The design of this house was proposed to us by the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee for a family of three (a mother and two children) on a 45-square-metre plot. Due to the project's limited budget, the client initially intended to build the house as a single-storey structure covering the entire lot.
The project site is located within the city's deteriorating urban fabric, which began forming in the 1950s through the subdivision of peripheral farmland for housing. Population growth in subsequent years led to increased construction density and progressively smaller houses, such that most plots now measure less than 100 square metres. Under municipal regulations, these plots may be built upon at one hundred percent coverage with no open space. Consequently, the prevailing construction trend involves raising volumes that conform entirely to the plot dimensions, pursuing maximum quantity with no regard for qualitative aspects.
In this project, we endeavoured to elevate the quality of habitation through a design attuned to the distinctive characteristics of the existing lifestyle within the fabric. Key factors influencing the design include: a direct connection between the house and open green space with attention to outdoor living; fostering social interactions among residents alongside public spaces while maintaining privacy and controlling views into the home; and home-based production of food items for consumption and livelihood.
The design concept revolved around redefining the relationship between interior and exterior. The aim was to transform the boundary between these two spaces -- which in new construction is merely a semi-hollow partition a few centimetres thick -- into a fluid space between inside and outside, capable of engaging with both realms and serving as a platform for activities related to each.
Given the financial constraints of the project, there was no possibility of increasing costs, and any changes had to be made within the original budget. We therefore adopted strategies such as engaging family members and their circle in the construction process, using affordable, locally available, and recycled materials (bricks from the city's brick kilns, reed matting, second-hand metalwork, and so on), and applying appropriate construction techniques (eliminating facade finishing). Through these measures, we sought to modify the original programme, increasing the built area while also adding open spaces to the project.
The courtyard on the ground floor and the terrace on the first floor were positioned as thresholds between interior and exterior. Their connection to the inside through glass partitions allows the space to remain visually unconfined and to function as an extension of the interior. The outer enclosure was designed so that, while maintaining privacy and controlling light, there would also be the possibility of opening toward the alley. A structure was placed over these spaces to serve as a trellis for grapevines planted in the courtyard, which over time would form a green canopy over the framework.