5th International Space Syntax SymposiumDelft 13-17 June 2005

Typo-morphological Approach to Housing Transformation in TehranTypo-morphology The evolution of typology of dwelling arrangements is developed based on an ‘archetypal building’. The basic criteria for classification are enclosure, access, and day-lighting. The demonstration represents the limits on enclosure imposed by street access and day-lighting in relation to the size of plot.

Samples of house plans are selected from three boroughs of Tehran representing its major morphological transformations. Examples of borough 12 are shown at the bottom-left, from borough 11, examples are at the middle-left and borough 2 at the top-left. In each area, the more frequently repeated types are high-lighted by white dotted lines.

Morphological Change Borough 12 (bottom-right) covers the vicinity of the historic city from its origins and embraces the bazaar, arg (citadel) and historic residential quarters. Borough 11 (middle-right) covers some later developments mainly in Pahlavi I (1920-1942). Borough 2, (top-right) the largest amongst the three, covers more recent development up to the present.

The Bartlett School of Graduate StudiesUniversity College London

Borough 12. house types

Borough 2. house types

Borough 11. house types

Archetypes The abstract representation of house types (left) consists of arrays of elements which could be present or not. The presence of each element is displayed by red and the presence of court in the middle is shown by a cross. The grey area is the potential building and the white, open space. Each element then, could be given measurements allowing the calculation of gross and net density, ratio of built to open space, etc. The diagram below explains the representation.

SID

E G

AR

DE

N

OU

TWA

RD

-FA

CIN

G S

IDE

LIT

INEA

RD

-FA

CIN

G S

IDE-

LIT

PRE

SE

NC

E O

F C

OU

RT

INW

AR

D-F

AC

ING

SID

E-LI

T

OU

TWA

RD

-FA

CIN

G S

IDE

LIT

SID

E G

AR

DE

N

MEWS

BACK GARDEN

REAR-FACING SIDE-LIT

INWARD-FACING SIDELIT

PRESENCE OF COURT

INWARD-FACING SIDELIT

FRONT-FACING SIDE-LIT

FRONT GARDEN

PAVEMENT

ROAD

A sample area of 500 metre by 500 metre in each borough is analyzed in terms of plot size, floor plan area, frontage width, ratio of built to open space and density using GIS. On the other hand the house types are abstractly presented using the archetypal building method.

The argument is that in transition from courtyard houses to narrow row houses besides cultural conceptions are the constraints imposed by several ‘generic functions’. This transition could be the result of limits imposed by frontage width, which has its origins in the act of providing street access to each plot of land.

Borough 2. floor plan area

Borough 12. floor plan area

Borough 11. floor plan areaChaotic skyline of Tehran, A residential street in borough 11

Courtyards appear in their largest number mainly in borough 12. Later, in borough 11 they still existed whereas there is almost no trace of them in borough 2 when they were totally replaced by row houses.

1211

2

30 to 50 (6640)50 to 80 (10719)80 to 100 (4533)

100 to 120 (3480)120 to 140 (2689)140 to 170 (2521)170 to 200 (1344)200 to 300 (1696)300 to2,000 (1180)

2

11

1212

11

2

Two more frequently used house types

Housing and Urban GrowthTehran’s boroughs are numbered starting from north to south. Boroughs 12, 11 and 2 are selected for this research representing changes in its urban and residential fabric.

A dominant housing typology seems to exist in every period of a city’s expansion. Those types have been identified as the most common and repeated typology in a long-term process of change in Tehran in its significant periods of morphological transformation.

Two more frequently used house types

Two more frequently used house types

Homeira ShayestehProfessor Philip Steadman

floor plan area (sqm)