Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism(JIAU)

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: The first condition for perceiving vision and space is light. Therefore, in the art of architecture, light is one of the essential components presented alongside other elements such as structure, order, materials, and color. Moreover, light is a fundamental element of architecture and environmental design, and urban lighting has significant potential to enhance the efficiency and well-being of people. In addition, it can contribute to the redesign of urban spaces, environmental architecture, and the urban landscape while providing beauty and security at night. Considering the importance of lighting in urban spaces and buildings, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of lighting techniques used for historical buildings in Tabriz on the quality of the urban landscape. Historical monuments are of great importance in cities because of their unique character and cultural identity. Therefore, appropriate lighting methods and techniques, as a complement to historical spaces and monuments, can be influential factors in strengthening identity and the sense of place. Furthermore, improving the quality of urban spaces through lighting increases the presence of citizens and, consequently, enhances the vitality and dynamism of the space. Accordingly, the present study, while examining lighting techniques applied to historical monuments in Tabriz, seeks to answer the following question: What effect do lighting techniques for historical monuments in Tabriz have on the quality of the urban landscape?

Methods: The research method adopted in the present study is a mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) approach with an analytical–interpretive orientation. In the first stage, a qualitative content analysis was conducted to examine the lighting of historical monuments in Tabriz and compare it with successful international examples through documentary studies and field observations. Content analysis is a qualitative research method that focuses on identifying, analyzing, and interpreting patterns of meaning within qualitative data. In this method, the concept of content or theme serves as the central analytical element. Moreover, content represents the most meaningful unit of analysis and refers to the specific meaning derived from a phenomenon, word, sentence, or paragraph. The historical monuments examined in Tabriz include the Blue Mosque, Saheb-al-Amr Mosque, Arg-e Alishah, and Saat Square. These sites were selected because they represent different categories of historical buildings (religious, governmental, and service-related), have comparable successful international counterparts, and already possess completed lighting designs. To evaluate the effectiveness of historical monument lighting patterns on urban landscape quality—including enhancing beauty and visual appeal, organizing the visual environment, strengthening urban identity and image, and improving readability and landmark recognition—a quantitative approach employing the logarithmic regression coefficient was used. Data were collected from managers, officials, and architectural experts because of their professional knowledge in lighting and urban landscape design. Since the size of the statistical population was unknown, the Cohen method was applied at a 95% confidence level to determine the sample size. Accordingly, 90 participants were selected using the snowball sampling technique.

Findings: The findings indicate that the lighting of historical buildings in Tabriz, implemented in recent years using various techniques such as uplighting, surface lighting, and direct lighting, has enhanced environmental quality and the visual perception of these buildings. Furthermore, the lighting has contributed to increasing beauty and visual appeal, improving legibility and landmark recognition, organizing the visual environment, and creating a positive urban identity and image. Therefore, the use of diverse and integrated lighting techniques not only highlights the architectural details and distinctive features of historical buildings but also improves the overall quality of the urban landscape.

Conclusion: Urban landscape lighting is a comprehensive system that integrates the illumination of streets, buildings, urban furniture, traffic signals, and digital display screens. In addition to supporting urban activities and functions during nighttime, it plays a significant role in enhancing security, comfort, and the visual attractiveness of urban environments. Among the key responsibilities of urban designers and architects is the effective lighting of historical monuments, which represent the cultural identity, heritage, and symbolic landmarks of a city. The results of this study indicate that the lighting of historical monuments in Tabriz is in a relatively favorable condition. It has contributed not only to improving nightlife, security, and visual quality but also to enhancing beauty and visual appeal, increasing readability and landmark recognition, organizing the visual environment, and strengthening a positive urban identity and image. However, the findings also reveal that some buildings are illuminated using uniform lighting principles regardless of their architectural characteristics, and that users’ preferences have not been sufficiently considered in the lighting design process.
Accordingly, the following recommendations are proposed to achieve more effective lighting patterns for the historical buildings of Tabriz:
- Evaluation: Assess the existing lighting conditions by analyzing visual characteristics such as brightness, contrast, and shadow.
- Research: Review the historical background of each site and establish a timeline of architectural changes, social contexts, and previous lighting interventions.
- Classification: Classify monuments according to their architectural and functional characteristics and apply appropriate combinations of lighting techniques (e.g., uplighting, downlighting, surface lighting, and spotlighting).
- Technical considerations: Select suitable lighting sources with emphasis on aesthetic quality, energy efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

Abstract Extended Abstract
Objective and Background: The present study analyzes the urban skyline and natural ventilation of land parcels in two urban blocks in Velenjak region of Tehran simultaneously. This study tries to assess the efficiency of the urban blocks not only from the visual aspects– what has been considered by most researchers so far- but also from an environmental perspective. For this purpose, a part of the urban texture in Velenjak region of Tehran is modeled in two patterns, and the airflow with a reference velocity of 4.5 m/s is applied to the models. The models are prepared in two patterns:1. The current status; a situation in which vacant lands have been massed according to existing data and ultimately resulted in a heterogeneous skyline; 2. A pattern in which 4 and 5 story buildings are added to the site, resulting in a homogenous skyline. The modeled area comprises 17 urban blocks and has an area of approximately 483,000 square meters. Wind simulation has been performed by Ansys Fluent Software and k-ε turbulence model, regardless of the atmospheric thermal stratification. Comparing the data obtained from the numerical solutions by Fluent Software to the reference wind tunnel results indicates acceptable accuracy of the selected method.
Methods: The information of the nearest meteorological station to Velenjak region is used to assess the data in this area. The data achieved between 2007 and 2016 show that the wind speed is less than 5 meters per second 93% of the time. Therefore, the reference wind speed in this study is considered to be 4.5 m/s at the height of 10 m. Based on the continuity and the frequency of wind in any direction during the mentioned time, an average for the coefficient of importance is defined for each wind direction (Table 1). In this study, a velocity of 1.7 m/s at the height of 10 m above the ground is considered the criterion for wind stagnation state. The reference for the assignment of this velocity is Beaufort’s table.
Findings: According to equation 1, a velocity of 1 m/s at 1.75 m balance is equal to a velocity of 1.7 m/s at 10 m balance (α= 0.33). Figures 9 to 12 show the absolute wind speed contours at 10 m balance above the ground on two samples for four wind directions. The areas marked with light blue color are areas of air stagnation. In these areas, the rotational airflow motion, also known as a vortex or a sequence, can be seen (Figure 7). The magnitude of the sequence area around the buildings is directly related to the building’s geometry and architecture and the urban fabric formation. Wind speeds in these areas are minimized, and they are prone to the accumulation of pollutants. A point grid with 100×100 points (Figure 8) is considered over the target area at the height of 10 m to compare the sample data and the velocity value at each point. Outdoor points with velocities greater than 1.7 m/s are separated from points with velocities less than 1.7 m/s, and their frequency percentages are calculated. Since the importance of wind blow in each direction varies, a coefficient of importance is applied to the frequency percentage of the points, shown in Table 1. Comparing airflow in two urban patterns with regular and irregular skylines indicates that air stagnation is seen at 29% of time/place in an area with a balanced skyline. However, in the first sample, at about 45% of time/place, the average wind speed at 10 m balance above the ground is recorded as 1.7 m/s, and thus we experience air stagnation phenomenon.
Conclusion: According to the results, considering buildings to cover 60% of the land parcel according to the construction regulations, and given the wind characteristics of the study area and its urban texture pattern, natural ventilation is provided better in 4 and 5 story buildings with a maximum height of 12 and 15 meters for buildings that cover 60% of the land parcel. This is while 7 story buildings are also allowed to cover 60% of the land parcel due to the relatively highly constructed urban blocks. Based on the results, it can be argued that a balanced skyline is more favorable both aesthetically and environmentally, and that creation of tall buildings in residential areas is only recommended when the building has a symbolic value and plays a special role in the region and affects the skyline.

Abstract Extended Abstract
Statement of Problem: The urban landscape of Zahedan is a multi-layered text in which different human, natural, and artificial layers are placed next to each other according to paradigmatic/ syntagmatic principles. Using a rhizomatic communication process and applying the negotiation and intra-code translation tool, these layers have created a meaningful complex. Due to their dialectical relationship with the development process, they have also obtained new identity characteristics, capabilities, and capacities in line with the previous paradigm since their emergence, regarding the changes resulted from the development and progress. But in the recent decades, due to the absence of negotiating and appropriate communicating with the city’s traditional codes, the development process as an “other” has disrupted its rhizomatic behavior and created a gap in the city’s coherent network. In this paradigm shift, today, the residents of Zahedan city are faced with a chaotic narrative and have relatively lost their sense of belonging and affiliation to the city.
Research method: The present study aims to present a solution to identify the urban landscape of Zahedan city during Pahlavi period. This is made possible by retrieval and reading of identification signs hidden in the city layers, using layered semiotics and generation method. Layered semiotics implies that the text of a city is gradually formed by encoding/decoding of the codes that are common in a group of humans, and become understandable in the same way.
Results: The human layer in the urban landscape of Zahedan has emerged in the city fabric through the convergence of values, worldviews, and socio-cultural foundations that have been present since the formation of the initial city core up to date. The presence of different ethnicities and nationalities such as Sistani, Baluch, Birjandi, Kermani, Yazdi, Afghan, Pakistani, and Indian, each having different beliefs, religions and paradigms, has given a unique feature to the city. Various individuals of different nationalities in Zahedan city come from a context composed of other contexts in itself. Thereby, in the context of Zahedan city, we are in a fluid and dynamic network of habits that are rhizomatically interconnected and have formed a complex called Zahedan urban landscape. The artificial layer is a combination of different contexts derived from the diversity of human layer contexts. This means that the form of constructed buildings, type of materials, construction techniques, the use or loss of decorations and colors, spatial layout of public and residential spaces, and other factors in the urban landscape of Zahedan city during the First Pahlavi period result from at least three major contexts: 1) The “so-called modern” architecture and common way of thinking during the First Pahlavi period and during Reza Shah reforms; 2) The traditional architecture in desert areas of Iran adopted by people of Yazd and Kerman, observed in the city’s significant and prominent buildings; and 3) Vernacular architecture adopted by other residents including Baluch and Sistani, which is also derived from the cultures and subcultures of these people’s primary habitat. The people representing a context have an influence on the city, regarding their status and authority.
Conclusion: Considering the connection of rhizomes and the link between the codes existing at their connection points, changes occur in urban landscapes where some signs are found, changed, or demolished. The only solution for the survived signs is to maintain them in their status quo. In case the signs are deteriorated and completely disappeared, it is better to be recreate (reconstruct) or regenerate them by infill development, as long as the originality and ancient identity are not impaired. In this way, a new sign can act as a symbol of an old sign in the past times and be reminiscent of something lost/eliminated over time. There are also various solutions for dealing with corrupted or changed signs: if the sign changes are in line with the contemporary currents and discourses and at the same time adhere to the old signs and features of the original urban cultural landscape fabric, the signs can be conserved in the same state; and if the sign changes distort the meaning of the place or destroy its identity, the changed sign can be re-modified by another change in the existing discourse. In other words, a new discourse in line with the urban identity and at the same time in accordance to contemporary requirements can be created in latter case. In this way, the conservationist seeks to expand the frameworks through criticizing, translating, measuring the frameworks, and dealing with the “other”, thereby reproducing the distorted meaning by creating a link between the existing codes at different times; an intervention that can be resumed in the present time and changed over time. However, it is not aimed at reproducing or imitating the pre-existing patterns and signs; because, repeating the signs without linking them to their history, breaks the urban spatial-temporal integrity and undermines the concept of authenticity. Rather, it is meant to create a balanced relationship between the urban network and the changes that occurred due to the developments of these areas. So, the created change can conserve its meaning. In this way, the city regains its legibility through signs, regenerates its lost identity, simplifies its meaning and restores its identity easily.
 

Abstract