Physical Characteristics of Historical Houses in the City of Rasht

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture & Art, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Faculty member of research institute of cultural heritage and tourism, Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Faculty member of research institute of cultural heritage and tourism, Tehran, Iran.

10.22124/gscaj.2025.28720.1328

Abstract

In today's extensive constructions, historical buildings are regarded as an obstacle to development and growth, not as a strength and focal point in urban fabrics. This attitude has led to the destruction of many valuable historical structures and the transformation of city’s historical fabrics. The study of historical buildings can provide an opportunity to introduce the historic architectural values in addition to identifying the characteristics and patterns of this architecture. Using the historical architecture’s characteristics in design of contemporary buildings can lead to the continuity and harmony between the city and architecture. As the first and most important urban use, the house has an important place in historical buildings. This research sought to identify the physical characteristics of historical houses in the city of Rasht. In order to achieve the research objective, in the first section, the research concepts such as physical characteristics in architectural buildings and historical houses were explained by descriptive-analytical method. In the second section, the characteristics and elements introduced in the first section were studied and analyzed in the historical houses of Rasht as a case study. The findings of the research showed that the historical houses of Rasht have specific physical characteristics in their overall form and external facades. These buildings have characteristic elements such as entrances, windows, openings in the external and internal facades, which appear in different ways with varied functions. Semi-open spaces, in addition to their diverse functional and climatic roles, also act as a visual quality influencing the proportions and organization of other facade elements. Along with the variety of surfaces, the physical components of the facades and decorative ornaments have together created a visual richness in the façades of the historical houses of Rasht.

Highlights

  • Systematic examination of the physical characteristics of historical houses in Rasht and analysis of architectural elements to derive generalizable patterns.
  • Development of a theoretical framework for identifying the physical components of historical houses and proposing design principles

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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