THE ROLE OF SEMI-OPEN SPACES IN HOUSING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TEHRAN, IRAN /
SOUDEH SAEIDI; SUPERVISOR: ASST. PROF. DR. SEVİL AYDINLIK BAŞAR
- xi, 112 sheets: tables, charts; 30 cm. 1 CD ROM
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