Compiled by Golnaz Khosravani, Sara Jafari

Who built Tehran in the past decade? Architects? As we pass through different districts of Tehran we hear the answer to this question from the dwellers and builders of these houses: District 22, Jannat Abad, Tehran Pars, Niavaran, Malek-e Ashtar. We approached real estate agents to ask about the major projects in this district and their builders. We have prepared a questionnaire to give to the residents after meeting the main builder in each area. A 32-years-old man who has built 14 buildings in Tehran and lives in neither of them was waiting for us in his Mercedes. Although none of his buildings had the characteristics of a valuable architecture, it seemed the material were carefully chosen and executed. We asked him, ‘Who is the architect of this building?’ - Me. - Have you studied architecture? - Yes. (He was bluffing) - Azad. The quality of construction in Malek-e Asthar showed a great dif- ference compared to other districts. In one of the real estate offices, we met a builder who had constructed about 90 buildings despite being quite young. In the Eighteenth Alley in Gisha, a builder who was supervising his unfinished building was curious to know what we are doing. We approached him with a questionnaire: ‘Who is the architect of your building?’ - I design all my buildings but other architects stamp it. During the conversation, he keeps on praising his building. Each time I hear a word of admiration I raise my head to have another look at the building, looking for something I might have missed. District 22 is a remote and calm district, full of residential com- plexes reminiscent of student dorms. One of the residents of Tehran Pars was not happy with the quality of construction and thought the problem was that, specialists were not used. When we asked him what group he would consult if he wanted to build a building in Tehran, he replied, ‘Architects and civil engineers’. While talking to him we

realized he had the experience of building a house in Tehran. When we asked who the architect was, he replied, ‘I myself.’ A real estate agent in Niavaran showed us a magazine titled Termeh and Resaneh (Chasmere and Media) which he claimed was only distributed among real estate agents. The magazine was full of luxury buildings which are the fashion of the day. I thought with myself ‘then who reads architectural magazines?’

Field Research It is understandable how most houses in Tehran are constructed by private and local builders and that people of Tehran do not know the name of the architect of their buildings, yet it is surprising how 75 percent of them are satisfied with their residence. At least, those architects should be surprised who claim the situation of architecture in Tehran is critical. They might realize they have been inattentive to the real demands of their clients or maybe the level of expectation of their clients has been lowered. It could have been predicted that most people in Tehran have found their houses through real estates. Don’t you think the people of Tehran have pretended to consult architects and civil engineers in building houses? If they have been sincere, then most architects’ equations will not stand: particularly that of those who hide behind the inefficiency of the construction system in Tehran to leave the field to profiteering builders! Is it not contradictory that to the people of Tehran, an ideal residence is that with a courtyard but they also prefer to live in newly- built houses? The built-area of newly-built houses is still higher than European standards and it seems that citizens are not willing to make compromises on their spatial ‘basket’ easily. Finally, it is clear that the people of Tehran have their leisure, recreation, joy and violence in their ‘castles’ and those who have said they spend their free time in the streets have been probably referring ironically to the situation of traffic in Tehran. Even in Tehran most ac- tivities have become domestic and happen not even in the basements but rather on rooftops.

خانه اي در تهرانپارسHouse in Tehran Pars

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