View source for Rebuilding a Sustainable Image in a Cultural Landscape, Iran

'''[http://draco.hfwu.de/~wikienfk5/index.php/Student_Case_Studies_Seminar_Cultural_Landscapes_2010 Back to Student Case Studies]'''

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| '''Name''' ||style="background:Lavender"|''Rebuilding a Sustainable Image in a Cultural Landscape''
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| '''Place''' || style="background:Lavender"|''Bam''
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| '''Country''' || style="background:Lavender"|''Iran''
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| '''Author(s)''' || style="background:Lavender"|''Roya Sabri''
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| '''Project start''' || style="background:Lavender"|''Summer 2004''
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| '''Completion''' || style="background:Lavender"|''2006''
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| '''World Heritage''' || style="background:Lavender"|''2004''


Justification for Inscription 

Criterion (ii): Bam developed at the crossroads of important trade routes at the southern side of the Iranian high plateau, and it became an outstanding example of the interaction of the various influences.

Criterion (iii): The Bam and its Cultural Landscape represents an exceptional testimony to the development of a trading settlement in the desert environment of the Central Asian region.

Criterion (iv): The city of Bam represents an outstanding example of a fortified settlement and citadel in the Central Asian region, based on the use mud layer technique (Chineh) combined with mud bricks (Khesht).

Criterion (v): The cultural landscape of Bam is an outstanding representation of the interaction of man and nature in a desert environment, using the qanats. The system is based on a strict social system with precise tasks and responsibilities, which have been maintained in use until the present, but has now become vulnerable to irreversible change.

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| '''Client''' || style="background:Lavender"|''enter the client''
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| '''Project costs''' || style="background:Lavender"|''enter the costs (if known)''
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=== Rationale: Why is the case study interesting? === 
*''Please summarise:- e.g. Design Innovation? Planning Exemplar? Theoretical Insights? Lessons from its failure?''

On December 26, 2003, an earthquake struck the city of Bam in Iran. While there have been numerous quakes in Iran (caused by the unique geology of the country) with a plethora of casualties, none have ever been as devastating as the damage caused by that earthquake in Bam. There are major lessons that can be learned from the Bam experience that can be applied to other similar situations. The relationship between nature and culture adds a significant insight into the complex situation where reconstruction extends beyond bricks and mortar to the reconstruction of lives and the continuation of nature. The participation of the local people is of vital importance. In Bam, a unique approach was used to recover cultural values and reach out to a segment of population that is vital to Bam's future, its children. The procedure for reconstruction involved Bam's children in a UNICEF workshop and provided a way to involve them in the design of parts of the environment through their own eyes. The workshops not only provided insight for a better reconstruction of the city, but also hope in the midst of a disaster.

=== Author's perspective ===
*''What theoretical or professional perspective do you bring to the case study? Please make a short note on your personal background''

The relationship between nature and culture is at
the core of understanding a sustaining and flourishing
desert culture with all its manifestations in Iran.
Nature as a physical existence together with the mental
world of man are valuable entities that have survived
the earthquake. Meanings and memories which reside
in the minds of the residents and in their way of life
start to manifest themselves in the form of a developed
culture. Cultivated nature seems to be a way toward
uncovering the hidden patterns of the city. Therefore,
any attempt at bringing forth these hidden spatial
patterns embedded within the people and context of
Bam after the earthquake, is a welcome idea in
keeping with the traditional character of the city. I have personal experience traveling to the amazing city of Bam and understand the need for a deep analysis of the area before sustainable restoration occurs. We
were pleasantly surprised to find out through the
surveys prepared for the children of Bam that nature
plays a vivid role in their minds for any future
development.

=== Cultural landscape context ===
*''Biogeography, cultural features, overall landscape character, history and dynamics''	

Illustration:
Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses


Built upon historic cultural traditions, the culture of
Bam is further tempered by the extremes of the desert
environment, extremes that demand both patience and
respect. From an historic standpoint Bam, is a symbol
of man’s ability to survive in a hostile environment,
but more importantly Bam represents man’s ability to
live in harmony with a very fragile and constraining
environment. Bam is very unique in this sense. The
diverse, tangible and intangible heritage of Bam also
reflects values associated with the long and complex
history of the city. Bam and its surroundings are a
cultural landscape composed of the desert
environment; an ingenious water use, management and
distribution system; agricultural land use; gardens and
built environment (Botkin 1998). 

It has not only a complex,
underground irrigation system leading to an
agricultural land use network that is in harmony with
its built area, but also it is a network of gardens mixed
into the urban fabric which extend to the outskirts of
the town.The hostile environment and the enclosures
protecting the city are a common feature that connects
the Persian city of Bam with all medieval cities in the
world. In all cases massive walls are erected to defend
the city from threatening circumstances. Of course
similarity of form does not always result from
sameness of causes, so the "internality" of Bam, as
opposed to the other medieval cities, is not a mere
defense against military attacks. It depicts a similarity
of process in fending off an unfriendly and harsh
environment. However, in the case of Bam, a city
surrounded by hot climatic conditions and sand
storms, the enclosing fortress and walls create a city of
hospitable, simple and beautiful, internal spaces.

=== Socio-political context===
*''Brief explanation of political economy, legal framework'' 	

Illustration:
Bullet points, image, background notes


The existence of Bam and its gardens are
dependent on the presence and ability to distribute
water. The Persian Gardens of Bam are an example of
a live micro ecosystem that has evolved from within.
The gardens owe their liveliness to the internal forces
of water coming from the ancient subterranean canals
or qanats6 which make the vast palm groves flourish.
This age-old technology was believed to have been
devised 2,500 years ago at the time of the founder of
the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. The route of
these underground canals determines the capacity and
direction of the growth of the city. The routes can be
traced by the pot holes left from the initial
excavations and the subsequent repairs, as well as, the
linear grove of willow trees that direct the eye toward
the main form of the settlement. The complex
irrigation system is a testimony to an extraordinary
level of an advanced culture that existed in ancient
Persia. 

The failure or lack of attention to the qanats
could have lead to the death of the city of Bam at any
time during the past 2500 years. Yet, the city of Bam
currently has about 370 active qanats. The system has
survived the earthquake and is producing water today.
Persian culture is intertwined with the implications
and meanings of the Persian Garden. A concept of
internal and external worlds, which in the words of
Arthur Upham Pope, is mesmerizing: “Within all is
calm. The garden becomes the still point in a turning
world, a field of constant and subtle change held in
delicate balance by manmade design.” The garden, as
an artifact created by inhabitants inside the urban
fabric, establishes a relationship between the cultural
worlds of its creators and the natural environment of
its context. Understanding this concept of the garden
in Bam is crucial in regenerating the devastated city. In this regard, the palm in the local culture
is not a mere tree, but also a member of the family and
the sign of life. Measuring units in Farsi are different
for a person as compared to a thing, and as for the
palm tree, it is counted as a person. According to folk
tales palms are such sensitive plants that their annual
products depend on the constant attention of the
gardener. There are ceremonies in which the gardener
pretends to cut the tree because it has been
unproductive and the neighbors try to mediate between
them; surprisingly the tree will reproduce in the
proceeding year. In this sense man and cultivation fit
into nature in a dialogue between elements and their
surroundings.

Gardens in Bam are also a source of relationship
with the outside world. As a leading world producer
of dates and their by products resulting in a viable
economy, Bam has had a transactional system between
inside and outside worlds that has been always
dependent on the gardens. The process of making date
by products, such as cookies, is depicted in a mural on
the walls near the Citadel. From the ancient
times Bam has possessed a commercial identity, since
it was situated along the ancient Silk Road. Located at
the centre of the known world, Bam served as the
crossroads of the major trading routes, bringing the
treasures of the Far East to Persia and Europe and of
course the caravans did not leave the gardens of Bam
empty handed. Thus, the symbolism, vivid memories
and mental images of the inhabitants can best be
retrieved through the restoration of the gardens as
living places. As is the case with Tabas, another
Persian city in the desert devastated by an earthquake
about 25 years earlier, Bam continues to exist as long
as the gardens survive. 

The gardens and the
irrigation system, as natural artifacts, in harmony with
economy and technology, as the virtual network of
relations, create a framework in which hidden patterns
come to life. Accordingly, the attained patterns have
led to a comprehensive plan for the city in which the
physical structures are formed from the natural
elements intertwined with the cultural expressions.
The inhabitants have vanished in vast areas of the city,
but finite patterns of interactions, techniques, customs
and beliefs are laid out and ready to be reborn in an
eminent culture. The green patches of palm trees all
over the city are more discernible since the urban
fabric is in ruins. About 80% of the buildings were
leveled by the earthquake8.

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=== Spatial analysis of area/project ===
*''What are the main structural features?'' 
*''How has it been shaped? Were there any critical decisions?''	

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

Traveling to Bam, a historic oasis city was once one of
the most desirable destinations for a tourist in Iran.
This trip was never complete without a visit to its
prominent landmark, Arg-e-Bam or the Citadel. The
significance of the Citadel is not only related to its
unique architectural features, which have placed it on
the World Heritage List, but also the cultural
traditions and memories of the place. For instance
some local residents, bound to ancient Iranian
traditions, used the height of the upper fort to salute
the arrival of spring on the occasion of the Iranian
New Year. The Citadel, a giant adobe structure, is
located on a steep rock surrounded by desert as far as
eyes can see. Until recent times, residents inhabited
the Citadel and tended to their gardens outside the
Citadel on the plain below. The plan of the Citadel
reveals its efficiency and self-sufficiency with an array
of public spaces, such as: the Bazaar, a small mosque,
a theological school, a caravanserai, a water reservoir,
the square, a bathhouse, a gymnasium and some older
and more elaborate houses of the aristocrats. The
Citadel of Bam (Arg-e Bam) is considered “the largest
extant mud brick complex of its type in the world
which has kept its traditional architecture and town
planning undisturbed by alien elements until now.”3
The devastating earthquake, measuring 6.8 on the
Richter scale by some estimates, has destroyed up to
60% of the compound (Gibson 1979). Today after many
months the experts at the Iran Cultural Heritage
Organization are still painstakingly sifting through the
rubble to put pieces of tile and brick back together.

The Citadel is the place where the entire city comes
into the view. The greenest fields amid the sandy
desert are some of the most enduring images in the
Persian landscape (Baradaran 2005). And
here, on top of the hill, where the ruler used to live,
one should not miss the panoramic views over the
endless desert to the north, the oasis town of Bam to
the east and an impenetrable mountain range to the
south. The internal experience of the site is joined with
external qualities of the context, establishing a
relationship between the Citadel, the gardens and the
entire city. In restoring this valuable landmark it is
fitting to use the original techniques and methods from
the vernacular lessons of the past. The use of mud or
adobe brick making is a case in point.

=== Analysis of idea/program/function ("Planning Objective")=== 
* ''What are the main functional characteristics?'' 
* ''How have they been expressed or incorporated?''

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

Before the earthquake Bam was thriving with 40,000
children, representing half of the city’s population (De Luce 1993). At
least half of the children are estimated to have died in
the earthquake. Among the survivors many are
orphans, having lost not just their parents, but their
extended families as well. Aid workers fear the
majority of these survivors could end up in dreadful
institutions. It is important to note that children are
always the most vulnerable in any disaster because
they are particularly helpless. The children of Bam are
no exception. Rebuilding the schools for the children
of Bam was a crucial step in the reconstruction
process. In designing schools in a manner that might
capture cultural values and patterns, it seemed
appropriate that the process include the children of
Bam9. They are an invaluable resource of human
capital, untapped and ready for exploration. 

Including children in a public participation process for the design
of their environment is consistent with the notion that
the physical attributes and historical heritage are not
Bam’s only assets. They were helpful in revealing the
existence of specific traditions, skills and local cultural
nuances that make up the quality of life and contribute
to the overall character and attractiveness of the place.
Such human capital cannot be so readily separated into
what is or is not, a critical or expendable resource.10
The participatory planning process used is a pro-active
process in which children, teachers, managers,
planners, and designers all work together toward a
shared vision of their urban future and visualize a
common image of what makes good places for
learning, living, and leisure. This participatory process
not only reveals important values and patterns, but can
also help reconstruct a sense of control and hope for
child victims of the disaster – a group who are often
overlooked in reconstruction projects. The importance
of child-friendly and sustainable environments in
supporting basic social services like education is not
often recognized by local authorities. Urban learning
landscapes can have a positive effect on identity and
maintenance of the urban environment, lower violent
behavior, and increase motivation and academic
performance in schools.

The approach used in Bam was a step-by-step
introduction to the urban planning process. Various
children’s environments, such as: “the house,” “the
neighborhood,” “the city,” “the school,” and “the park
and the playground” were introduced and explored by
the children. Micro-action design sessions, including:
questionnaires, 2D-planning games and 3D-scale
model-making were utilized to help the participating
children better understand the physical urban
environments in which they lived. The
children produced a very rich output of what they saw
as “child friendly” environments. Key issues on
making a friendly environment for the children were
brought out by the facilitators through discussions,
drawings, stories and design games with the children.
In the case of Bam, there are common factors in the
various children’s environments. They originate from
the local climatic and cultural context and include:
micro-climatic, environmental, economic, social and
cultural values. For example, the harsh bio-climatic
conditions of Bam, basically a dry-hot climatic zone
with regular strong, dust-laden winds where
temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, lead
us to develop specific design guidelines for child
friendly environments such as: orientation of buildings
along the east-west axis; heavy external and internal
walls; use of water and plants for producing humidity;
utilization of north winds for air circulation and
cooling in summers, and use of the veranda, porch,
trellis and trees for literally creating comfortable and
shaded places for children. 

Cultural values can also affect the layout and shape of children’s environments.
A high sense of “privacy” may be the result of
religious believes or a lifestyle pattern. For example,
in girls’ schools the view from outside to inside should
be blocked. The architecture has an inward character
with courtyards for access of light, cross-ventilation,
privacy and for sitting outside. Crucial from the point
of child friendliness is how the spaces are arranged,
how they relate to the courtyards, how the courtyards
appear and can be used, and finally how the whole
school ensures a high degree of human comfort and is
inclusive, while offering multiple opportunities for
learning both inside and outside.
Learning spaces are also more effective if they are
flexible, providing opportunities for children can read,
rest, play and provide opportunities for large/small
group activities as well as to work individually (Kaplan 1979).
However, flexible spaces may be complex and
difficult to manage in the day-to-day use of schools, so
they need careful planning. In addition, adequate
signage (signs or landmarks) related to the scale of the
place can help children in finding their way and
provide a feeling of comfort and security. 

In
visualizing child-friendly school environments the
children decided it was important to have clear
linkages with nature. They expressed a desire for
green spaces, including trees, shrubs, grass, plants,
flowers and animals along with water features, like
streams, ponds and fountains. They
expressed a preference for the use of locally-available
and processed natural materials with relaxing and
comfortable textures and colours. Green learning
spaces or learning landscapes such as these help
balance micro-climatic comfort and improve air
quality and sound pollution, as well as make the
learning environment friendlier to children and to all.

=== Analysis of design/planning process ("Process Biography") ===
* ''How was the area/project formulated and implemented?'' 
* ''Who initiated the project and why?''
* ''Which stakeholders have been involved?'' 
* ''Who made the major decisions and when?''
* ''Were there any important consultations/collaborations?''

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

The project was initiated by UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) in cooperation with Iranian Housing Department, Urban Development, and the Department of Education. The stakeholders have been the BAM municipality and the children and people BAM, as well as the entire country of Iran. This project was initiated because of the devastation of the earthquake to the culture of Bam. It sought methods to rebuild the landscape that once thrived in the oasis of Bam with a new sustainable method. The project manager was from UNICEF and he coordinated the project, however, the decisions made for the design were collective and included the project supervisors as well as the citizens (including the children) of Bam. 

[[Image:Project Planning Collaboration in Bam-copy.jpeg|400px]]

This figure is a simple illustration of the main collaborators in the design process. Of course, the "outside influences" brought knowledge of economic factors (tourists) and of outer cities into consideration for the design.

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=== Analysis of use/users ===
* ''How is the area/project used and by whom?'' 
* ''Is the use changing? Are there any issues?''

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

The involvement of children and youth in the
programme improved the quality of its outcome. The
opportunity to participate generated a sense of hope in
the disaster victims. Youth appreciated being listened
to; and professional facilitators found a renewed sense
of purpose in being able to serve the children and the
community according to their clearly expressed needs (Gussow 1979).
Local, provincial and central government authorities
also appreciated the quality of an output reached with
the help of the youngest members of their
constituency. UNICEF also appreciated the
opportunity to experiment with a holistic and
participatory approach to emergency and postemergency
intervention. The mayor of Bam strongly
favors a community input approach to community
planning efforts. However, the level of community
input , in terms of building skills, input of local
building materials, transport of labor and materials and
the extent to which local peoples are willing to
participate in these processes will ultimately determine
the success of the rebuilding process. The issue of
community participation depends largely on the social
mobilization skills of the local authorities to mobilize
their community. Basically, Iran does not have a
tradition of community participation in the same way
we see it in many African, Latin-American and Asian
countries. There is an opportunity here for UNICEF to
assist the Municipality of Bam in mobilizing their community. 

After, the planning, design, and
development of the environmental prototypes, there is
an increased likelihood that the children and youth, as
well as, the community at large will become involved
in the actual implementation of the designs and
construction of the sites. For children this will include
things like, painting or planting flowers and trees,
selecting colors for finishes, or choosing patterns for
tiles and games that have to be laid out on the
sidewalks, school grounds, and community
playgrounds. While the 2003 Bam Earthquake was
devastating, it also presents an opportunity to
implement a unique paradigm of a holistic, childfriendly
and sustainable urban planning in the rebirth
of the city. Child friendly interventions and
environmental sustainability go hand in hand. With
the full participation of children and youth Bam serve
as a successful example that is likely to have
significant impact on school-and urban planning in
Iran as a whole.

=== Future development directions ===
* ''How is the area/project evolving?'' 
* ''Are there any future goals?''

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

[[#toc|'''Back to top''']]

The
sedimentation of meaning and value contained in a
people are the bridge upon which devastated peoples
can move to a new future, one that is a projection from
the past. In Bam children were found to be the vessels
that held the past and at the same time were the seeds
of the future. While the experience in Bam is a new
paradigm for Iran it is important to recognize that it is
more than just a new approach. It is an approach that
helps one not to lose sight on one’s own traditions,
which for generations have led to a path for a
sustainable and meaningful way of life and still hold
potential for the future generations. And in Bam there
is so much yet to be saved, most of which is not found
in the rubble.

=== Peer reviews or critique ===
* ''Has the area/project been reviewed by academic or professional reviewers?'' 
* ''What were their main evaluations?	''

Please add references, quotes...

The project has been reviewed by the Environmental Sciences Research Institue of Shahid Beheshti in Tehran, Iran and by the editorial board of the editorial board of the Shahid Beheshti editorial board.

=== Successes and limitations ===
*''What do you see as the main successes and limitations of the area/project?''	

Illustration: Summary table

The main success of the area is the persistence of its rich culture, especially as it is one of the oldest cultures of man. The downfall is the susceptibility of the buildings to large earthquakes. The success of the project was how the restoration of the city was designed with consideration to the youth, which not only creates a design with foresight, but also one that is sustainable. 

The limitation of the project was not being able to study every perspective and need for the restoration of the city.

=== What can be generalized from this case study? ===
*''Are there any important theoretical insights?	''

Short statement plus background notes

Nonexistence according to ancient Eastern cultures,
like Persia, is interpreted as a void full of potentials,
waiting to be revealed. Therefore, existence in absence
is a notion in which the emptiness prepares the ground
for bringing forth the hidden dimension of being.
From this cultural perspective, every loss is recognized
as the beginning of the process of creation. So, the
earthquake, as a destructive phenomenon, does not
convey a final event or state. Despite the destruction of
the physical structures on the surface, it portends a
new beginning. It is a time to reconnect with the
nature/culture patterns and values that have survived
not only the earthquake, but the ravages of time.
Therefore, Bam an oasis in the middle of the desert
affected by the earthquake can be reborn to its full
potentials, but only if the hidden patterns of life in the
city are not broken, and if they can be revealed and
allowed to assume a dominating role in the
regeneration of the city. 

While disasters such as those
in Bam are often seen as just rebuilding the destroyed
bricks and mortar, it is clear from the Bam experience
that people, culture and cities are more than that.
After emergency needs are met reconstruction efforts
must go beyond the simple bricks and mortar to
rebuild something that will be sustainable, both
naturally and culturally. Such reconstruction must
consider the values of the people and their historic
relationship to the places in which they live.

=== What research questions does it generate? === 

Short statement plus background notes

*How can this same methodology be applied to different cultures in order to facilitate sustainability?

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=== Image Gallery ===



<gallery caption=" " widths="200px" heights="150px" perrow="4">
Image:DSCF0026.JPG | A general view of the city after the earthquake.
Image:106-0621_IMG.JPG | A general view of the city before the earthquake.
Image:DSC00435.JPG | The entry gate to the city after the earthquake.
Image:002.JPG | The entry gate to the city before the earthquake.
Image:DSC00458.JPG | The Eastern wall after the earthquake.
Image:HPIM2925.JPG | The Northern wall after the earthquake.
Image:DSC00563.JPG | The Bazaar after the earthquake.
Image:105-0557_IMG.JPG | The Bazaar before the earthquake.
</gallery>

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=== References ===

Botkin, D. and K. Edward (1998). ''Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet''. London: John Wiley and Sons Inc.

De luce, J., B. Dewight and C. Pletsch (1993). ''Beyond Preservation''. Minnesota: University of Press.

Gibson, J. J. (1979). ''The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Gussow, A. (1979). ''A Sense of Place: The Artists and the American Land, A Continuum Book'', NY.

Kaplan, S.(1979). ''Perception and Landscape: Conceptions and Misconceptions''.

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[[Category:Case Study]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:Bam]]


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