1 VISUAL PRIVACY AND RESIDENTIAL FACADES IN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN HOUSES, CASE STUDY: HOUSES IN HOT-ARID REGION OF IRAN JULAIHI WAHID, FATEMEH KHOZAEI SCHOOL OF HOUSING BUILDING AND PLANNING UNIVERSITY SAINS MALAYSIA 11800 PENANG Julaihi@usm.my khozaee_f@yahoo.ca Abstract Visual privacy is defined as the ability to conduct the everyday activities at home without being observed by outsiders. The importance of visual privacy differs from culture to culture, and in Islam it is a central concern in the society. In a traditional Islamic society, architecture is in accordance to the cultural and religious demand. The traditional houses either in Tehran or any Islamic cities, the physical layout of the houses were designed to fulfill these tenets. The physical aspects of the house satisfied the attitudes of privacy especially the high level of visual privacy which guaranteed the occupant secured from strangers. Today the traditional values and regulations are neglected in the modern house design. The modern apartments which are inhibited by the Muslim family cannot convince the privacy needs of their residents. Somehow studies show that majority of the women in Iran consider visual privacy as the central element in housing environment. On the other hand, the urban design practices and the municipal ordinances prevailed in the development of the modern cities of Iran, do not adequately satisfy women's desired level of visual privacy. This paper attempts to delineate the importance of visual privacy in the apartment units in the city of Tehran. The discussion also deals with the traditional house and apartments in the hot arid region of Iran. It explores the hierarchy, building layout, openings, balconies, and the entrance characteristics as the most important factors that have an effective impact on different levels for achieving privacy. Key words: Traditional houses of hot arid region of Iran, visual privacy, apartment, visual analysis, residential facades Introduction: There are many arguments on the concept of privacy and it could be derived from various principles, hence it shows that privacy is a universal process which involves a unique regulatory mechanisms in different societies that demarcate different private spheres in people’s lives. According to Hisham and Rahim 2008 – “Privacy is a two way process involving the permeability of boundaries between one self and the others”. However Abu Gazzeh (1997) argues that privacy is a process that “aims to control transactions between persons with the objective of enhancing autonomy and minimize vulnerability. He ( 1997: 253) added that privacy serves ...“the limiting of social interaction, the establishment of plans and strategies for managing interaction and the maintenance and development of self identity. From western perspective Altman (1977) claims that privacy differs among cultures in term of the behavioural mechanisms used to regulate desired levels of privacy. As a result the meaning and realms of public and private domains is not equal in all societies. The meaning of privacy in Western countries is different from Islamic view. In Muslim societies the Holy Quran and the tradition of the Prophet (sunnah) are the basic sources of guidance for the lifestyle, the political order, social organisation, culture, economic policy and legal system. The society must be in tune with the code of these