability” and its usage in architecture is not clear
because of a lack of knowledge and its advantages in design and
architecture.
Using natural materials in Iranian traditional architecture has
been inspired famous Iranian architects both in past and today.
For instance, Yazd architecture and masterpiece works in
Esfahan. Unfortunately, contemporary Iranian architects have
been confused over the lack of government support of design
and art. Therefore, in order to answer market demands which
taste is more like European they have started copying other
foreign architects’ work! Although, by using a main framework
in green architecture or sustainable architecture, education and cultural development between
Iranian unique architects we could see a great impact on constructions and architecture.
Example of these architectural masterpieces is Iranian windward! Windward are like towers
that being built on a roof of a house for ventilation. Also they can be built over water storage
and mine openings for ventilation matters; with this system cool air is going through
windward to the rooms on the lower floors which is a very basic ventilation technique. In fact
windward are like Iranian architectural symbols that nowadays are using in many Middle
East countries too. The basic shape of a windward is rectangular which has some holes in its
each wall. Inside a windward there are some separator thinner walls that is normally made
from brick or wood.
Figure1- Windward in Yazd
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Taking right materials with appropriate usage of natural resources is not only important in
sustainability but also it has some impacts on the way we use them just like a calculation for
students; in order to work with a calculator we need to know how it works at first! For
architects it is essential to have knowledge of materials as they need to foster the value of
evolution in themselves to show it to the world.
If we see architecture as something that inherently associated with construction; thus, the
role of materials and their combination together is like a DNA role in a cell structure.
In architecture the problem is the way of achieving a standard structure that main elements
are materials. In other words, there is no credit and meaning in architecture without truly
understanding of materials and technology. An architect should have a complete knowledge
of inherent characteristic and behavioral of materials such as strength, reaction against
different weather conditions and the return of light and ect. Just like a writer’s knowledge and
dominance of the alphabet!
Another way to develop meaning of sustainable architecture in Iran is to motivate by
justifying development or using a sustainable development in architecture. By not limiting an
architect in his/her design and style, Iranian architects would have a considerable progress in
their works along using today’s technology and unique materials. Famous architects’ style in
design especially those who are intending to register a long lasting design can be named as
international design styles which have to geographical limits. Creating parametric relations in
design while giving a special attention to persistency of design will cause to create
international long lasting work. By saying work persistency and its long lasting, it actually
means sustainability; which itself is a sustainable space and experimental evolution with
environment.It is estimating that Iran’s future architecture considering the events happened in
the resent decade in the world has a full of new capabilities. The future of architecture in the
context of the current discipline is very vulnerable which means if in architectural design
methods with an approach of optimal usage of space, light and energy and natural materials
not being observed and they be done by current design methods; therefore, the innovation of
Iran’s architecture will be neglected.
Resources:
1.Dara Golbon -point of view of sustainability.
2.Engineer Nader Tehrani’s interview with Memari & Shahrsazi magazine.
3.Scientific America 1989 , sustainability in Architecture in Iran.
Figure 2- Windward in Sirjan / Iran
Figure 3- Cooling Windward system schematic
