Formal characteristics of vernacurar architecture in Erbil city and other Iraqi cities

"vemacular architech.,e comprises the dwellings and other bu dings of the peopre. Related to their environmental contexts and available resources they are customarily owreror community-built, utilizing traditional technologies. All forms of vemacular architecture are built to meet specific needs, accommodating the varues, economies and ways of life of the curtures that produce them." (Oliver, Ig7, p.ii)

"utt*e of the elite.The folk tradition also represents the bulk of the built environment.(Rapoport, 1969,p.2)In his book (Design Strategies in Architecture), Baker makes a definition for the vemacular arch itecture as follows: In vemacular architecture, the process ofevolution using a model continues with adjustnents and variations.The dwelling is now built by tradesmen.Vemacular architecture does not have theoretical or aesthetic pretensions and models develop in accordance with regional, climatic and economic factors. (Baker, 1996, pl5)   In (Archi-Speak), which is a guide for architectural terms prepared by Tom Porter and other distinguishable contributors, the term vemacular architecture has been defined as follows: Vemacular refers to the language or dialect of one's native country, while its use in architecture is concerned with everyday, ordinary buildings rather than their monumental counterparts.vemacular describes a traditional language of building, usually of unknown authorship, constructed from local materials to suit their native setting, indigenous climate, and specific local needs.Being built from locally available materials, such as stone, clay, timber and thatch, vernacular buildings make little reference to mainstream style or to any prevalent theories of architechue.(Porter,2l[4,p.203)Also Bruce Allsopp, in the book (A Modem Theory of Architecture), gives a definition of vemacular architecfure, as follows: Vemacular architecture is a generalized way of desigr derived from folk architecture.It may be seen as the development of the 'natural' architecture ofa region which is definable in terms of climate, culfure and materials.Of its own nature, however, vernacular architecture is limited to that which can properly be expressed 'in the vemacular'.It can be used for spiritual, monumental and utility buildings but limits of propriety are set taste and judgnent.Scale is a crucial factor.vemacular architecture is congenial to people and sympathetic to environment.(Altsopp, 1977,p.E) In order to derive the factors of the vernacular architecture which are more related to the subject of form, the research analyzes these approaches according to a set of factors that have been derived from the definitions.The research highlights and adopt the agreed upon factors and naturalize and neglect the points of disagreemen!this will lead to a group of factors that   The items of vernacular architecture form that the dclinitions concentrate on them According to table l, the research finds that the above studies agree on some items concerning the subject of vernacular architecture form and disagree in others, so the most agreed items are discussed in the following: r The regional forms, materials and technology.r Forms that reply to specific needs of human.I Forms that reply to the values, economics, and way of life of certain culture (people).r Dwelling buildings as the major representation of vemrrcular architecture.
These items determine forms characteristics to be used in sample selection in the next step of the practical part.

Analvsis of studies coneeming the verracular houses forms
To derive the main items of the practical part, the research will describe three studies, each of them is studying the elements and composition of forms of the vernacular houses in a certain culture, and each of these studies follow a certain method for research in this subject.This study describes the following factors and elements of the traditional houses elevations and plans.Note that the bold factors will be adopted by the research: {. Thc used elements ofthe elevations are: . Main entrrnce-(bent type that provides privacy for the courtyard). .
Vyindows (size and height from the ground tevel).
Windows (few number in each elevation) StudyNo.3 (Inlluences of Dirferent Ageo and curtures on Each other From Architectural point of view: Examiuation of Historicar Buitdings in Trabzon/Turkrye), by Aysha sagsoz, omer Iskender Tuluk, Suleyman Ozgen, 2fl)5 The houses examined in this study belong to Anatolian Greek-Greek (Roman-.Byzantine) Architecture and ottoman-Turkish architecture (a total of30 houses).Because the weight of this study is on the facades of the budings, the pranning typology was ignored.In the Method section' the sample houses were shown in a tabre in two main groups rs Generar ft{N mffi surveying the erevation of the selected sampres by using photos, and also the measuring process by the researcher.
. Statistical calculations for the results ofthe survey.
. Analysis ofthe findings ofthe survey.r The final findings.

Samnlinq
The process of sampling has two main paths: I sampling ofthe study area according to Erb, city map.For this purpose, two quarters are selected in Erb, for the study, Arab and raajil quarters, this serection was according to: * The physicar condition of the houses including their heritage varue which are better protected in Arab and raajil quarters than the houses of the citadel and Khanaqa quarter (which are two other traditional locations) in Erbil city.
'3' The samples are matching the characteristics of the vernacular houses forms that have been discussed in the theoretical part. -Categorization.
-Location according to their quarter (these quarters municipal ity registrations).
* Name of the element.* Form of the element.* composition of the element regarding the whole elevation.
names are fixed by the In the vemacular elevation samples, the following kinds of elements can be recognized as with special treatmenl: -Entrance. -\l'indow.
-  The process of surveying includes taking photos for the elevations of 25 samples and also taking the necessary measurements for the elements of the elevations.
The rnain iterns of the surveying table are: * A photographic photo for the elevation of the sample.
'.!' General information about the sample, that consists of: -Sample number that is randomly listed.
-Type of the building.

Centralization
Regarding the location of the entrance in the whole elevation composition, ( )hing determin as that an entrance can be centered within the frontal plane ofa builtling or be pla ced off-center to crcate a condition of local symmerry about its opening.(Ching,20t17,p.251)Figure ( 4) Centralization (Rcfereucer Chin.g) For this concept, ching declares that entraxces may be gr,ouped formally i,to the following categories: flush, projected, an,l recessed.A flush entrance maintains the continuit.,rr of the surface of a wall and can be, i[ desired, deliberately obscr.ued.A projected entrance forrns a transitional space, announces its function to the approach, and provides ovr:rhead srrerter.A recessed entrance also provides sheltcr and rcceives a portior,r of exteric,r space into the realm of the building.(Ching, 2007,p.251)Continuity with the elevation line (Reference: Ching)

Position accordins to the oublic domain
This concept declares whether the ele,ment is parallel or perpendicular to the main street.

Continuitv with the clevation Iine
Table (3) Form of the elements      From the above table the following cases are mostly found for the co mposition of the elements regarding the whole elevation: For the entrance: The most used factors are non-central element, eclipsed element and parallel to the public domain (sheet).(See fig.6) f,'or the window: The most used factors are non-central element, with the elevation line and parallel to the public domain (street).(See fig.7) prralki Figure (6) Entrance Figure (7) \Vindow For the canopy: The most used factors are cenfral element, embossed element and parallel to the public domain (sheet).(See fig.8) For the balcony: The most used factors are non-central element, embossed element and parallel to the public domain (street).(See fig.9) For the shanashil: The most used factors are central element, embossed element and parallel to the public Fo r m al c,h a r a c te ri sti csjf y ef n acgl a r h.{r.u sq,LS!gy&!i!$,AFigI d ad The nrost used elements filr the e levertiotts are the followirrg: (see fig.The shape of the entrance is arcade, but the door is straight, here inside the arc is tllled with ornarnented brickrs. (see fig.There are two main ftrrms of the windows, arc and straight.Acc,orcling to their locirtion, there are two kinds of windowrr, windows within the wall, and wirrdows within the shanashil.

Shanashil
The balcony here is not a separated elernent, it is usua lly within the shanashil.
o Vertically it is the continuity of the wtll or the sli anashil o No ornamental brick pattcrn$ can bc tbund.lgg4a| c-haracteristic 'house,$ elevations in lv.[opu!One of tlre nrost influential characteristics of the vernacular houses irt l"losul is that, these houses have no street elevation as found in Ert,il and Baghdad.there is a goingl through that leads to the main entrance, even the windows are all opened on the iru1s1gsu1,tyard.canopy as a shading device is found in Erbit vemacular houses and is not found in Baghdad and Mosul vemacular houses.
Balcony is a separated element in Erbil vemacular houses, but in Baghdad houses it is within the shanashil.

Conclusion
The research was able to highlight a major characteristic in Erbil vernacular architecture that represent its individuarity compared with vernacurar architechrrc in other Iraqi cities that is uses brick work pattems for ornamentation instead of carving.
characteristics and Facade Elements.The general chrracteristics consist of: the number of floors, and symmetry.Facade elements eonsist of: horizontal-vertical bands, eayes, entrance positions, bay windows, and windows. ffi

Figure ( 3 )
Figure (3) The elements of the vernacular elevation samples Co4$popition of the element resardine.theWholq eleva.tioqInthis part, the composition of the element in relation with the whole elevation will be recognized.For this purpose three concepts have been chosen to find out this relationship: Figure (8) Cnnopy Figure (13) Elementr of the elevation It is rrsually with the elevatiot line.

Figure ( 17
Figure (17) l$ample of an entrance in M osul

Table
This study describes the following factors and elements of the uaditional houses elevations.
the previous studies, the research recognizes the following factors that will be used in the coming steps in the practical part: * The elements ofthe elevation.*Composition of the elements regarding the whole elevation.*Pattemsand ornaments.practicalpart of the research inclutles a case study in Erbil city and other Iraqi cities.The main path ofthe practical part process includes: r Sampling process, which includes:-Sample of the study area locations according to Erbil city map.-Selecting sampres of the houses, this includes two kinds of houses, traditionar ,.--a it According to The vemacular houses and contemporary vernacular houses.r Surveying process, which includes:

Table ( 6
) Table shows the element that is used in the sample elevation and its rcomposition 15. y[1rle elevation form of elements in the samples elevationsThe following table represents the conrpcrsition of the elements reg:arding the whole elevation for the elevations of the vernacular saml:les: Table (8)composition of the erevations for the samples ed The window is ;rurounde'd by a decorated brick frame' Wlndou on the vvall o It is usually an embossed e lement, o It is a wooden structure.o Contains windows with steel guardrails and w,rodgn omamented sct'ccns o Shanashils are different in size.