IDENTIFYING PERSIAN TRADITIONAL SOCIO-CULTURAL BEHAVIORS FOR APPLICATION IN THE DESIGN OF MODERN HIGH-RISE RESIDENCES

Abstract

Our concern is the increasing duplication of Western high-rise residential buildings (HRBs) complexes in metropolises of Iran. By stacking houses, the home has now become mere physical shelter but lacking the socio-cultural meaning that the Persian traditional home has provided. The socio-cultural values of traditional homes that support the households’ life quality by supporting their socio-cultural needs are lost in today’s modern residences. This is a position paper about those missing features with the intent of reinforcing the rich socio-cultural connections and spiritual aspects that are endeared by traditional Persian households in new HRBs complexes. The socio-cultural context in Persian homes emphasizes the behavioral needs at two different social levels: 1) personal space and privacy requirements within the private and semi-private boundary (e.g., family territory of a home), and 2) semi-public and public spaces related to the home environment (e.g., neighborhood communities surrounding the home). Later, the paper discusses the Persian sociocultural behaviors in contemporary neighborhood communities in HRBs complexes. It concludes with recommendations for future studies to support the development of strong neighborhood communities in non-Western metropolises in contemporary society.