5 House

Considering the organization of contemporary urban fabrics in Iranian cities (the 60%-40% urban block ratio), the most challenging projects are often those located on plots that are connected to the city only through a single façade.
In addition, another challenge in contemporary residential contexts lies in the views—either facing the opposing buildings or the unpleasant sight of neighboring rooftops.

Therefore, the main question or challenge in such projects is:
How can one create meaningful architecture within economic, social, cultural, and municipal constraints?

Our answer to this question—especially in projects with only one face toward the city—is to add depth to the façade.
In fact, the key issue in these projects is “thickness”: transforming them from a mere urban face into an urban body.

Through this process, as the façade gains depth, it begins to play a more significant role as part of the city’s body—providing opportunities for richer architectural solutions.

Our approach in this project was to maximize this thickness to achieve greater spatial qualities and ultimately create “unity within diversity.”
In doing so, we sought to reinterpret the essence of traditional Iranian housing within a contemporary framework.

We approached the design in three scales:

Urban Scale

By deepening the façade and turning it into an urban body, we created the potential for natural light, privacy, and courtyard spaces—all fundamental principles of traditional Iranian housing.
Through this depth, we formed intermediate spaces that belong neither entirely to the city nor to the private interior.
These spaces enhance the quality of introversion, increase spatial diversity, and consequently make the housing more resilient.

Architectural Scale

The building is organized vertically through five distinct yet harmonious housing units, shaping the project’s overall spatial structure.

Interior Scale

By introducing maximum complexity and spatial variation around a central courtyard, we reinterpreted the introverted quality of Iranian architecture while providing each unit with a secondary view other than the facing buildings.

One of the façade’s key functions is controlling light, heat, and privacy—especially in dense residential fabrics.
This not only allows residents to adjust their physical and psychological comfort levels, but also makes them participants in shaping the façade itself.

Interior Design

The importance of interior design, particularly in residential projects, stems from the deep cultural and architectural heritage of Iranian space-making—from spatial organization to the smallest details, such as door handles, the play of light, color, and material texture.
This sensibility exists within the collective memory of Iranian users.

Accordingly, in the interior design of Five Houses, our goal was not only to synchronize the indoor and outdoor structures, but also to create an interior that—beyond trends and styles—draws on qualities such as reflection, color, and light to evoke a sense of familiarity rooted in the user’s historical memory.

Given the 25-meter width of the site, one of the spatial innovations that enhanced diversity within the project was the design of two kitchens in the larger units:
The main kitchen is positioned on the western edge of each apartment in the public zone, while a smaller kitchen is placed at the center of the plan, adjacent to the courtyard—acting as a spatial hinge that separates the private and public areas.