"A House for Pariya's Childhood" is a renovation project in Shiraz, Iran. The original house was built about sixty years ago, when the first modern buildings of the city were being designed. Unfortunately the city considers these houses old and worthless and does not preserve them. But we believed this house was a part of local architectural heritage and could become a successful sample for renovation rather than demolition in the neighborhood.
Pariya's house is a double story building with a "private yard", a once significant element of Persian homes which is sadly disappearing in the process of city growth and replacement of houses with apartments. Pariya’s parents, our clients, had the sweet memory of living in such homes and wished to create the same opportunity for their daughter. So, they decided to buy an old house, and have it renovated.
The common opinion in the city is that these houses are worthless, their design is outdated, and cannot be restored. But, we believed that they constitute a precious part of Shiraz architectural history and should not be destroyed. Therefore, we thought the house needed to be renovated in way that not only meet the essentials of a modern life, but also become an encouraging sample in its neighborhood. Where ever structurally possible, we changed the layout on both stories, and replaced the several small rooms, with modern living rooms, bedrooms, and open kitchens. The key to this reform was the removal of the old stair and designing a new one somewhere else in order to create some open space in the first floor.
The façade was also renovated to offer an attractive and inspiring look while keeping the main scheme of the old one. Aluminum composite curtains with a checkered pattern are deployed as a substitute for the old curtains made of straw which used to be hanged on windows in Persian houses to reduce heat and view from outside.