With growing urban densification and the dominance of apartment living in Tehran, new challenges have emerged in balancing spatial openness with the preservation of privacy—particularly for women. In the Iranian socio-cultural context, privacy extends beyond physical boundaries and is shaped by gender norms and behavioral expectations. While spatial transparency may improve daylight and social interaction, it can also heighten feelings of exposure when privacy thresholds are weakly defined. Although Space Syntax theory offers quantitative indicators—such as Relative Depth, Integration, Connectivity, and Entrance Visual Field Angle—to analyze visibility and spatial sequencing, empirical evidence linking these metrics to gendered experiences of privacy and satisfaction in Iran remains scarce.

This study addresses this gap through a mixed-methods approach that integrates architectural analysis with behavioral data. A total of 846 valid questionnaires were collected from residents of 18 residential complexes built between 1961 and 2024, measuring perceived privacy, territoriality, and residential satisfaction. Additionally, spatial-syntax analysis of 130 unit plans was conducted using Depthmap and Axman software to compute key indicators, with particular attention to bedroom depth and entrance visibility.



Results from t-tests and MANOVA reveal that women report significantly lower levels of privacy and spatial satisfaction than men (p < 0.01), underscoring the gendered nature of residential experience. Correlation and regression analyses indicate distinct predictors for each gender: for women, Relative Depth and Entrance Visual Field Angle together explain 46% of the variance in satisfaction, suggesting heightened sensitivity to spatial depth and control over visibility. For men, Integration and Connectivity account for 38% of the variance, reflecting greater emphasis on spatial centrality and access patterns.

Based on these findings, the study proposes data-driven design guidelines, including maintaining a Relative Depth of at least 1.8 between bedrooms and entrance zones and limiting entrance-view angles to 60 degrees or less. These evidence-based thresholds can inform more gender-sensitive housing regulations, particularly within the National Housing Movement, offering a new framework for socially inclusive residential design.