Abstract:
In this paper, a house is assumedas an expression of culture. It has been tried to study a Qajar1 house in Tabriz, in terms of its ties with cultural context.Methods and viewpoints of Amos Rapoport have been used in order to identify and peruse the circumstance of this relationship. The main reason for using Rapoport's viewpoints to understand Salmasi House, as a case study, in addition to contribute to cognition of this house and its relations, is presenting a method to understand many Iranian architecture samples. To explain the ties between built environment and culture, Rapoport has proposed several definitions and approaches according to environment-behavior studies. To study the house, Rapoport's has used a three-step approach, including, dismantling, analyzing, and synthesizing. At first, according to these approaches, two concepts of culture and built environment have been dismantled to variables and components. Then relationship among the variables and relationship among the components have been analyzed. At the final step, the variables have been reassembled and synthesized. Their interrelationships and their ties have been established, in order to understand the essential linkage between house form and its cultural context. The required data has been collected from three sources, direct interview with former inhabitants of Salmasi house to acquainting life and quality of behavior in house. Preliminary studies to acquainting the context of case studies, study the form of the house. The results indicate the adjustment of the form of Salmasi House with wishes, needs and totally cultural characteristics of its inhabitants.
Machine summary:
House can be appears as a medium of self-expression and identity (Rainwater, 1966; Cooper_Marcus, 1995; Appleyard, 1979);or it can have some symbolic meaning (Polikoff, 1969); and home can then be seen as a centre of emotional significance, of familiarity and belonging (Buttimer, 1980; Tuan, 1977).
This studies and researches have been conducted at the same time, thus it effectuate access to a proper understanding of the links between different aspects of the issue: Initial studies: in order to understand the cultural, social, geographical and historical aspects of city and Tabriz people during the late Qajar and early Pahlavi era.
Although one of the houses was not possess by Salmasis, thus, in this time, the complex that was under possess of Salmasi had three courtyards, the exterior courtyard which is exists today and two interior courtyards or "Andaruni",4 which was the living place of the family members such as the wife, daughters, sons and their families (Fig. 5).
Connection doors between the courtyards of Salmasis houses; windows in the west living room that provide visual connection between the exterior and the interior; alley had a door which was closed at night and out of danger and would protect the privacy of residents of alley.
The main entrance of house was a filter space in house and set the model of entrance to house directed people to various parts of home, interior, exterior and stable; passers and guests sat on the platforms for resting.
The rooms were as a set of continuous spaces, which had been considered as Salmasi complex-house's reception hall.