The Spiritual Side of Architecture – A Case Study on Traditional Persian House Dr Hengameh Fazeli, Esmaeil Negarestan 1 Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia 2 Faculty of Architecture & Design, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, 19144, USA Abstract Traditionally, architecture was considered a sacred act, an act of becoming a co-creator with God. Therefore, the architect was expected to imitate the act of creation, following the laws and patterns present in nature, to create buildings that not only provide comfort but also stand in harmony with nature. This act of design and con- struction used to follow 2 levels: form and matter – referring to material and spiritual sides of every building. Traditional master builders, following this concept, were not only equipped with practical knowledge of building, but also the science of geomancy, astrology and the human system, that used to lead to creation of places which promoted health. Studying traditional Persian houses, such as houses of Kashan, which are believed to be the finest examples of tradi- tional Persian architecture, the author believes spiritual aspects of architecture, besides the material aspects, are the reason behind their success in creating health-giving buildings that remain masterpieces, many centuries after their creation. In this research an attempt was made by the author, derived from the case studies, to identify these elements and introduce them as the spiritual side of architectural design. Using this pattern, the important elements of design and architecture can be identified and used by modern architects to create places that are considered health-giving, comfortable and pro-life. Keywords architecture, form, matter, theoretical art, practical art, health-giving architecture, traditional Persian house 1. Introduction For several centuries, architects built based on the mac- ro-micro theory referring to the idea of a great saying “As Above, So Below.” This idea was further used to explain the fact that the same universal forces of nature influence the mechanism of living beings and, as present in all natural phenomena, it should also be present in all man-made structures. The belief in such theory has made most of the architectural efforts of the past to succeed in creating places in complete harmony with the surrounding environment and compatible with people’s lives, that remain timeless. Derived from the concept, one of the significant universal patterns leading to all creation is the division of form and matter in which form refers to the physical clothing or the quantitative aspects of objects while matter shapes the qual- itative dimensions. (Salingaros & Mehaffy, 2006) Thus, for every architect, to succeed, both levels should be considered simultaneously through the designing process. In order to involve both concepts in the designing procedure, it is wise to first categorize the tools that the architect uses in every designing process, commonly known as the elements of design, into two levels of form and matter. In this way, and by introducing every element as a manifestation of an either spiritual or material reality, the architect will be able to consciously emphasize on both dimensions at the same time while none of the aspects will be left behind. (Akkach, 2005) As a result, if a structure is successful in displaying both of the aspects, it will respond to the universal forces effectively and will eventually achieve harmony with its surrounding environment. 2. The Creation, the Architecture Every phenomenon is made up of an inner and outer meaning or aspect. Every single external entity is comple- mented by an inner truth or its inner nature. From another perspective, the outer side of things is the quantity of objects while their inner aspect is their actual quality. The actual quality of objects is in fact their divine nature and the outer visible side of them is the manifestation of the nature they represent. (Ardalan & Bakhtiar, 1979) Spiritual Ideologies have always emphasized the fact that the world is made up of both physical and spiritual realities, from visible and invisible entities. They often talk about the “seen” and the “unseen” worlds and about God as the knower of all, which to him belongs the unseen heavens and the seen