The Analysis of Spatial Relationships in Village Houses Based on a Social Approach (Case Study: Village Koopar)

Different factors affect the formation of rural house spaces that are generally associated with environmental factors such as climate and geographical characteristics along with human factors such as cultural and social factors. One of the most important of them is the cultural-social factors that makes it possible to reach a spatial understanding and the concepts which are presented in the architecture of their houses.  Identification of the hidden patterns or the genotype present in the building's structure equals the identification of social relations that are implemented in the spaces. Builders of the rural houses have tried to incline living spaces to become humanized by creating a close relationship between environment, culture and architectural form. Koopar rural houses in Kelardasht district is a fitting example of a living space with material and spiritual welfare in a mountainous region. However, the disregard of these houses has increased to such an extent that all their cultural-social values, interior significance and spatial correlations are eliminated amid today's architecture. This essay tries to gain access to the interior information that hides in the architectural space of rural houses and has caused their development using a practical look into the past. Therefore, in the present article it is tried to have the way social and cultural attitudes had influenced shape of the houses explained. Accordingly, the research questions would be:  What impact does cultural and social attitude have on the way we investigate the spatial relations of the rural houses?     How are the spatial relations in the rural houses of Mazandaran? In order to do this research, the required information has been analyzed and examined using descriptive-analytical, logical reasoning and case study methods. In order to do so, history of the research and the definitions related to the topic are presented in section one by adopting a qualitative approach, library studies and reviewing the previous researches. In section two, the practical part, the theoretical information of this study in Northern Iran's rural houses, the west of Mazandaran province, one of the villages of this area named Koopar that ages more than others in mountainous region of Kelardasht, had been visited and the chosen samples of this village were analyzed applying field observations, mapping and photographing and finally we had conducted an interview with some of the current residents or those who had lived there long in the past holding sufficient information. In order to make the results of the studies which were done on the analyzed samples applicable to other mountainous villages of the region, this village and three different type of houses were selected, those which abounded the whole area and were older than other existing houses. Eventually, the theoretical findings of this study are analyzed by using logical reasoning method, the results of which are presented as tables that contain spatial elements, spatial organization, and spatial analysis.