@2024 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2538-4384    Geographical Researches 2021;36(3):233-241

Background
By combining the tangible and intangible attributes of space, people capture images in their minds to interact and live in space. These images show how people construct their surrounding environment in their minds. Therefore, the presence of components in space with high image-ability can improve the perceptual quality of the observer.
Previous Studies
Based on the theory of space production, Lefebvre explains that space is produced in different physical, mental, and social layers based on the triangles of space practice, spatial representation, and represented spaces. Suja also mentions it as the first, second, and third space. In the above triad, space exercise emphasizing the material aspect of space refers to the sensory and observable state in spatial morphology. Spatial representation is a conceived, conceptual, and abstract space that belongs to designers and planners. Finally, representational spaces that directly refer to the human experience of living in space are the symbolic, mental, qualitative, and fluid space that expresses norms, values, and social experiences [Lefebvre, 1991; Watkins, 2005; Buser, 2012; Li & Zhou, 2018]. Based on the three-dimensional concept of space, Harvey argues that space is neither absolute nor relative and relational. However, it may be connected to one or all spaces depending on the circumstances [Junior, 2104]. In the space production process, Suja emphasizes the third and lived space. The first and second spaces are closed spaces according to Suja; instead, the third space is a real space with objectivity and mentality attributes [Li & Zhou, 2018]. All of the mentioned perspectives acknowledge that space is a three-dimensional issue and has mental and objective boundaries that there must be unity between all three aspects of space. Perceiving and imagining space is a creative way to live in the world by producing information about it, and neither is prior to the other [Fuchs, 2019]. Home as the most important space of human life reflects human values and ideas. Therefore, it plays an important role in human perception of the environment.
Aim(s)
This study aimed to characterize the image-ability factors in the living space of humans in traditional houses of the Qajar era located in Tabriz city.
Research type
This study is a quantitative study that used mind maps for data collection.
Research society, place and time
The present study was carried out on habitants of traditional houses of the Qajar era located in Tabriz city in 2019-2020.
Sampling method and number
187 subjects were selected using the snowball sampling method.
Used devices&materials
Data were analyzed using an explorative manner by the SPSS 16 software.
Findings by Text
The attributes of the spatial structure of the houses were categorized based on the habitant’s views, and effective factors were identified using the exploratory factor analysis. The first component includes ponds, gardens, trees, flowers, and animals. The second component includes service, kitchen, and storage. The third component includes the stairs, the porch, and the entrance to the courtyard to the rooms. The fourth component includes the main entrance of the house, open space, closed space, shape, geometry, and components of the wall facing the yard. The Fifth factor includes neighborhood, alley, and materials. The sixth component includes rooms, ropes, and windows, and the seventh component includes the crypt and basement, and the eighth component includes the corridor and porch (Table 2; Figures 3 & 4).
Main comparison to the similar studies
The findings of this study emphasize the desirability of natural phenomena in the home space. This finding is consistent with other studies including the importance of the natural phenomena in-home space to shape the collective activities of humans [Daneshgarmoghaddam et al., 2011], intensifying the perception and sense of belonging to the house or city with the presence of nature and natural phenomena [Daeipour, 2014; Salehiniya & Niroumand Shishavan, 2018], the cultural and symbolic importance of natural landscapes along with its functional role in the human living environment [Abarghouei & Saboonchi, 2020], and the importance of nature's presence in the performance of other functions such as educational performance [Mozafar et al., 2019]. The second and seventh factors of this research refer to the function distribution in space. The spatial distribution factor of functions in houses has been linked in several studies on the central space organization and the yard factor in the middle layers, which corresponds to the research of Mazaheri et al., [Mazaheri et al., 2018] and Peyvastehgar et al. [Peyvastehgar et al., 2016]. In the content of the images drawn by the subjects in the fourth factor, there is a clear distinction between open and closed space emphasizing spatial intermediaries. This finding is in accordance with the study of Einifar & Aliniay Motlagh [Einifar & Aliniay Motlagh, 2014] and Valiani [Valiani et al., 2018]. The third, fifth, sixth, and eighth factors are the result of variables that define domains and functions in different spatial areas of the house by creating stop and passage spaces. In the study of Saalji et al. [Salaji et al., 2020], the difference in the perception of different types of hierarchies in the space of traditional houses is the result of the failure of the horizontal axis in the direction of oblique and vertical axes. These findings are mentioned in the research including the importance of zoning separation in the hierarchical spatial structure of traditional houses in the formation of privacy [Behpoor et al., 2019], the importance of home joints in controlling the spatial relationship in the impact and influence of spatial areas [Hosseini et al., 2016], and the importance of the qualities of interface spaces in creating the territory and the sense of belonging to the place in the perception of the connection between the environment and the building [Sasani, 2016]. The following components refer to the imaginable components of the corridor and porch as a stop and passage space with an emphasis on the sphere of influence from neighborhood to house in the materiality of space which is in accordance with the findings of Barati & Kakavand [Barati & Kakavand, 2013] and Ghafourian [Ghafourian et al., 2017].
Suggestions
The practical recommendations of the present study to improve the perceptual qualities of spaces refer to the components represented by the mental perceptions of habitants. In this way, it is possible to create spaces following human perceptual needs by the spatial qualities of indigenous architectures.
Limitations
There is no limitation reported.
Conclusions
The results indicate that the experimental components obtained from the mental perceptions of the habitants indicate both objective and mental space in the houses, which shows that these components have a high imaging ability in human perception.
Acknowledgments
There is no reported acknowledgment.
Conflict of interest
This research is extracted from the Ph.D. thesis of the second author with the guidance of the first author.
Ethical Permissions
None.
Funding Sources
None.