The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Discourse of Authenticity and Technology in the Theory of High-Performance Architecture: An Analytical Approach to the Concept of Innovation in Monumental Buildings

10.22034/bagh.2026.519183.5802
Volume 23, Issue 159
September 2026
Pages 53-72
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Vahid Majidi 1
Sayedeh Rezvaneh Hossieni 2
Saeed Haghir 3
Mohammadjavad Mahdavinejad 4
Keyvan Salehi 5

1 Department of Construction, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering and Architecture, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman

5 epartment of Methods, Educational Planning, and Curriculum, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Problem statement: How to map the future appearance of architecture and the future architecture is one of the enduring questions in research on architectural history and theory. Formulating this problem requires an analytical reading of High-Performance Architectural Theory with a focus on the concept of contemporaneity. Funerary monuments in Iran dating from 1921 to 1978 provide relevant cases through which this question can be investigated.
Research objective: This study aims to map the future image of Iranian architecture based on the concept of contemporaneity in contemporary monuments, thereby developing the semantic capacities that contribute to shaping emerging horizons in the design of monuments.
Research method: The study adopted a mixed methods approach based on an exploratory sequential design, comprising a qualitative phase followed by a two-stage quantitative phase. The qualitative phase employed documentary research and thematic analysis of the discourse of high-performance architecture, resulting in the identification and organization of latent themes across 17 monuments. In the quantitative phase, the authors first developed an eight-item questionnaire whose content validity was confirmed through expert judgment and internal consistency was established with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.80. Eight selected monuments were then evaluated by experts in architectural history and theory, and the resulting data were analyzed using the nonparametric Friedman test in SPSS 22.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the concept of innovation within the discourse of high-performance architecture can be explained through the meaningful relationship between authenticity and technology. Authenticity encompasses shape and form, design-organizing principles, and relationship with the surrounding environment, while innovative technology comprises materials and construction technology. The quantitative findings further showed that the Avicenna Mausoleum in Hamedan exhibited the highest level of representation of contemporaneity in the discourse of high-performance architecture.

Keywords

Contemporary Architecture
Contemporaneity
High-Performance Architectural Theory
Authenticity
Technology
Architectural Innovation
Future of Architecture and Architecture of the Future
Monuments.
Subjects
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