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Aghajoon Kitchen
Aghajoon Kitchen
Khalil Abad, Iran
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Aghajoon Kitchen
Khalil Abad, Iran
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2020
SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
Inspiration and Key Concepts
Aghajoon Kitchen was conceived as a response to both a practical and cultural need: to replace an unsanitary, roofless cooking enclosure that had long served as the social heart of Khalilabad village. The intention was not only to improve hygiene and climate comfort but also to honor the site’s deep-rooted function in religious ceremonies, weddings, and communal gatherings. The design draws from the local architectural vernacular and the memory of a now-demolished school adjacent to the site. Using brick, mud plaster, and turquoise tiles, the project seeks to integrate visually and culturally with its setting while asserting a renewed civic role. The spatial axis and turquoise-clad elements are employed symbolically, guiding movement and defining the centrality of communal ritual.
Difficulties
One of the main challenges was designing a climate-responsive building on a narrow urban plot surrounded by residential structures and a former school. Limited access to natural light and ventilation required creative strategies such as introducing cubic skylights on the roof and recessed brick screens on the eastern facade. Another difficulty was balancing the need for modern sanitation and structural efficiency while remaining respectful to the village’s historical texture. By integrating the architectural and structural design, using a steel truss to form the large arch, the team was able to reduce costs by 15%, while maintaining compatibility with local construction logic and proportions.
Construction Technique and Principle Materials
The building's form is defined by a single large arch resting on short base walls, constructed using a steel truss system clad with local brick. This dual structural-architectural strategy provided both stability and expressive clarity. The southern facade and interior spine of the building are finished with turquoise tile, referencing traditional ornamentation while marking key circulatory and symbolic points. The roof hosts two cubic skylights, and the eastern wall includes perforated brickwork, allowing diffused light and air to reach the basement. All interior and exterior surfaces use traditional materials, brick, plaster, and tile, executed through a combination of local craftsmanship and precise detailing.
Spatial Configuration and Main Reasons
The site, measuring 22 by 11 meters, is organized along a central axis that cuts through the ground level, visually reinforced with turquoise tiles. This axis forms the project’s symbolic and functional backbone. At its center, a small basin used for washing large pots marks the culmination of this movement path. The building is organized into three levels. The basement houses storage rooms, a mechanical room, restrooms, and the women’s ablution space. The ground floor contains the main cooking area, restrooms, and the men’s ablution area. The mezzanine level, accessible via a turquoise-tiled stair, serves as a rest zone. Each level is optimized for thermal performance, the basement remains cool due to thermal mass, while evaporative coolers placed at the arch’s peak support summer comfort. The overall layout encourages intuitive movement, operational clarity, and cultural resonance with the building’s past and present functions.
Aghajoon Kitchen was conceived as a response to both a practical and cultural need: to replace an unsanitary, roofless cooking enclosure that had long served as the social heart of Khalilabad village. The intention was not only to improve hygiene and climate comfort but also to honor the site’s deep-rooted function in religious ceremonies, weddings, and communal gatherings. The design draws from the local architectural vernacular and the memory of a now-demolished school adjacent to the site. Using brick, mud plaster, and turquoise tiles, the project seeks to integrate visually and culturally with its setting while asserting a renewed civic role. The spatial axis and turquoise-clad elements are employed symbolically, guiding movement and defining the centrality of communal ritual.
Difficulties
One of the main challenges was designing a climate-responsive building on a narrow urban plot surrounded by residential structures and a former school. Limited access to natural light and ventilation required creative strategies such as introducing cubic skylights on the roof and recessed brick screens on the eastern facade. Another difficulty was balancing the need for modern sanitation and structural efficiency while remaining respectful to the village’s historical texture. By integrating the architectural and structural design, using a steel truss to form the large arch, the team was able to reduce costs by 15%, while maintaining compatibility with local construction logic and proportions.
Construction Technique and Principle Materials
The building's form is defined by a single large arch resting on short base walls, constructed using a steel truss system clad with local brick. This dual structural-architectural strategy provided both stability and expressive clarity. The southern facade and interior spine of the building are finished with turquoise tile, referencing traditional ornamentation while marking key circulatory and symbolic points. The roof hosts two cubic skylights, and the eastern wall includes perforated brickwork, allowing diffused light and air to reach the basement. All interior and exterior surfaces use traditional materials, brick, plaster, and tile, executed through a combination of local craftsmanship and precise detailing.
Spatial Configuration and Main Reasons
The site, measuring 22 by 11 meters, is organized along a central axis that cuts through the ground level, visually reinforced with turquoise tiles. This axis forms the project’s symbolic and functional backbone. At its center, a small basin used for washing large pots marks the culmination of this movement path. The building is organized into three levels. The basement houses storage rooms, a mechanical room, restrooms, and the women’s ablution space. The ground floor contains the main cooking area, restrooms, and the men’s ablution area. The mezzanine level, accessible via a turquoise-tiled stair, serves as a rest zone. Each level is optimized for thermal performance, the basement remains cool due to thermal mass, while evaporative coolers placed at the arch’s peak support summer comfort. The overall layout encourages intuitive movement, operational clarity, and cultural resonance with the building’s past and present functions.
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