Thesis (MArch) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Architecture Department

Includes References (sheets 96-104)

ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about extraordinary challenges worldwide,
significantly impacting the housing and built environment Housing has become crucial
in terms of controlling the pandemic and as an environment that must meet the
fundamental needs of residents during the quarantine period. Furthermore, the
coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has aroused global health concerns. As a result,
house quarantine was offered as an approach to limit the pandemic and allow a chance
to regulate the situation; Nevertheless, it is observed that quarantining has negative
impacts depending on space characteristics, flexibility, and user behavior. In
particular, open and semi-open spaces in housing have gained significant importance
during this period for offering a range of physical, mental, social, and economic
benefits.
This study examines the role of semi-open spaces in housing during the pandemic,
with a special focus on Tehran, Iran. Tehran's unique architectural and cultural
features, combined with its densely populated urban environment, offered a distinct
environment for investigating the importance of semi-open spaces during this global
health crisis. In contrast to resent middle-class Iranian high-density traditional
development housing, living by the courtyard cultural principle has a considerable
influence on the layout of Iranian traditional housing. The courtyard has been turned
into vertically open/semi-open (balcony) areas as multi-family complexes have
become one of the most common styles of housing in contemporary Iranian big cities
such as Tehran. In traditional Iranian architecture, horizontal semi-open (courtyard)
space has an essential cultural and unique value that plays a specific function in users'
living styles and urbanism in hot and humid climatic regions.
In this study, the aim is to understand how semi-open spaces in housing influenced the
well-being and social interactions of Tehran's residents during the pandemic. This
study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys, interviews, and
architectural analysis to assess user satisfaction regarding the lockdown restrictions
and expectations of semi-open spaces by taking the type (horizontal and vertical) into
account during the quarantine period. Therefore, considering the housing type, indoor
spaces, semi-open spaces, environmental factors, function, and activities within the
limitation of Iranian residential spaces socio-cultural, environmental, and
psychological factors were investigated through semi-open spaces in Iranian houses.
Accordingly, the role of semi-open spaces in Tehran houses during the COVID-19
pandemic shows how cultural and architectural elements can play an important role in
shaping the well-being of urban residents during the pandemic crisis.
Keywords: Architectural Psychology, Covid-19 Pandemic, Housing, Semi-Open
Spaces Iran