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Architects: barsav architecture office
- Area: 1351 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Diman Studio, Dayan Mazraei
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Lead Architects: Alireza Modarresi, Mohamad Reyhani, Ali Soveizi
Text description provided by the architects. The MAJD neighborhood, situated in District No. 2 of the Mashhad Municipality, is one of the older neighborhoods with a history that dates back about one hundred years. The history of the combination of garden houses, fruit gardens, and grape vines dates back to at least four hundred years ago. The traces of this organic substrate can be seen today in the form of non-geometric streets that accommodate several years old trees.
As a result of the residents of the neighborhood having lived there for extended periods, the majority of the relatives of the same family have chosen to stay only a short distance apart from one another. This issue has, over time, resulted in the development of neighborhood relations, which has resulted in the people developing a sense of belonging and a passion for the fabric. Compared to other parts of the city, the MAJD neighborhood is one of the few regions in Mashhad with a relatively low construction rate. As a result of the demand from the younger generation and people trying to improve the quality of their living space, the majority of the constructions being done in this region today are being done in response to the need.
The employer is one of the old residents of MAJD. Her proximity to the workplace (gold shop) and the history of living in the neighborhood were her main motivations for continuing to live in this context. The project was defined as a land area of 250 meters to the north with a high density for our office. The client's initial plan was to construct a six-story apartment for the owner's use on one floor, and the remaining floors would be shaped like a classic building and available for rent on the remaining floors.
During the preliminary research and discussions regarding the employer's lifestyle, the prospect of extending the residential level to a total of two floors and the definition of a duplex unit was offered. Also, based on the results of the site studies, the upper floors' potential was determined in terms of the lack of surrounding nobility and the possibility of proper visibility. As a result, the duplex unit was positioned on the upper two stories, with the majority of its roof serving as a roof garden, giving the impression that it was a home with a courtyard converted into a residential flat.
Idea - Considering the employer's lack of investment attitude in the project and the creation of a quality house for themselves and the native residents of Baft, the first concern of our office was formed around the issue of how the residents of the project feel about belonging to the neighborhood also improve and develop the sense of belonging and the memories of the passers and the neighborhood relations and gives a new soul to its body. On the other hand, the client's profession (selling gold), his elegance, and the way he notices the gold decorations and pieces he pulls from it gave us the trust to come to a consensus regarding selecting the feature centered around the grape meme element.
To serve as a recall of memories for the neighborhood's passersby, the grape meme evolved into a strategy to be a souvenir in place of the vanished Mashhad gardens and the memes of grapes that formerly adorned the streets and alleyways of this neighborhood. The plan was created with flexibility and the potential for multi-purpose areas on single-unit floors. As an intermediate space, the terrace in the first step gives the kitchen work area privacy while also adding the quality of open and semi-open space to the depth of the space.
