A sustainable architecture approach to the economic and social aspects of the bazaar of Tabriz

Sustainable architecture aims to design buildings and infra-structures, such as squares and bazaars, adapted to the social, economic, cultural and environmental contexts of certain place. The practice of sustainable architecture contributes to sustainable development, therefore for the development of future generations. The concept must integrate not only bioclimatic strategies, but also economic, social and cultural facets. Sustainable architecture research is either carried while the designing process takes place (the present) but is also focused on the built environment through the historical time of a place (the past). The aim of this article is to bring to the academic discussion new perspectives on sustainable architecture and debate the relationship between the architectural elements and the social and cultural aspects by taking the Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex as case study. Infra-structures like Bazaars are geographically placed all over the world, from Turkey to Egypt, from Tajikistan to Iran. In Iranian cities, the bazaar keeps playing an important role as economic and social engine. Thus, research the main elements that keep the Bazaar of Tabriz so actively dynamic in the present will be discussed.