The evolution of privacy in contemporary houses in Iran using space syntax techniques: a case study of Kerman
ISSN: 0168-2601
Article publication date: 24 May 2022
Issue publication date: 3 February 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The house not only provides shelter and security but also is a reflection of human privacy. One of the important factors involved in house design is privacy. The current research is a case study that examines privacy's evolution in contemporary houses in Kerman using space syntax techniques.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on the quantitative approach of space syntax. A total number of 15 houses in Kerman built in three periods of Qajar, Pahlavi and the Islamic Republic, were examined for the space syntax indices using UCL DepthMap. The DepthMap outputs were also analyzed using one-way ANOVA.
Findings
The findings indicated that the arrangement of spaces in houses has altered over time from the 1920s onwards. There is a significant difference between houses of the Qajar, Pahlavi and the Islamic Republic eras, indicating a reduction in the hierarchy of access and reduced privacy in houses in the Islamic Republic.
Research limitations/implications
Numerous factors affect privacy (e.g. confidentiality, interface spaces, quality of openings and visibility). Nevertheless, this study focused on the impact of spatial configuration on privacy. It can be stated that the design of houses from the Pahlavi period was gradually associated with changes in culture and modern architecture, leading to a decrease in privacy.
Originality/value
This study used space syntax to examine the evolution of privacy in contemporary Iranian houses. Since privacy is a substantial issue in the middle east communities, the findings can help designers and relevant organizations consider privacy as much as other comfort factors in the early stages of design.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: Not applicable
Code availability: UCL Depthmap 10 Software
IBM SPSS Statistical 26.0 software
Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Conflicts of interest/ Competing interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Citation
Zabihi, A. and Mirzaei, R. (2023), "The evolution of privacy in contemporary houses in Iran using space syntax techniques: a case study of Kerman", Open House International, Vol. 48 No. 1, pp. 55-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-01-2022-0025
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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