Abstract : Rural architecture is generally studied through a typological and climatic approach. Such an approach to rural architecture in a position of a rural both unit and texture explains the interaction between spatial rural feedbacks and climatic factors more than it studies and identifies rural space qualities. So such an approach limits the understanding of design quality in rural architecture, especially for projects that aim to address the architecture of the rural buildings and textures. This paper aims to present or suggest a different approach in understanding of rural architecture to identify the truth of this architecture and its values and qualities it can offer. According to this approach, it is expected to achieve more comprehensive studying, and consequently valuating and classifying more relevant to impressive principles on the rural architecture. This theory is shaped through a close study of Ibn Khaldun’s thought, especially where he categorizes the built environment of the traditional human societies that have preferred to reside and abandoned their nomadic life into desert -dwellers , villagers , and townspeople . Based on a critical application of Christian Norberg - Schulz’s architectural theories and building upon Ibn Khaldun’s thought, this study presents a new conceptual framework of rustic architecture, common architecture, and stylist architecture. In this paper it is considered to survey critically according to Christian Norberg - Schulz's opinions, because the formative nature and local properties of examples doesn't necessarily adapt to features of Iranian villages. However, this matter doesn’t prevent studying and accepting Schulz's thought. Nevertheless, Schulz’s regard and consequently this inquiry have public view to the order of rural architecture. However, we can rely on Schulz's opinions to achieve an appropriate use relevant to Iranian rural architecture. This criteria considerably includes rural features which can validate to validation of the rural buildings. The other achievement of this approach is keeping and training the architectural tradition of each culture and civilization in villages. Thus paying attention to the rural architectural features and cognition of them is a necessity and protection of them is a basic principle. Based on what is explained in this article, built environment of traditional period in response to the comfort human needs manifest three orders of architecture. So the rural architecture, rustic architecture, common architecture and the stylist architecture are the subjects which this article according to Norberg - Schulz’s architectural theories presents critically. The proposed criteria for each concept offer a more thorough understanding of the traditional built environment in general and rural architecture in particular. For the first part of this paper, Ibn Khaldun’s theory of formation of abadi , village and city is mentioned. In continue of this paper the relationships between of Ibn Khaldun’s opinions and Christian Norberg - Schulz's ideas are investigated. A nontrivial simulation of these two ideas is from this comparison Further more, Christian Norberg - Schulz's opinion in valuation of rustic building is studied. This results in some criterion which are different with common criterions.