Architectural and Environmental  Research

Architectural and Environmental Research

The Place-Oasis Model with a Reflection on the Oasis Features

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Architectural group/Engineering faculty/university of zanjan
2 Faculty of Arch. University of Zanjan.
Abstract
Oases can be regarded as some of the earliest human settlements. They showcase humanity's profound ‎‎‎understanding of nature and our ability to interact with the environment in the harsh conditions of the ‎‎‎desert. Due to their geographical locations and access to water, oases create green areas in arid landscapes, ‎providing essential resting and settlement areas. As such, oases represent the ‎‎initial expression of the ‎concept of "place" in the history of human habitation.‎

This research aims to explain the place-oasis model by examining the components that define a place and ‎‎‎analyzing the fundamental features of oases. In doing so, it seeks to establish a meaningful ‎relationship ‎‎between place and oasis. This model consists of two layers: the inner layer, ‎which forms the foundation ‎‎and represents the essence of the place, and the outer layer, ‎which encompasses the first emergence of the ‎‎model and reflects the emergent features of the place as ‎they appear in the oasis.‎ ‎

From the interaction of these two successive layers, the place-oasis model is formed, consisting of three ‎‎‎components: "form - enclosure/centrality," "function - activity," and "meaning - environmental character." ‎‎‎Ultimately, this study, employing library resources alongside qualitative and analytical research methods, ‎‎‎concludes that other types of settlements - such as houses, neighborhoods, and cities - are ‎extensions of ‎‎these early oases. Thus, The place-oasis model is a fundamental framework for ‎understanding the ‎‎relationship between a place and its emergence. This model can be observed and ‎analyzed in various ‎‎human habitats, leading to a deeper understanding of place and the active ‎features of the place-oasis ‎‎relationship.‎
Keywords

  • Receive Date 30 January 2025
  • Revise Date 09 March 2025
  • Accept Date 03 February 2025