© Parham Taghiof
- Architects: SHABOFFICE
- Location: Iran
- Architect In Charge: Shabnam Hosseini
- Team: Hamish Rhodes, Somayeh Derakhshan, Sarvenaz Dadgar
- Area: 798.0 m2
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Parham Taghiof, Ava Dehghani, Mahrad Reyhani, Hossein Marjovi
- Project And Construction Management: Shabnam Hosseini
- Representation And Graphics: Ava Dehghani
- Structural Design: Sarvin Sazeh
- Mechanical Consultant: Ali Ghanizadeh
- Electrical Consultant: Ali Piltan
- Mechanical & Electrical Contractor: Behzad Pourshab
- Landscape Contractor: Hamid Darian
- Client: Private
© Parham Taghiof
[GOL]KHANEH is located on the outskirts of the city of Karaj, about 60km west of Tehran. It is designed and built as a vacation home for a family of 6.
© Parham Taghiof
Two adjacent but separate plots – each about 5000 square meters – form the site for this project. Plot A was thick with old fruit trees while Plot B, adjacent to a noisy street with a chaotic line of low-rise residential buildings, was dry and barely had any trees because of a previous fire. Therefore, Plot B was chosen as the building site and creating a buffer to maximize privacy and limit views and noise transfer from the neighbouring street to the site quickly became a priority in design.
© Parham Taghiof
Ground Floor Plan
© Parham Taghiof
Massing of this project is a direct response to site conditions as it aims to form a long and linear volume – similar to a thick wall – and act as a barrier against the noise and chaos of the adjacent street and to block views into the site. The volume is further deformed to embrace the swimming pool and create a private pocket around it. Insertion of the driveway and the swimming pool affect the volume on the ground level and result in shaded areas for drop-off and outdoor sitting.
© Parham Taghiof
First Floor Plan
© Parham Taghiof
The resulting dynamic and modern form is wrapped with a brick skin – a long-standing element in Iranian architecture. Bricks are from Heydari Kiln – traditional full bricks each made by hand. The brick layering technique is “Kaleh-rasteh”, one full brick followed by a half brick. Three simple variations on this technique create the opportunity to have different textures on the façade to register level 0 and level 1 as two separate layers and have porosity at windows and balcony balustrades.
© Parham Taghiof
A line of full-height windows on the ground floor opens the façade to focus all views on the swimming pool and on Level 1 a long shaded terrace connecting the bedrooms overlooks the pool and the rest of the site. Back of the building remains closed and solid.
© Parham Taghiof
Structural system is concrete slab and columns with columns pushed to the sides and following the direction and form of the building.
© Parham Taghiof
Landscape design remains integral to the project. Path lines are following building lines and material palette is cast-concrete and gravel. Plants are chosen from a wild and grass-type palette to create a natural and accidental feel.
Courtesy of SHABOFFICE