The Impact of Iranian House Architecture on Identity and Behavior of Children

Abstract

From birth, children begin to interact with the surrounding environment including humans and the space in which they live. In fact, in these early stages of life, along with the growth of body and mind, their identity and behavior are shaped and a sense of “I-ness” arises in them. Home is the first space where man face on his arrival to the world. What finds importance in association with the home is not that it is a list of functions or includes several rooms, but it is importance is related to the fact that it is a spatial model controlled by a complex covenant. Such an attitude causes a higher position to be considered for the home in shaping human personality; also, it is believed that exploring and searching the environment (to understand it) plays essential role in the identity formation of children and understanding the world around them. The root of environmental perception goes back to childhood and according to the empirical findings of psychology, it also extends to other periods of human growth. The environment as one of the constituent elements of human perception is affected by the physical and semantic conditions of space architecture and has an effect on human growth. On the other hand, traditional Iranian architects gave particular attention to the man and his needs and provided a good platform for his spiritual and material growth. The present study is aimed at showing that the architecture of Iranian traditional houses influences the identity and behavior of children. The research is an applied study conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. The literature available about children and the influential factors in shaping their identities as well as the impact of the built environment on human life shows that Iranian traditional houses, to an acceptable level, would be able to meet the spiritual needs of the children who grew in such spaces and provide the qualitative features required to give identity to them; and if modern housing possesses these features, it can give identity to today’s children, namely the future parents.