Sociocultural Context and Vernacular Housing Morphology: A Case Study

Hesam Kamalipour^1,2*, Mostafa Zaroudi¹

¹Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
²Department of Architecture, Saba Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

DOI: 10.4236/cus.2014.23022                

Abstract

Various dimensions and forces tend to transform urban housing morphology over time. These impacting elements do not equally contribute to the formation of dwellings. One of the main va-riables in urban housing is the sociocultural attributes that contribute to the morphological for-mation of different types of human habitats. The study focuses on the relations between sociocul-tural dimension and spatial configuration in terms of design process, transformation, and mor-phological attributes. Grounding a conceptual framework in a case study of vernacular housing in the cities of Ramsar and Tonekabon in Northern parts of Iran, the study explores the housing morphology of a vernacular dwelling. Implementing a qualitative approach, the research methods of the study consist of descriptive-analytical method, case study, and logical reasoning. Firstly, a conceptual framework is generated through desk study and non-participatory observation. Se-condly, housing typology, morphological mapping, and face-to-face interview have been conducted within the field study. Finally, the study explores the spatial configuration and morphology of the vernacular urban housing in relation to the conceptual framework. Findings indicate the complexity of relations between multilayered hierarchies of sociocultural factors and urban housing form in terms of physical form and spatial configuration in the case study of vernacular housing.

Keywords

Urban Morphology, Spatial Configuration, Persian Vernacular Housing, Spatial Patterns, Sociocultural Attributes

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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