Despite the ongoing land administration reforms being implemented across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ghana, as a viable pathway to achieve tenure security and greater efficiency in administration, subject of dispute resolution has received relatively less attention. Whereas customary institutions play central role (controlling ~80% all Ghana), they remain at fringes formal adjudicatory ...

When a specific building is examined and analysed for its architectural merits, it is the visible, superficial aspects, which are considered, for example: aesthetics, function, spatial relationships, and landscape. One of the most important invisible factors that should be considered in the design process is the safety of buildings against natural hazards, particularly against earthquakes. Whil...

Despite the utilization of several earthquake resistant traditional techniques in Iranian architecture throughout the centuries, the high seismic vulnerability of Iranian vernacular constructions is obvious. One of the latest innovations in building earthquake-proof emergency dwellings, prior to introducing the modern seismic design codes, took place during the successive destructive earthqu...

When a specific building is examined and analysed for its architectural merits, it is the visible, superficial aspects, which are considered, for example: aesthetics, function, spatial relationships, and landscape. One of the most important invisible factors that should be considered in the design process is the safety of buildings against natural hazards, particularly against earthquakes. Whil...

traditional building technologies have much to teach us about how to design regionally appropriate structures. the orosi is one of these useful technologies, which has been used for many centuries in order to control the harsh sunlight in iran. this architectural element was rather important because the intensive solar radiation could easily damage valuable carpets used in most spaces in persia...

neighborhoods within the hierarchy of urban structure are one of the smallest socio-physical building blocks of cities. traditional neighborhoods of iranian historic cities benefited from strong social relations which were flourished over the years and were manifested in the neighborhoods centers. in the modern era, the new master plans and the complementary local plans have disintegrated these...

Building life cycle will never be excused from the existence of defects and deterioration. They are common problems in building, existed in newly build or in aged building. Buildings constructed from wood are indeed affected by its agent and serious defects and damages can reduce values to a building. In repair works, it is important to identify the causes and repair techniques that best suites...