Kashanak Residential Apartment

Kashanak Residential Apartment in Tehran was designed by Arash Mozafari of EBA-M (Experimental Branch of Architecture), receiving Second Place in the Residential Buildings category at the 11th Memar Award (2011). The building presents a new edition of brick-facade architecture that, while being contemporary, is suited to the culture and climate of Iran. The building's massing is very beautiful, dynamic, and intertwined, with brick used successfully and innovatively in the facade treatment. The brick texturing of the interior light well is particularly attractive and inventive. By fragmenting the facade shell, the architect increased the facade surface area, providing greater views and light for the units without intruding upon the urban landscape. The building volume connects with the density, continuity, and fine-grained physical structure of Tehran, and the patio is valued as a distinctive architectural element. During the jury deliberations, Seyyed Reza Hashemi described the building's volume as "very beautiful, dynamic, and intertwined" and praised "the strength, maturity, and completeness of the composition." Kamran Afshar Naderi emphasized "finding a solution for the restrictive municipal regulations regarding land occupation" and "creating a special and attractive facade without intruding upon the urban landscape." Mehdi Alizadeh valued the uniformity of the steel structure and exposed brick infill materials.