The Evolution of Regionalism in Architecture: From the Past to the Present

Document Type : Original Article

Author

• Elahe Zoghi Hosseini

Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

10.22067/context.2025.91616.1009

Abstract

Regionalism, over its extensive presence in the field of architecture, has adopted various approaches, transitioning from form-historical methodologies that emphasized identity towards climatic-phenomenological perspectives. This shift has replaced stylistic, formal, and aesthetic discussions with a focus on social, cultural, ecological issues, and human connections. In the years leading up to the end of the twentieth century and continuing to the present day, regional architectural theory has undergone considerable development and diversification from various perspectives, becoming increasingly aligned with its functional applications. The research explores the theoretical foundations of the subject by examining the perspectives offered by scholars, particularly Alexander Tzonis, Liane Lefaivre, Lewis Mumford, and Kenneth Frampton. It will delve into various forms of regionalism and their different approaches, along with relevant examples, culminating in the presentation of a theoretical model of regionalism perspectives.Therefore, using the method of qualitative content analysis based on the logic of inductive reasoning, from the textual data and architectural experiences mentioned in the research, move and by extracting the hidden concepts in it, gradually reach more abstract levels of regionalism in architecture.The results of studies and analyses of the views of experts and instances of contemporary architecture indicate that today's regionalism approaches aim to mitigate previous dogmatic and restrictive ideologies while enhancing environmental perspectives and leveraging the benefits of sustainable development.

Keywords

• Regionalism
• Globalization
• Local Identity
• Architectural Approaches
• Sustainable Development

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