Space and place are among the fundamental concepts in architecture about which many
discussions have been held and the complexity and importance of these concepts were focused on.
This research has introduced an approach to better cognition of the architectural concepts based on
theory and method of semiology in linguistics. Hence, at first the research investigates the concepts
of space and place and explains their characteristics in architecture. Then, it reviews the semiology
theory and explores its concepts and ideas. After obtaining the principles of theory and also the
method of semiology, they are redefined in an architectural system based on an adaptive method.
Finally, the research offers a conceptual model which is called the semiology approach by considering
the architectural system as a system of signs. The approach can be used to decode the content
of meanings and forms and analyses of the architectural mechanism in order to obtain its meanings
and concepts. In this way and based on this approach, the residential architecture of the traditional
city of Bushehr – Iran was analyzed as a case of study and its concepts were extracted. The results of
this research demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in structure detection and identification
of an architectural system. Besides, this approach has the capability to be used in processes of sustainable
development and also be a basis for deconstruction of architectural texts. The research
methods of this study are qualitative based on comparative and descriptive analyses.
ª 2014 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Housing and Building National Research
Although we use the word ‘space’ very commonly in our daily
life, the concept of space is quite complicated and makes it difficult
to define [1]. However, attempts to offer a definition for
space are assigned to Plato and Aristotle [2]. Heidegger [3] did
not consider space as something which stands in front of the
humans, rather than in his view, space is neither an external
nor an inner experience. Space is not something predetermined
and fixed; In fact, it is the personal location which defines the
space [4]. Moreover, the perception of space is only possible
in the presence of the perceptible objects therefore space is the
relation among objects [5]. Space, based on its English lexical
concepts, can be classified into three types of geographical
space, living space and (interior or central) architectural space
[4]. Bruno Zevi [6] considered space as the basis of architecture
which architecture obtains its characteristics based on it. Table 1
presents the characteristics of space and place in architecture.