Identifying and Applying the Potentials of Sustainable Architecture for Designing the Commercial and Administrative Center of Chabahar City with a Sustainable Architecture Approach

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and apply the potentials of sustainable architecture for designing the commercial and administrative center of Chabahar City, with emphasis on climatic responsiveness, energy efficiency, resource management, and spatial quality. This applied study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical mixed-method design. The study population consisted of architecture, urban planning, civil engineering, environmental sustainability, and construction management specialists based in Tehran, from whom 124 participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection tools included a documentary review form, a climatic and physical site analysis checklist, a researcher-made sustainable architecture questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews with 18 experts. The content validity of the instrument was confirmed by specialists, and questionnaire reliability was acceptable, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.89. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the Friedman test, Spearman correlation, and thematic analysis. The Friedman test showed a significant difference among the dimensions of sustainable architecture. Climatic adaptation and passive environmental responsiveness ranked first, with a mean rank of 5.85; the chi-square value was 142.37, with 6 degrees of freedom and a significance level of 0.001. Energy efficiency ranked second with a mean rank of 5.32, followed by environmental sustainability and resource management with a mean rank of 4.61. Spearman correlation results also indicated a strong and significant relationship between intense solar radiation and solar-control strategies (r=0.68, p=0.001). High relative humidity was significantly associated with natural ventilation strategies (r=0.64, p=0.001), cooling-load reduction with proper building orientation (r=0.61, p=0.001), and open and semi-open spaces with the design of courtyards, arcades, and shaded terraces (r=0.59, p=0.001). The findings indicated that the sustainable design of Chabahar’s commercial and administrative center should be based on climatic analysis, solar control, natural ventilation, semi-open spaces, water management, humidity-resistant materials, and flexible functional organization. Sustainable architecture in this project should therefore be understood not as an added feature, but as the main design logic connecting function, climate, energy, spatial quality, and urban identity.