Advanced Classification of Architectural Heritage: A Corpus of Desert on Rout Caravanserais. Issue 3 (15th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andaroodi, Elham; Andres, Frederic
• Is Part Of: International journal of architectural heritage. Volume 14:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 433
• Page End: 456
• Publication Date: 2020-03-15
• Subjects: Building divisions -- caravanserais -- classification -- naïve Bayes -- Safavid period -- spatial configuration; Architecture -- Conservation and restoration -- Periodicals; Historic buildings -- Periodicals; Historic preservation -- Planning -- Periodicals; 721.0288
• DOI: 10.1080/15583058.2018.1547801
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1558-3058

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Advanced classification of Architectural Heritage with new methods of knowledge extraction can enhance our insight of historical buildings and their evolution. An important corpus is Safavid caravanserais with 999 cases, which were simultaneously built according to historical records. The aim of this research is to understand the hidden knowledge about the formation of this corpus through advanced classification based on configuration of building divisions or types of architectural components. The main research problem is identifying principal classification variables. A novel method is proposed based on a probabilistic model to provide taxonomic numeric variables, linked with morphological invariants for each feature. A table of binary values of variables is provided for 140 cases of desert on-rout caravanserais. A tool based on Naïve Bays algorithm processed the output and the relative significance of the variables is generated. This important finding helped the domain knowledge to select six major features and consequently to identify six classes and 25 sub-classes. The assessment is done by comparing caravanserais in a knowledge base, and geo localizing each class on Google Earth. The results led to important findings and suppositions about distribution of chain of similar caravanserais along historic roads and their design evolution and management.