Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism(JIAU)

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: The functional layout of student residences holds significant importance as these spaces serve as a collective ‘second home’ for their residents. Many students living in such complexes have left their hometowns and are adapting to a new city, often encountering individuals from diverse backgrounds and varying social behaviors. This adjustment period, especially in the initial months, highlights the crucial need for ensuring residents’ privacy within their living environment. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the functional layout of these residential spaces and their ability to safeguard residents’ privacy. By focusing on specific criteria tailored to meet the privacy needs of student residence occupants, this research seeks to address the challenges posed by the transition to communal living in a new environment. To understand the role of spatial organization in student residences, this study focuses on the spatial thresholds that define boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, emphasizing the creation of solitude and personal territories. The category of solitude and the creation of privacy and personal territories have been addressed in order to able to determine the desired solitude for the residents through the evaluation of the effective components of threshold that are resulted from the spatial organization of such residences. Drawing upon David Canter’s theory of place, the study examines the physical-environmental, functional-activity, and perceptual-semantic components of student residences. Specifically, it evaluates two residential complexes—the Imam Khomeini International University and the Islamic Azad University of Qazvin—to analyze their centralized and linear structural configurations. In addition, the study incorporates theories of environmental perception, such as Gibson’s ecological model of perception and the theory of environmental affordance, which emphasize the role of movement in acquiring environmental information. It also considers Barker’s ecological theory, which suggests that changes in behavior result from changes in the environment. These theories inform the extraction of research indicators and variables in the theoretical model, providing a framework for understanding the relationship between spatial organization and resident behavior.
Methods: The research questionnaire consists of two main sections. The first part assesses the quality of spatial organization in student residences regarding privacy, focusing on independent research variables. The second part gathers social data related to the dependent variable of privacy, covering two components: environmental affordance and attachment to the environment. Both questionnaires utilize a 5-point Likert scale to categorize residents’ responses regarding privacy in student residences. To evaluate the theoretical models and determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables, a multivariate method of structural equation modeling was employed. This approach, facilitated by AMOS22 software, combines factor analysis and path analysis. Through logical reasoning, survey data and structural equations are analyzed to draw conclusions.
Findings: The analysis reveals that physical-environmental characteristics apply the strongest influence on spatial organization, with a factor loading of 0.83. Following closely, functional-activity characteristics rank second with a factor loading of 0.7, while perceptual-semantic characteristics rank third with a factor loading of 0.56. In terms of evaluating privacy criteria based on the dependent variable questionnaire, environmental affordance demonstrates a higher impact with a factor loading of 0.71 compared to environmental attachment, which has a factor loading of 0.66. Furthermore, the significant correlation between privacy and spatial organization is evidenced by a factor loading of 0.62, indicating that spatial organization plays a pivotal role in shaping privacy, with internal components interacting synergistically.
Conclusion: The results highlight the significance of inner courtyards as an in-between space, particularly in student residences, as they enhance productivity and spatial dynamics. Unlike linear designs, incorporating courtyards into residence spatial organization increases spatial thresholds, facilitating spatial selection and permeability. Additionally, the hierarchical arrangement of spaces within courtyards fosters privacy and territorial definition among residents. Overall, survey results underscore the importance of creating conducive atmospheres in student residences through a balanced integration of physical-spatial and perceptual-behavioral factors. These factors not only influence the desirability of residences but also contribute to resident satisfaction and the establishment of stable behavioral patterns.

Abstract Extended Abstract
Objective and Background: Nowadays, health promotion in humans is not limited to medicine and psychology; therefore, a strong need for an effective interdisciplinary movement is felt to increase individuals' health as much as possible.  Several studies have concluded that the quality of the built environment is an important indicator of health and quality of life in modern societies. Health paradigm fans believe fundamental changes in individual and social behaviors are required to improve health, meaning that there must be a movement in the "social body" for the "biological and physical body" if an effective response is to be achieved. Housing and neighborhoods play an important role in human life as the most basic man-made environments. These environments have a significant impact on human mental and physical health. The architects and urban planners of today must develop designs aimed at improving human health.  Previous studies have shown that the salutogenic approach can promote human health. One of the basic sub-branches of this approach that forms the general basis of this research is the sense of coherence (SOC), which Antonovsky defines as the dynamic orientation for the world. This study aims to achieve a design solution that will increase the sense of coherence of people living in the historical fabric of Shiraz. As a result, the Sang-e Siah neighborhood in Shiraz city has been used as a case study. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the sense of coherence in the Sang-e Siah neighborhood in Shiraz, which can be improved by increasing this component in humans. Hence, the research question is "What effects does the built neighborhood in Sang-e Siah have on citizens' sense of coherence?" Additionally, "what can be done to enhance people's sense of coherence through efficient design?" Answering this question in various neighborhoods can lead to effective strategies in maintaining and promoting the health of the residents in the Sang-e Siah neighborhood of Shiraz as well as the development of the neighborhood based on the salutogenic approach.
Methods: This study is based on mixed methods. Therefore, the bibliographic and documentary collections are first used to determine the progressive contents. Next, the World Health Organization Quality of Life and Antonovsky's sense of coherence surveys were used to collect data. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods with SPSS-24 software and a structural model based on SMART-PLS-2 software to test the research hypothesis. This research significantly identified and examined the main factors affecting the individuals' quality of life (QoL) and the residents' sense of coherence (SoC) in the Sang-e Siah neighborhood.
Findings: As a result of the factors obtained from both the tables related to the Sang-e Siah neighborhood and the quality of life survey, we find a more comprehensive correlation between the built environment and the sense of coherence. The variables in the sense of coherence survey and in the WHO Quality of Life survey have been expressed as keywords. The sense of coherence also acts as a dependent variable compared to the quality of life (an independent variable). Hence, the hidden variables related to the quality of life with the highest correlation coefficient should be taken into account since changes in each sector will impact the sense of coherence, meaning the SoC will improve as the quality of life improves.
Conclusion: According to the main purposes of the study, the salutogenic approach is intended to promote a sense of coherence and achieve a healthy home. In the neighborhood of Sang-e Siah, a significant factor with a correlation coefficient of (0.978) shows the highest correlation with the variable of the sense of coherence. Also, according to Alan Dilani's translation of the components of sense of coherence, every significant factor consists of sub-categories such as social support, music, art, culture, increased activity, increased individual and social independence, the presence of pets, view, comfort and convenience, and positive distraction. As a result, such keywords can be used in designing the historical fabric of Shiraz. Therefore, designing according to these strategies can significantly improve people's physical and mental health in these environments.

Abstract

Abstract Social interactions are among necessary components of models which are defined based on human kind needs; lack of appropriate focusing on this issue and neglecting its psychological consequences has faced people’s personal and social lives with certain problems. Effective Open and semi open areas in residential complexes which are grounds for active and dynamic social interactions are among those parameters that have not received enough attention in designs. District 22 of Tehran municipality due to its specific characteristics such as good access to parks, lakes, waterfalls and other newly built tourist attractions and its specific geographic location in Tehran is among the areas that highest level of mass construction is expected, in near future. This paper attempts to identify the factors that improve social interactions in the open and semi-open areas of residential complexes which are located in district 22 of Tehran municipality; moreover, it is aimed to alter residents from inactive consumers to active participants. To fulfill the purpose of the research, the effective parameters on improvement of social interactions are identified and coded; in addition, with aid ofground theory methodology and Shanon entropy, interplay and impact of these parameters on each other and on improvement of social interactions is studied along with their level of importance and with acceptable approximation it is shown that all of the under study parameters are pivotal and should be used in design considerations; finally, based on the results, suggestions are provided to improve social interactions in complexes that will be built in this area in future.

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