from imitation to authenticity of space: a theoretical analysis of the placelessness phenomenon in iranian residential interior design

This study investigates the pervasive crisis of placelessness within contemporary iranian residential interior design, a phenomenon precipitated by the indiscriminate emulation of western paradigms. this trend has engendered a marked cultural divergence, resulting in living environments devoid of identity. to empirically substantiate this premise, a quantitative visual content analysis of 44 contemporary residential projects was conducted, confirming the statistical dominance of the imitative trend (77.27%). anchored in the foundational theories of rapoport, lefebvre, bourdieu, and norberg-schulz, this research interrogates the sociological underpinnings of this approach. the theoretical analysis elucidates three critical challenges: the destabilisation of the traditional equilibrium between privacy and social interaction; acute spatial alienation stemming from the erosion of genius loci; and functional inefficiencies arising from a misalignment with indigenous cultural practices. to operationalise these findings, the study utilises two archetypal case studies: case study a exemplifies the discord inherent in imitation, while case study b demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed alternative. consequently, the article advances intelligent localisation as a forward-looking paradigm. this approach advocates for a rigorous, analytical reinterpretation of cultural concepts to generate novel, contextually resonant spatial forms. it champions a culturally user-centred design process, augmented by tools such as space syntax, to reconcile the schism between abstract design logic and the authentic lived space of inhabitants, ultimately reinstating a vital sense of belonging.