Houses, as the primary spaces of contemporary human life, must adequately respond to the needs, beliefs, and values of their inhabitants.The structure and spatial configuration of houses play a decisive role in shaping human behavior and lifestyle. Given that houses possess diverse physical and functional characteristics, analyzing their spatial structure can provide a deeper understanding of the complex social and cultural relationships embedded in residential architecture.
In contemporary Tehran, unregulated and unprofessional construction practices have led to a decline in the quality of life and the emergence of social and cultural issues in residential spaces. These changes reflect the broader transformations brought about by modernity, shifts in lifestyle, gender roles, and family structures.
This research aims to explore gender-based differences and their impact on spatial perception and needs, seeking to establish a connection between gender studies and architectural design. The study focuses on the lived experiences of women and men, asserting that overlooking these experiences results in the creation of inefficient and unfamiliar spaces. Thus, a more accurate understanding of these needs can lead to the design of more human-centered and higher-quality residential environments.
Using an analytical approach and based on the theory of Space Syntax, this study examines the spatial structure of contemporary houses in Tehran, aiming to reveal the hidden social and cultural dimensions in their design. The research seeks to analyze and extract changes in spatial organization and structure from 1961 to 2024. To achieve this goal, a selection of house plans from this period were drawn and categorized using the "Agraph" software, and their spatial structures were analyzed. Additionally, "Depthmap" software was used to examine indicators such as total spatial depth, relative asymmetry, connectivity, relative depth of spaces, visibility, and isovists for each decade.
The findings indicate a significant relationship between social structures and the spatial arrangement of houses. Social indicators prevalent in society—such as human interaction, spatial hierarchy, and privacy—were observable in the architecture of houses from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. However, in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, due to a dominant focus on the physical aspects of architecture and a lack of sufficient understanding of inhabitants' needs, fundamental changes occurred in housing design. These changes ultimately led to a weakening of the residents’ sense of belonging to their homes.