Assessing the Impact of Architectural Quality on Enhancing Quality of Life in Residential Complexes, with Consideration to Residents' Health Status (A Case Study of Shiraz's Residential Complexes)

Abstract

The rapid growth of urbanization has caused designers and architects to neglect the quality of residential complexes, and the residents of these complexes have faced many problems, including decreased quality of life (QOL) and even threatened health status. This paper aims to evaluate architectural quality, QOL, and health quality as independent, dependent, and mediating variables, respectively, as well as the relationship between them. Health quality evaluated with three indices, including physical, mental, and social health; architectural quality considered while embodying three criteria, including environmental, structural, and functional quality; and, finally, QOL defined as a constant multilateral concept. In the analysis of data, both quantitative and qualitative techniques are used.  Surveys, interviews, and field observations were used to collect data. The researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data on architectural and health quality, while the standard questionnaire was used to collect data on quality of life. Participants were residents in ASATID, DERAK, and CHOWGAN residential complexes (Shiraz, Iran), all with the same social contexts and geographical locations but different environmental and architectural indices. The results confirmed that enhancing architectural quality can dramatically improve residents' QOL, mainly through promoting their health status. In other words, environmental, structural, and functional quality promotes physical, mental, and social health, respectively; and all of them improves QOL in residential complexes.