Synomorphy in Historical Iranian Sabats: A Framework for Redefining Climate-Responsive Urban Passageways in Contemporary Architecture

Abstract

In traditional Iranian architecture, the sabat has functioned as one of the key elements of arid urban fabrics, playing a role far beyond that of a covered passage and serving as a setting for interaction between climate, built form, and social behavior. The main issue addressed in this study is the theoretical gap in explaining the functional nature of this element from the perspective of contemporary theories of environmental synergy. Drawing on Amos Rapoport’s concept of synomorphy, this article explores the dialectic between behavioral patterns and climatic morphology in sabats and reinterprets the sabat as a synomorphic unit in which physical form constitutes a direct response to behavioral-climatic needs, such as adaptive shading and increased social security.The aim of this research is to move beyond a purely descriptive view of the sabat and to develop an explanatory framework for redefining urban passageways in contemporary architecture. In the qualitative section, a phenomenological analysis of case studies in the cities of Yazd and Isfahan is used to extract the behavioral and spatial characteristics of sabats, while in the quantitative section, the performance of these patterns in responding to thermal stress is assessed. The findings show that the sabat is not a static form, but rather a behavior-regulating system that, by creating temporal synomorphy, establishes a balance between collective actions and climatic sustainability. Ultimately, by abstracting design parameters from the synomorphic structure of the sabat, the article proposes a conceptual framework for the re-creation of pedestrian passageways in modern urban fabrics.This model argues that, in order to achieve behavioral comfort in contemporary urban design, one must move away from mere formalism and move toward adaptive design—a condition in which the urban built environment acts as an active mediator, enhancing the behavioral capacities of residents in interaction with environmental changes. The results of this research not only bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, but also provide urban designers with a practical tool for creating future urban spaces with climatic identity and high behavioral efficiency, inspired by the synomorphic logic of the past.