Mandana Yousefi - Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban planning, Qazvin Branch,Islamic Azad University,Qazvin,Iran
Simon Ayvazian - College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Iman Raeisi - Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran
Jamaleddin Soheili - Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran

The purpose of this research is to investigate the ability to redefine the components and indicators of popular architecture facades in contemporary architecture. The research method is content analysis and descriptive-analytic and survey with semiotic and Delphi technique. At first, popular architecture is analyzed using the descriptive and analytical method. Next, 14 components of the popular architecture façades assessment are identified and prioritized in three rounds through survey and Delphi technique. In the third stage, case studies are selected by experts on the basis of the components of the popular architecture facades assessment that are identified in the previous step. In the fourth stage, selected samples are investigated in terms of semiotics and 28 signs are extracted as indicators. In the last step, the ability to redefine these signs as indicators of popular architecture facades in contemporary architecture is examined with Delphi technique in two rounds. Indicators and components that are not redefinable or are weakly redefined are excluded. Finally, redefinable components and indicators in contemporary architecture facades are prioritized. The results of the research show that some of the components cannot be redefined in the contemporary architecture facades due to their imitative and eclectic indexes. Some components can be redefined through one index, and others have the ability to be redefined through both indicators. From experts point of view, the components of understandable for the general public, variety, new techniques, and old patterns are the most important redefinable component in contemporary architecture facades. Eventually it turned out that popular architecture has common points with experts, and according to the views of experts and people, there can be some kind of architecture with complex aesthetics that spreads both to the elite and to the general public.

popular architecture, Semiotics, facades, contemporary architecture