This research study investigates the extent to which evaluation of housing forms may be affected by functional, experiential and emotional factors. The study also investigates the influence of the Western civilization on the Iranian culture through perceived imagery associated with architectural form.A set of twenty photographs representative of architectural styles commonly found in the city of Tehran, Iran as well as a questionnaire survey were the tools used in this perception study.After analyzing the responses , it was concluded that Iranians were in agreement in their perception of Persian, Western, and Ancient architectural styles and preferred the Western architectural style over the other styles. Iranians associated familiarity with newness. Throughout the study it was evident that the Western civilization had a strong influence on the Iranian culture in the perception and preference of architectural forms. / Department of Urban Planning