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Contextualism refers to an approach to urban planning, which considers the city in its totality. It also emphasizes on the role of social, cultural, geographical and historical influences on individual development, because of the increasing interest in understanding environment in post-modernist architecture. It is also the degree to which new architecture is sensitive to its site and location. It farther varies from building to building and place to place. Moreover, architecture in context is neither a brief attention nor a radical innovation; rather it is a strong and expressive visual relationship to the surroundings. Individual building is always seen first as a part of the whole. Creating places and spaces that enrich the lives of the people who use them is the foundation of architect’s work. Every building can and should engage in a dialogue with the history, beliefs and needs of a particular place and time. In fact, current architecture in metropolitans of Iran including Tehran has an attitude based on ignoring the environment and the context of projects, including climate, history, geography, culture, etc. This attitude leads contemporary architecture to a sort of chaos and disorder. It also brings about contemporary architecture to lose its distinctiveness, besides increasing tendency and willingness of young generation of architects to imitate foreign works and projects without any attempt to adjust them to the context and environment of local projects. It means that this attitude can face contemporary architecture with a serious danger and threat, which enjoys no identity and character. The aim of this paper is to elaborate how correct and effective designing approaches in contextual architectural design can be obtained in architectural studios in order to provide designing with a dialogue to their context and environment, to have more successful designing, and also to illustrate a clear vision for contemporary architecture. Design studios in Iran, where architectural design lessons are being taught, are the main and fundamental part of architectural education. Considering that most of undergraduate students in Iranian architectural departments are ignoring the context without paying attention to its influences in their designing, we are going to figure out how context can be reflected and used in architectural designs in this paper. For this purpose, architectural designs in 4 different studios including Educational space, Cinema, Hospital, and Residential Space in Sooreh University in two semesters during a year (2009-2010); were evaluated among 20 groups, which were divided into two controlled and uncontrolled units. The evaluation was based on 9 examinations, which the authors had already extracted from the architectural designing principles. It is worth mentioning that the only difference between those two units (controlled and uncontrolled) was the constructed site model that the controlled units could adjust and adapt their designing to. Final evaluation, which was the average score of each designing group in each examination, showed that controlled unit’s designing gathered higher score; consequently, their approach in designing was more successful and effective. It means that contextualized approaches in studios can improve architectural designing and result with architecture in context. In addition, professors at architectural departments should pay more attention to the context and environment and their role in designing process. They further should integrate their teaching with contextualism. To this end, they may utilize many innovative solutions including a model of the project site.

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Asbads are a type of windmill with vertical axis which are considered as the oldest windmills in the world. These mills have been constructed in pre-Islamic eras in Sistan and southern part of Khorasan. From a long time ago, Sistan has been considered as the Iran’s store of wheat. Climate and appropriate soil along with the water of big Hirmand River have provided an appropriate situation for agricultural farms and particularly for wheat. As said, Sistan had been known as a wheat store of Iran. 120-day wind of Sistan is a natural feature of Sistan region. In this region, in the second half of warm season, when wheat is being harvested, vigorous winds start to blow. All of these characteristics provide the situation for constructing the Asbads which are considered as a great innovative production. In this regard there are different evidences which show that the oldest windmills are built at the east of Iran and in Sistan area. Main building of Asbad includes a two-storey building in which upper storey is usually open-ended. Moreover half of the building which is subjected to the wind is constructed completely open and the other half is completely enclosed. The part which is behind the wind side is also entirely open. Asbads have had an important role in past people’s livelihood and also is a sample of combination of traditional architecture with the needs of ecology which is considered as eco-friendly energy. Regarding to the Asbads’ unique characteristic, functional and esthetics features, recognizing them is of special importance. The concern in this research is to know how many groups traditional windmills or Asbads in Sistan are divided to, where they spread in Iran and what are the different types of them? More of the Asbads of Iran have been located in east and south-east of Iran where valuable winds blow during the whole year. Different types of 120-day winds blow in north of Sistan and south of Khorasan in second half of warm season. Asbads with traditional and domestic style provide opportunity for residents to utilize renewable energies. Different types of Asbads have spread all over “big Sistan” which are constructed differently according to the circumstances and ability of residents. Due to this fact, some of them have simple and rural forms and the others are more complicated. However, their functions are the same but their sizes and their efficiencies are different. Studies show that we can break Asbads down into the three groups such as simple Asbads, cylinder Asbads and corridor ones.

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Light has got the prominent significance in the Iranian beliefs throughout the history. Insistence on the light sanctity originates from the religious doctrines of pre-Islamic era (Zoroastrian beliefs) which was emphasized in the Islamic era and especially Islamic Sufism. Overall, in most religions light is the symbol of Divine Wisdom and the element of all goodness and purity; so going from darkness to brightness has been the main goal of life. Since the religion, mysticism and culture throughout the Iranian history have always been in direct relationship with the architecture of each era, the Iranian architecture has always strived to give the interior a kind of spiritual atmosphere and since no sign like the light does symbolize or manifest Divine Unity, the Islamic artists have strived to use the light in their works to make them much closer to the source of spirituality. Paying attention to light is considered as one of the most prominent features of Iranian traditional architecture, which influenced most of its structural and conceptual patterns. The construction of light-openings in the buildings such as masjids, bazaars, madrasas, and caravanserais, as the Iranian outstanding monuments, proves this very point. The Iranian master-mimars’ strategies to create the light-openings in the domes has been taken into consideration through this study. To this end, the light-openings’ exact location, according to the domes’ structural properties have been analyzed. Next, based on the foursome classification of the domes, the research theoretical framework has been determined, and the case-studies have been studied meticulously; through applying the case-studies and the combined research methods. According to the achieved results, the light-openings of the Iranian brick domes have been located at four distinguished areas, including: 1- the dome’s top, 2- the dome’s curve, 3- the dome’s shekargah and 4- the dome’s drum. Moreover, because of the structural limitations of each type of dome, the constructional techniques have played the pivotal role at locating the light-openings in the domes.  

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Presently, energy suppliment is considered as a pivotal economic and political characteristic in government; so that, an increasing trend in energy price appears in countries namely Iran due to energy resources limitation and increasing costs in extraction and exploitation. Therefore, parallel to efforts made to tackle the energy upgrading costs and lackness, improving energy efficiency and conservation in buildings are considered as main solutions to address the problem. Addition to applying thermal insulation in buildings, it is extremely significant to emplement energy-efficient strategies and approaches to decrease energy transfer rate in construction sector. Undoubtedly, following approaches positively influence buildings energy balance over a year. Directly influenced by climatic condition, building elements specifically, roofs, play an important role in heat transfer rate in a structure There are thermal exchange between roof and ambient temperature including: 1) Heating ignorence 2) Heating absorption 3) and finally solar reflectance). Furthermore, roof coverings compose a large area of buildings envelope; accordingly, it has a major impact on energy consumption and thermal comfort even considering construction roofs area in urban scale. Regarding to previous research experiences, there is a large scope of data on buildings envelope details to level down energy consumption; however, less studies are devoted to building elements shape to formally analyze energy consuming. The following paper develops the studies on roofs shape thermal behavior based on building heating load; while it uses a computerized simulation methodology as an alternative to field-based research. The simulation weather date is based on Isfahan city, in Iran. Modeled and analysed four roof covering types (flat roof, domed roof, pitched roof (30°-60°), pitched roof 45°), the final result shows that however the flat shape roof appears in an appropriate thermal performance, (30°-60°) pitched covering (mostly faced to the south in terms of surface) is regarded as the most energy-effecient form in Isfahan hot and dry climate area while domed shape roof appears in mostly inefficient sample to apply as covering in the area owing to most surface area. Moreover, the graphs show that applying thermal insulation as a layer in different roof shapes, remarkably decreases heating load over a montly simulation.

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Aims: Efficiency as a cultural index can be defined as the comfort resulting from the proper arrangement of components and the connection point between form and function; which plays an important role in adding quality to the space. Such an attitude to design; It is an attempt to obtain a model of valuable previous architecture to measure sustainability and discover the grammar of space in order to create works for the future of architecture.
Methods: The current research is a kind of documentary research, based on the use of data of valuable models of the past, which, by adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, analyzes the concept of efficiency in the structure of function and form in native Qajar houses of Isfahan.
Findings: Most of the massing has been done in the north (public spaces), west (service spaces), south (private spaces) and east (service spaces) fronts, respectively. Also, the data obtained from Ecotect software shows that the best direction in Isfahan city is between 17.5 degrees southwest and 22.5 degrees southeast. However, the frequency of Isfahan Orientation in the native Qajar houses of Isfahan is very low, and the emphasis is on the orientation in the north-south direction, and the southeast or southwest of it has not been given much attention.
Conclusion: The configuration of the space, the amount of received energy and the visual communication of the environment (sight) are among the indicators that affect the efficiency, which is understood by the way of massing, spatial relations and spatial proportions.

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Aims: The spread of the COVID-19 threatens the citizens health, especially the elderly, in community spaces. The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of the pandemic on the presence of vulnerable groups such as the elderly in community spaces, with the aim of providing lessons in order to be prepared for the post-Corona architecture and healthy environment.

Methods: The research method is "meta-analysis" of the documents and scientific reports development regarding the impacts of pandemic on architecture and planning. The research which was carried out with a comprehensive method and a designerly approach. The theoretical framework of the research is a synthesis of the highperformance architecture theory and theory of healthy environment. The methodology analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of urban community spaces in critical paradigm.

Findings: Studies show that after the spread of Corona virus and pandemic of COVID-19, the presence of the elderly and other vulnerable groups in urban spaces became less than before. As a result, urban spaces have moved towards polarization, which endangered the value and the quality urban spaces.

Conclusion: The outcomes of the study show that collective open spaces should be planned and designed based on an integrated approach to theories such as "healthy environment" and "healthy city" in order to allow the presence of vulnerable groups, especially the elderly in order to increase the quality of the urban environment. The performance-based design should span from visual-thermal comfort to pollution dispersion and healthy corridor design.
 

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Aims: Increasing energy consumption in the building and the use of construction materials with the increase in the amount of construction, causes environmental degradation and excessive consumption of fossil fuels. Nature has undergone its evolutionary process over the centuries and has reached its most optimal form, structure, and constituent materials. The goal of biomimicry is to be inspired by nature to increase efficiency with the help of sustainable solutions. The purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the capabilities of silica sponge for use in various building components to achieve the best possible options.

Methods: The collection of basic information is through the library and using the articles of valid and up-to-date scientific journals and the research method is descriptive-analytical. Theoretical concepts are expressed from the descriptive method and qualitative content analysis is performed.

Results: The results of the research provide the possibility of inspiring siliceous sponge with special features at different levels of biomimicry for different components of the building and design and ideation of the form, structure, process, and function of the sponge in an optimal state in the direction of the bionic structure.

Conclusion: By analyzing the form, function, structure, process, and how the sponge interacts with its surroundings, which has reached its optimal form and structure in interaction with its surroundings over the centuries, we can come up with an idea for sustainability and synchronization, achieved mostly with the environment, minimum energy consumption in the building and having optimal components.
 

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In this research, grey cast iron scraps were recycled into powders and were then used in combination with iron powder for producing iron based powder metallurgy parts. Design of experiments was conducted by response surface method for both the green and sintered parts. For the green properties, the parameters cast iron powder percentage and compaction pressure, and for the sintered parts, the mentioned parameters in addition to sintering temperature and sintering time were selected each in five levels as the input process parameters. Transverse rupture strength and elastic modulus were measured as the responses. Regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to investigate the effect of input parameters, develop the mathematical models and evaluate the validity of the models. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy micrographs were provided to better understanding. The obtained results, in addition to determine the effects of the input parameters, demonstrated the adequate mechanical properties of the produced parts in industrial scales and the validity of the proposed models. Also, the proposed method demonstrated its good capability for estimation of elastic modulus of powder metallurgy parts.

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Aims: Indigenous architecture has roots from nature, context and natural archetypes. The main goal of this research is to reframe Persian architecture as biocompatible, biophilic and eco-friendly architecture. It is to extract indicators that highlight biophilic aspects of Persian architecture as a reliable representative of the architecture of MENA region.

Methods: The research strategy is logical argumentation and the research method is descriptive-analytical. The theoretical framework of the research is based on highperformance architecture theory. The Delphi method, discipline of anticipation (DoA), and the Shannon algorithm have been adopted to extract effective indicators. For the discussion group, the opinions of twenty experts in the field are referred to. The tools for collecting opinions are in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires.

Findings: The quantitative research findings show that there is a meaningful correlation between the principles of Iranian architecture and biophilic architecture. These surveys show that the most dominant criteria might be summarized as: 1- socio-cultural dimensions: the occupant behavior, culture of context, measuring happiness instead of incomes, compatibility with the environment and the life cycle assessment; 2- economic dimensions: Persian culture of contentment, flexibility and design optimization; 3- environmental dimensions: performance-based design, carbon neutrality, and bio-compatible materials.

Conclusion: Persian architecture is an invaluable representative of highperformance architecture theory which might be acclaimed for focusing on nature-based solutions. It is to highlight the "process" more than the product; long-term benefits instead of short-term gains; nature-based value creation to encourage a zero-waste building industry, to reduce carbon footprint and biophilic architecture.
 

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Aims: A healthy environment is a factor in the sustainability of human settlements, and environmental protection is a necessity for sustainable development. On the other hand, the literature on the subject shows that urban development has not led to an increase in spiritual well-being and a healthy environment. It aims to show that emphasizing Islamic teachings can lead to an increase in the spiritual well-being of citizens and environmental health.

Methods: The logical reasoning strategy in the liberal studies paradigm has been chosen for inference in this study. Researchers analyze sources with the help of criticism and the use of interpretive and interpretive methods. The results of the study are drawn based on a holistic approach to the achievements of similar studies. Hence, the methodological structure of the study is based on meta-analysis with a qualitative approach.

Findings: The results of the studies conducted in the study show that the conceptual concept of a healthy city, on the one hand, has a direct relationship with religious concepts and Islamic teachings, and on the other hand, it depends on citizens enjoying a healthy environment. The role of a healthy environment in spiritual well-being, and the impact of citizens' spirituality on environmental protection, are the two main achievements.

Conclusion: The research presents a conceptual model for explaining a healthy city based on Islamic teachings, which links two less-considered concepts, namely a healthy environment and spiritual well-being; the same issue that the research background introduces as the missing part of sustainable urban development.
 

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Incremental Sheet Metal Forming (ISMF) is based on localized plastic deformation. In this process, a hemispherical-head tool, controlled by a CNC milling machine, shapes a sheet metal according to a defined path. Study of the forming force is one of the most important topics in this process. Increasing of vertical step size, tool diameter, wall angle and sheet thickness together with using of high strength sheet metals and lightweight alloys, leads to an increase in the forming force. In this paper, the performance of a novel forming process, named Ultrasonic Vibration assisted Incremental Sheet Metal Forming (UVaISMF) has been investigated. The procedure of design, manufacture and test of vibratory forming tool, is presented. The occurrence of longitudinal mode and resonance phenomenon has been confirmed by the results of modal analysis and experimental test. Furthermore, the effect of ultrasonic vibration on the vertical component of forming force and spring-back has been studied. Aluminium sheet of grade Al 1050-O is used as a work material. Experimental results obtained from straight groove test, indicate that ultrasonic excitation of forming tool, will reduce the average of vertical component of forming force and spring-back in comparison to conventional process.

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In this research, the machinability of iron-recycled grey cast iron powder metallurgy parts is investigated. For this purpose, grey cast iron swarfs were transformed to powders by target jet milling method and were then used to prepare powder metallurgy parts in combination with commercial iron powder. Green compacts were prepared with the variables of cast iron powder percentage and compaction pressure. Design of experiments was conducted by response surface method for sintered parts with the variables of cast iron powder percentage, compaction pressure, sintering temperature and sintering time each in five levels. Regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to investigate the effect of input parameters, develop the mathematical models and evaluate the validity of the models. In the green section, machinability was qualitatively investigated in drilling. For sintered parts, machinability was evaluated by measuring the thrust and torque forces and the obtained surface finish in drilling. The obtained results certificated the accuracy of the extracted regression equations for predicting the machining properties of the parts. Also, the results demonstrated that the addition of jet milled grey cast iron improves the machinability of iron-based powder metallurgy parts.