International Journal of Applied Arts Studies (IJAPAS)

Architectural Design Activism Education: Empirical Validation and Prioritization of Conceptual Factors Using Expert Consensus and Quantitative Methods

Mahsa Babapour, Parisa Alimohammadi, Mehrdad Matin — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:33:42 +0330

Objective: This study aims to develop and empirically validate an enhanced conceptual model for activism-oriented architectural design education, improving upon the authors’ previous model by incorporating data-driven prioritization of influential factors.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was adopted. First, qualitative findings from an earlier study were used to identify forty indicators categorized into four conceptual clusters: individual, educational infrastructure, societal phenomena, and educational system components. Expert consensus was examined through three Delphi rounds and Kendall’s W statistics. Instrument validity and reliability were confirmed. Non-Negative Least Squares (NNLS) regression followed by the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) analysis were applied to assess and rank the factors based on their positive influence.

Results: Findings indicated strong expert agreement on factor importance (Kendall’s W = 0.705 in the final round). Experiential learning, critical inquiry, performance assessment, creative studio environment, and social responsibility were identified as the most influential factors in strengthening activism competencies in architectural design education.

Conclusion: The updated conceptual model serves as a data-driven decision-support tool for enhancing architectural curricula toward socially responsible outcomes. It also establishes a foundation for developing supervised AI-based assessment models to evaluate students’ activism learning potential in future research.

Bridging the Idea-Concept Gap in Architectural Design: A Behavioral Analysis-Based Method

Akramolsadat Kheyrossadat — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:37:35 +0330

Problem Statement: The architectural design process with a discernible gap between the initial idea and the final concept, leading to diminished spatial quality, increased costs, and user dissatisfaction. This research aims to analyze the causes of this disjunction and propose strategies for the effective integration of the ideation and form-finding stages. This study investigates three key questions: What distinct behavioral patterns can be identified among architects during the process of transforming an idea into a form? How can traditional and digital tools be employed to strengthen this connection? What strategies exist for more effectively teaching this process to architecture students?

Objective: The objectives is to identify designers' behavioral patterns in the idea-to-concept transformation process and analyze the factors contributing to the disjunction between these two stages. To propose a practical framework (the IFE Model) for integrating idea and form in architectural design and to enhance educational and professional processes.

Method: This study employs a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative), conducted through content analysis of selected design projects, semi-structured interviews with professional architects, and design process observation in architectural studios.

Results and Conclusion: By analyzing designers' behaviors during conceptualization, this research has yield three primary findings, corresponding to distinct behavioral approaches: the Linear Approach (gradual transformation of idea into form), the Iterative Approach (cyclical return to the initial idea), and the Networked Approach (using digital tools for the simultaneous development of idea and form). Findings reveal, 77% of designers utilize non-linear methods. By introducing the Idea-Form-Evaluation (IFE) Framework, this paper suggests that integrating traditional techniques (such as hand sketching) with digital technologies (such as AI-based image generation) can reduce the gap between the initial concept and the final form by up to 40%.

Recognizing the Interactive Relationship Between Avant-Grade Architectural Discourse and Science Fiction Cinema

Mohsen Tabassi — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330

Objective: Art resides within the fabric and context of life. Architecture is the vessel of life, and cinema is its narrator; both serve as platforms for perceiving and constructing differently. The ideas and theories of avant-garde architects exert influence not only within their professional community but also on filmmakers. Conversely, directors, by employing this discourse, create works that, in turn, inspire architects. Studying the interaction between these two artistic domains provides a more precise interpretation of cinema's role in the process of architectural formation, from theory to actualization. This study aims to reinterpret the formal and conceptual influences of avant-garde architecture and science fiction cinema on one another. It seeks to answer the following questions: Which characteristics of avant-garde architecture have attracted the attention of filmmakers? And what kind of relationship, within a temporal framework, can be conceived for the influence of architectural discourse on cinematic works and, subsequently, on architectural practice?

Methods: The present research adopts a qualitative approach and an argumentative methodology. Data has been collected through documentary methods. The statistical population of the study encompasses science fiction films released up to the end of 2020, with ten selected titles, all depicting future timelines.

Results: The conducted study demonstrates that the imagination of filmmakers is influenced by the dominant societal discourse and the theories of avant-garde architects that precede it.

Conclusion: Avant-garde architectural theories, with a time lag of approximately one decade, have laid the groundwork for filmmakers' imaginations. After being depicted in cinema, these ideas return to the realm of practical architecture and, with another approximate decade-long interval, become a source of inspiration for other architects. This bidirectional, interactive relationship has, on one hand, contributed to the advancement and refinement of architecture and urban planning, and on the other hand, has enriched the imaginative scope of science fiction cinema.

Identifying the Therapeutic Components of Daylight in the Educational Spaces of Sama Schools of Bojnord Azad University

Sahar Mohammadzadeh, Keramatollah Ziari, Ahadollah Azami, Majid Golzar — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:14:19 +0330

Objective: This study explores the therapeutic dimensions of daylight in architectural design of educational spaces, specifically within Sama Schools of Bojnord Azad University. The study aims to assess how natural daylight contributes to students’ psychological well-being, cognitive function, and physical health. The primary goal is to identify key perceptual and physiological daylight components that can be integrated into future design strategies for educational environments.

Methods: Adopting a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative modeling. First, expert interviews and literature review were used to extract conceptual indicators of daylight’s therapeutic effects. Second, involves confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test reliability and validity of the proposed model. Finally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize subcomponents based on expert evaluations. Data were collected from 208 architecture professionals using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Results: The results revealed nine therapeutic components of daylight, with serotonin production, sleep cycle regulation, and SAD treatment were most significant. The model exhibited a strong goodness-of-fit (GOF = 0.92) and high factor loadings (0.733–0.945), validating the model’s structure. Serotonin production held the highest weight (0.14), demonstrating the highest sensitivity in outcome scenarios.

Conclusion: Study concludes that daylight has measurable therapeutic value in educational settings, supporting student well-being, mood, and performance. The proposed model offers a reliable framework for architects and policymakers.

Investigation and Application of Charles Sanders Peirce’s Semiotic Components in Michal Batory’s Poster with a Defamiliarization Approach

Mahsan Sotoudehravan, Roja Alizadeh — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:19:49 +0330

Pictorial semiotics is considered a branch of semantics that translates and interprets the hidden meanings within an image through sign analysis. The poster is a medium used in graphic design where pictorial signs, aided by other signs, convey a message to the audience. The image in a poster must have sufficient appeal for the audience. This appeal is sometimes created through the contrast between color and form and sometimes through the executive method used. Therefore, the selection of forms, signs, and the relationships between them, as well as their alignment in message transmission, are crucial factors in poster design.

According to the great semiotician Peirce, whose theory forms one of the main foundations of modern semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that is determined by something else, called its Object, and creates an effect on a person, which is called the Interpretant.

The current research studies the topic of investigation and application of Peirce’s semiotic components in Michal Batory’s semantic posters. Furthermore, based on the research findings, it seeks to achieve its main goal, which is the relationship between the Representamen and the Object from the audience's perspective and understanding, using the Defamiliarization approach. Peirce's semiotic theory is used as the theoretical framework, and the Defamiliarization approach is employed as the aesthetic approach in this research.

A Study of Women’s Clothing During the Achaemenid Period

Sedigheh Shool, Mahsa Afifi — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:24:20 +0330

Clothing is a necessity for every person's life, to best adorn their appearance and protect their body from climatic conditions. With the emergence of civilizations, clothing took on a fashionable form, so that different societies can be distinguished from each other based on the characteristics and differences of their clothing. The changes in clothing, including shape, form material, and color, are directly related to the historical, social, and political developments of the people of the society. The Achaemenids, as one of the glorious and honorable periods of antiquity, attached great importance to the elegance of their clothing and believed that clothing gave its wearer elegance, dignity, and splendor and reflected their personality and social status. The purpose of the present study is to examine women's clothing during the Achaemenid period. Information was collected from library sources, articles, and theses using a descriptive-analytical method. The results of the research indicate that the clothing of Achaemenid women is divided into two categories: queen's and maid's clothing. The queen's clothing was made of delicate and decorated fabrics and had one or two rows of pleats on the skirt, a pleated crown, and a veil, while the maid's clothing was unadorned and simple, in some cases pleated, and they used a belt on the clothing. They did not have a veil or crown.