Privacy in the Iranian House: From Spatial Organization to Structural Compatibility in Contemporary Housing Design

Tabatabaei, Fahimeh; Ghaffari, Esmaeil

doi:10.22034/ijumes.2026.2110519.1433

Privacy in the Iranian House: From Spatial Organization to Structural Compatibility in Contemporary Housing Design

Document Type : Case Study

Authors

Fahimeh Tabatabaei

Esmaeil Ghaffari

Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Torbat Heydarieh, Torbat Heydarieh, Iran

10.22034/ijumes.2026.2110519.1433

Abstract

Mahramiyyat (privacy) is a foundational organizing principle of Iranian domestic architecture, yet it has been eroded by contemporary mass-housing paradigms, and the existing literature, largely historical, case-specific and based on space syntax, has not translated it into criteria usable in design, construction and building regulations. This review aims to identify the spatial-physical mechanisms that constitute mahramiyyat in the Iranian house and to formulate them as an integrative, operationalizable framework for sustainable contemporary housing. An interpretive systematic review of Persian and international databases was conducted, and sources retained after three-stage screening were examined through directed qualitative content analysis. Findings show that mahramiyyat operates as a multi-layered system rather than a single element: a spatial hierarchy of entry from the hashti and dalan to the courtyard and inner quarters; visual and auditory control in which spatial depth substitutes for physical barriers; and cultural-climatic compatibility, in which the same courtyard organization secures family privacy and passive environmental performance. Evidence from the extroverted houses of Gilan shows that privacy depends on organizational logic rather than introverted form. As load-bearing walls, openings and intermediary spaces serve both structural and privacy functions, the invasiveness of seismic retrofitting is inversely related to the preservation of privacy mechanisms. The study therefore proposes a four-tier 'privacy–space–construction' framework, comprising foundational principles, design criteria, construction requirements and structural synergy, that adds structural compatibility as a fourth layer. The framework provides a shared language for architects and structural engineers and a basis for measurable privacy criteria in contemporary housing regulations.

Graphical Abstract

Privacy in the Iranian House: From Spatial Organization to Structural Compatibility in Contemporary Housing Design

Highlights

· Mahramiyyat operates as a multi-layered spatial system, not a single element

· Privacy depends on spatial organizing logic rather than introverted form

· Spatial depth and segregation can substitute for physical privacy barriers

· Invasive seismic retrofitting is inversely related to privacy preservation

· A four-tier privacy–space–construction framework links design and structure

Keywords

Mahramiyyat

Space syntax

spatial hierarchy

structural compatibility

sustainable housing design

Al-Hagla, K. (2010). Physical privacy and quality of life in Islamic societies. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research.

Aram, M., & Aram, N. (2024). Analyzing the entrance hierarchy in Qajar houses of Qom using space syntax.

Bahammam, O. (2006). The role of privacy in the design of the Saudi Arabian courtyard house. In B. Edwards, M. Sibley, M. Hakmi, & P. Land (Eds.), Courtyard housing: Past, present and future. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203646724

Bhattacharya, S., Nayak, S., & Dutta, S. C. (2014). A critical review of retrofitting methods for unreinforced masonry structures. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 7, 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2013.12.004

Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24(2), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001

Heidari, S., et al. (2018). Evaluation of the methods of confidentiality in three Peymoon (large, small and broken) of Iranian-Islamic housing using space syntax techniques. Journal of Conservation and Architecture in Iran. https://mmi.aui.ac.ir/browse.php?a_id=467&sid=1&slc_lang=en

Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687

ICOMOS. (2003). Principles for the analysis, conservation and structural restoration of architectural heritage. International Council on Monuments and Sites. https://www.icomos.org/charters/structures_e.pdf

Karimi Shirazi, S., Rahbari Manesh, K., & Soheili, K. (2025). Investigating privacy in the spatial structure of extroverted houses in Gilan (Case study: Vernacular houses of the plain region).

Kazemzadeh Raef, M., & Mirdrikvand, M. (2020). Recognizing the mechanism of privacy in the traditional house with emphasis on manifestations of privacy

Khozaei Ravari, F., Hassan, A. S., Abdul Nasir, M. H., & Mohammad Taheri, M. (2024). The development of residential spatial configuration for visual privacy in Iranian dwellings, a space syntax approach. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 42(4), 672–703. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBPA-05-2021-0080

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.

Memarian, G., & Brown, F. E. (2003). Climate, culture, and religion: Aspects of the traditional courtyard house in Iran. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 20(3), 181–198. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/climate-culture-and-religion-aspects-of-the-traditional-courtyard/

Moazemi, N., & Abdi, Z. (2016). Reload confidentiality inherent in traditional neighborhoods with the aim of promoting contemporary urbanism (Pamenar neighborhood of Tehran). International Journal of Urban and Rural Management. http://ijurm.imo.org.ir/article-1-1537-en.html

Moosavi, S. M., Cornadó, C., & Askarizad, R. (2025). Analyzing the influence of residents' sociocultural reflections on the spatial configuration of historical Persian residential architecture. Sustainability, 17(3), 879. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030879

Omidvari, S., & Hamzenejad, M. (2022). A comparative study of the concept of "privacy" in the house of Islamic countries in the Middle East (Case study: Houses of Isfahan, Sanaa, Damascus). Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture, 10(3), 145–168. https://jria.iust.ac.ir

Rapoport, A. (1990). The meaning of the built environment: A nonverbal communication approach (Rev. ed.). University of Arizona Press.

Rastegar, S. S., & Bemanian, M. R. (2019). Typology of the spatial structure of contemporary Iranian housing based on privacy and hierarchy (Case study: Houses in Tehran during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s). Journal of Fine Arts: Architecture & Urban Planning, 24(2), 49–58. https://jfaup.ut.ac.ir

Shirdel, A., Asadpour, F., & Heidari, M. (2025). Reinterpreting the principle of privacy and sanctity in contemporary housing design with emphasis on the valued status of women in Islam. Woman Interdisciplinary Researches Journal, 7(2), 25–44.

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039

Varmaghani, H. (2018). The impact of women on the middle class houses of the Qajar era (Case study: Northern cities of Iran). Space Ontology International Journal, 7(1), 51–65. https://sanad.iau.ir/en/Article/938139

Zangeneh, N., Moztarzadeh, H., Taghipour, M., & Nasr, T. (2021). Measuring privacy in various spatial configurations of historic houses using space syntax mathematical relations (Case study: Qajar houses of Shiraz).