Habitat for Orphan Girls (Khansar, Iran) and Rong Cultural Center (Hormuz Island, Iran) are published in the book “Architizer: The world’s best Architecture”- Phaidon 2018

A spectacular celebration of the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe

The Architizer A+Awards represent a celebration of the year's best architecture and products from a group of influencers bigger than just the architectural community. Entries are judged by more than 400 luminaries from fields as diverse as fashion, publishing, product design, real-estate development, and technology, and voted on by the public, culminating in a collection of the world's finest buildings. This year, the celebration is going global. In lieu of an awards gala, the architects' work is honored via this fully illustrated book, a podcast, and the largest online architecture community on the planet. Featuring select A+Award winners and other works, this is the definitive guide to the year's best buildings and spaces.

Habitat for Orphan Girls (Khansar, Iran)

Strategic decisions drove the architecture of a shelter in the city of khansar for orphaned girls. In response to the financial limitations of the project, an austere and honest approach had to the adopted. All superfluous layers of finishing and ornamentation were eliminated as a result.

It is hard to exercise one’s right in choosing one’s lifestyle as an orphaned girl in a male-dominated religious city such as Khansar. In an attempt to critique the status quo-even though the architecture of the shelter adopts an introverted typology in response to concerns about security- the façade of the project transforms into a medium that allows the building to close down or open up to the city as the girls hand-operated exterior curtains of the balconies.

The site of the project is located within the historic fabric of the city. The city was proposed to the owner of the site by the design team. Every urban heritage has the potential to initiate financial prosperity for the city and its inhabitants. As such, the past of the city becomes the future of its orphaned inhabitants.

Rong Cultural Center (Hormoz Island, Iran)

Hormoz island in the Persian Gulf is economically stressed and has a history of consecutive failures when it comes to environmental issues. Hormoz red soil has long been a matter of tension, and it still is perceived as the plundering of the island’s natural resources by many locals.

To tackle this problem, multidisciplinary brainstorming workshops were held in a community center, which was set up temporarily to gain the participation of Hormozians. In conclusion, a cultural center containing tourist information, a café, and an event management center was decided upon. Rong is the name chosen for this complex.

After consideration of local and international case studies, the design team came to the conclusion that the rammed-earth system could be appropriated and retrofitted with more contemporary solutions to be used for Rong. The adopted sandbag technology was combined with a steel structure covered with cement. Rong is a permanent urban space, which exists in harmony with the island’s icon at the entry port of the island, bringing pride to Hormoz.