Survival by Design: An Environmental History from Iran

FAIN: FT-291783-23

Pamela Karimi
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2356)

Research and writing leading to a book about the modern environmental design and architecture movement in Iran, from the 1960s to the present.

For centuries, Iran maintained the development of desert architecture despite its lack of natural resources. Yet, in the 20th century, due to the ever-increasing use of fossil fuels and environmental management technologies, centuries-old methods of eco-friendly design began to vanish. Survival by Design unravels an unlikely episode in the history of modern environmentalism: the role that Iran played in the re-emergence of its traditional green architecture in the 1960s and ’70s. Often referred to as Iran’s oil boom, the Shah regime’s final years coincided with the notorious oil crisis in the Global North and the countercultural environmental movement. This study reveals Iran’s groundbreaking contributions to environmental design during this tumultuous era. It shows how a wide cast of characters, from architects to Sufi scholars, proposed planetary visions and design solutions that became influential on the global stage and even within the highly polemical post-revolutionary Iran

Associated Products

Sand to Salvation: Crafting Humanity’s Future through the Wisdom of Desert Architecture (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Sand to Salvation: Crafting Humanity’s Future through the Wisdom of Desert Architecture
Abstract: Sand to Salvation: Crafting Humanity’s Future through the Wisdom of Desert Architecture": This lecture examines a pivotal yet underappreciated episode in the history of modern environmentalism: the resurgence of Iran's traditional eco-friendly architecture amidst the oil boom of the 1960s and '70s. In the arid MENA region, distinct societal, political, and architectural adaptations evolved in response to desert life. Yet, these were often dismissed as inadequate by colonial and pseudo-colonial powers, instigating disruptive interventions. With the advent of the 20th century, an escalating dependence on fossil fuels and modern environmental management technologies led to the gradual disappearance of these sustainable practices. Remarkably, during the period of the oil crisis and the countercultural environmental movement, a revival of Iran's eco-architecture occurred. This study illuminates Iran's pioneering contributions to environmental design during this tumultuous era, showcasing how a diverse group of architects, philosophers, and Sufi scholars proposed innovative planetary visions and design solutions that retain their relevance. Despite their significance, these activities have largely been overlooked, and this lecture aims to bring them into focus.
Author: Pamela Karimi
Date: 9/14/2023
Location: Spitzer School of Architecture, CUNY, NYC.
Primary URL: https://ssa.ccny.cuny.edu/events/fall-2023-sciame-lecture-series-pamela-karimi/
Primary URL Description: Spitzer Fall 2023 Lecture Series

---