Comparative compatibility assessment on reused Iranian houses from Qajar era

Abstract

Reusing heritage buildings with a compatible function provides the opportunity to sustain their significance. In this regard, the listed traditional houses in Tabriz, as one of the historical cities of Iran, play an important role in presenting cultural heritage values. Privacy as an intangible aspect of culture along with both physical and socio-cultural factors, have played a major role in the spatial organization of traditional Iranian houses, and formed the access hierarchy in the interior spaces. The purpose of this study is assessing the continuity or discontinuity of interior spaces in original and reused states of listed traditional houses in Tabriz from Qajar Era, to contribute to a better understanding of compatibility of new functions with the existing heritage building. The research methodology is based on literature survey for defining the original functions and observation of interior spaces for defining the current functions of each space. Additionally, the analytical approaches of ‘space syntax methodology’ are used to achieve the access hierarchy in space organization of the houses. Findings are derived from the comparison of ‘relative depth value’ as a reflection of privacy; and ‘integration value’ as a reflection of accessibility in both states. © 2021, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.