Introduction

 

According to the cultural features in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constitution and the third economic, social, and cultural development plan  of the county, the Center of excellence in the Islamic Architecture has been established in the School of Architecture and Environmental Design of Iran University of Science and Technology. The main goal of this center is to provide the required settings for architectural studies based on Islamic views.  These researches would help us in applying the strategic and practical fundamentals of Islam throughout design process.  These efforts would facilitate the required basics towards critical thinking for the creation of Iranian-Islamic identity. Especially, the contemporary crisis in architecture, motivating the regeneration of aims behind Islamic revolution.

Purpose

This center follows up the goals in two dimensions: strategic-conceptual and practical-empirical 1. Defining and organizing interdisciplinary studies in fields such as art philosophy and Islamic aesthetics, Islamic architecture theoretical foundations, Islamic architectural laws and jurisprudence, professional ethics of Muslim architects and urban planners, discovering the values of Islamic civilization, comparative study of Islamic era’s architectural creations with other historic civilizations and etc. 2. Communication between this center’s researchers with other scholars such as Al-Hawza researchers (speakers, philosophers, lawyers, jurists, ethics’ teachers, …), B- International and national university researchers of humanities studies such as Epistemology, philosophy, planning and research methodology, eastern and western geology, history of art and architecture, professional ethics, international juristic and etc… , C- Researchers of experimental and technical sciences  related to architecture such as Civil, Mechanics, Chemistry, Industry, Metallurgy, Electrics and Computer. 3. Communication between the achievements of this scientific center with governmental and non-governmental institutes such as: architecture work group in expert committee for improvement and evolution in humanities along with professors in related universities in order to make some changes in the existing curriculums based on Islamic identity, governmental and legislative bodies in regards with planning, legislation and decision making about Iran’s architecture, non-governmental institutes like art and engineering NGOs, architecture and urban planning and design consulting firms and contractors. 4. Organizing and regulating Comprehensive scientific – professional architecture plan along with long, medium and short term programs

Proposed program

 

Proposed Program of this Center includes: Cooperation with architectural groups to revise the curriculum, publishing books and journals based on Islamic-Iranian culture, establishing work groups to develop scientific reports (fundamental and practical), promoting theories in architecture, aesthetics, art philosophy, industrialization and architectural engineering, developing scientific projects for revitalizing Islamic-Iranian identity, cooperation and communication with other national and international institutes dealing with Islamic architecture, taking part in national and international conferences, seminars and programs, joint research with domestic and foreign institutes, proposing strategies for revising national, regional and local legitimization and plans based on the principles and criteria of Islamic culture.