Square House, Isfahan — 1st Place: Apartment Buildings

1st Place: Square House, Isfahan Location: Isfahan, Moshtagh 3rd Street Client: Mohsen Morabbi / Design associates: Pouya Khazaeli, Mehdi Pourahmad / Construction: Mostafa Sasani / Built area: 900 sqm / Site area: 270 sqm Mehdi Pirani Square House, on Moshtagh Street in Isfahan, connects three residential units with similar structures within a single apartment building. The central idea of this project was a return to the concept of the Iranian courtyard house within a modern apartment format. Each unit has a private courtyard through which natural light and ventilation penetrate the interior spaces. The building's form is inspired by square geometry, and the negative spaces created within the volume form each unit's private courtyards. These courtyards serve not only a functional role in providing light and air, but are also intermediate spaces and retreats that preserve residents' privacy while living in an apartment complex. The building's brick facade with its textured pattern offers a new reading of Isfahan's indigenous materials, creating a distinctive play of light and shadow through its solid and void spaces.