Search for Sustainability in Contemporary Architecture of Iran

Abstract

The environmental challenges, the significant effects of architecture, building manufacture technologies and the construction industry have caused the movement towards sustainable architecture to be considered as one of the most important and influential trends in the early years of the 21st century. Sustainable architecture and compliance with environmental features have also been noted in Iran both in theory and practice. However, it seems that in the developing countries, particularly in Iran, the architects’ tendency towards the concept of sustainability possesses some features of its own. Therefore, the foremost questions addressed in this study are: 1-what is the main feature of sustainability in Iran’s contemporary architecture? And what criteria have been applied for its utilization? 2- What sorts of sustainability- related considerations have been taken into account by the architects and building designers? The methodology adopted to investigate these issues is the conduct of case studies, utilizing the compound strategies. The data collection was performed via a library procedure, whereby thirty samples of Iran’s contemporary and post- revolution architecture for which sustainability was considered were selected. The findings of the study reveal that the trend of sustainability in Iran’s contemporary architecture mostly manifests itself in attempts to maximize the usage of solar energy, to choose the optimal direction for a building, the light absorption capabilities, proper ventilation based on the specific climate and weather, and the use of plants in the space.