TY - JOUR T1 - Assessing the Efficiency and Role of Eivan Based on Users’ Perception: A Semi-open Space in Rural Vernacular Houses of Mazandaran TT - ارزیابی نقش و کارآیی رفاق (ایوان) از دیدگاه استفاده کنندگان: فضای نیمه باز در خانه‌های روستایی مازندران JF - JHRE JO - JHRE VL - 37 IS - 161 UR - http://jhre.ir/article-1-1299-en.html Y1 - 2018 SP - 77 EP - 92 KW - Loggia KW - Eivan KW - rural house KW - thermal comfort KW - vernacular architecture KW - Mazandaran. N2 - Loggia, locally known as Refagh, is one of the most important semi-open spaces with remarkably diverse types in rural housing of Mazandaran province in Iran. Given that the lifestyle is enmeshed with the nature and because of the special characteristics of the environment of this region, semi-open spaces generally, and loggia particularly, play various functional, aesthetical, climatic, cultural, and social roles within vernacular houses. In new modern houses this space is rarely built or does not convey the same role as in vernacular architecture. It has not been updated according to the new lifestyle of villagers. One type of refagh which locates in front of the house is predominant in the region, being observed in all vernacular rural houses within all different sub-regions of Mazandaran. This space has the most distinctive role in providing thermal comfort and convenience in hot seasons. This paper concentrates on this space in order to introduce its various characteristics, types, roles, and its rate of acceptability by villagers as users. This paper seeks to answer the question of why residents of rural houses in Mazandaran do not include this beneficial space in the layout of their newly built houses. In order to do so, four villages have been selected for this study. A sample of 44 houses – both from vernacular and modern architecture - was purposefully selected in these villages. Local residents as users of these houses have been interviewed. All sample houses have been observed, photographed, measured, mapped, and documented. In addition, structured interviews were conducted with the residents in order to find out their lifestyles, ways of using refagh, and the rate of their interest about this space. The results show that despite some concerns, most interviewees whether living in vernacular or new house are interested in including refagh in the layout of their houses. The positive and strong aspects of refagh according to villagers’ view is grouped based on its economic, social, and cultural role. In addition, the architectural value of refaagh based on villagers’ perception is grouped in aesthetic, function, efficiency, and thermal comfort categories. Uneconomical, inefficient, and uncomfortable were the most prominent negative aspects of this space mentioned by villagers. In addition, incompatibility of vernacular pattern of refagh with the new lifestyle of villagers has intensified the process of elimination of this space from the layout of new rural houses. Further research is needed to investigate these negative aspects and making it updated according to the new lifestyle of villagers. Through resolving villagers’ concerns about this space, it can return to the layout of new housing of the region and play a role in preserving local identity, making houses beautiful and less dependent on mechanical cooling. This paper reveals some of the gaps in our knowledge about the vernacular housing of Mazandaran and refagh. It emphasises on the necessity of doing more field and lab research on this space. M3 DOI: 10.22034/37.161.77 ER -