Analysis of Design Components for Safe Residential Complexes with a Passive Defense Approach (A Case Study of Tabriz )

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master's student, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Security in residential complexes is one of the key dimensions for enhancing the quality of life and reducing vulnerability to natural and human-made threats. The passive defense approach, as a non-military strategy, can play a significant role in strengthening both the physical and perceptual–spatial safety of housing environments. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the components and subcomponents of safe residential complex design based on the principles of passive defense in the city of Tabriz, considering its specific climatic and physical characteristics.Tabriz, due to its unique geopolitical position in the northwest of Iran, history of frequent earthquakes, high population density, concentration of deteriorated urban fabrics, and its industrial significance, is among the cities where analyzing passive defense has particular importance. The research is applied–descriptive in nature and was conducted in two stages. First, the theoretical foundations were reviewed through library studies, and a conceptual model comprising ten main components and forty-one subcomponents was developed. Then, to evaluate the model, a researcher-made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was designed and distributed among 60 housing experts, including architects and civil engineers. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.92. Data were analyzed using SPSS software through means comparison, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA to examine differences among groups based on gender, work experience, and education level. The results indicated that the component “mobility facilities and emergency evacuation” had the highest importance from experts’ viewpoints (mean = 4.525), while “sense of place attachment” had the lowest acceptance (mean = 3.42). At the subcomponent level, 33 indicators were confirmed and 8 were rejected. Limited differences among groups were observed, mainly related to perceptual and psychological dimensions.Overall, the findings highlight that designing safe residential complexes requires simultaneous attention to both physical and perceptual dimensions of security. Moreover, the observed differences among experts emphasize the need for comprehensive and multidimensional approaches in policymaking and design to encompass the diverse perspectives and needs of users.

Keywords

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References

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Passive Defense
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 65
Serial number 65. Spring 2026
May 2026
Pages 123-140

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 21 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 17 December 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 May 2026

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