Investigation of Pirnia's orientation theory (Roon) in Yazd Qajar houses

A study challenging Pirnia's long-standing theory on the orientation of Yazd Qajar houses reveals that religious factors, not climate or regional knowledge, primarily influenced architectural direction. Analyzing 40 traditional houses, researchers found that only five deviated from the southwest orientation proposed by Pirnia, yet climate factors like wind and sun had negligible impact. This undermines the theory's foundation, suggesting that past Iranian architects prioritized religious considerations over environmental ones, despite widespread academic endorsement.

Jafari Sharami, H. (2023). Investigation of Pirnia’s orientation theory (Roon) in Yazd Qajar houses. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 12(5), 906–922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2023.06.002