Desert cities of Iran have long had an introverted and Unique architectural design. The evolution of introverted architecture over the centuries has led to the development of Construction techniques and spatial Types. These typologies such as the central courtyard and Sunken courtyard have been identified in large parts of Iran.
They could also be traced in a wide range of scales from houses to public spaces such as caravanserai and mosques and to the urban scale.
With the rapid modernization of Iran in the early twentieth century, traditional houses were vanished. Consequently, traditional houses, vernacular typologies, construction, and decoration techniques have also become less commonly used.
The economic hyperinflation and accordingly commodification of buildings as financial assets expedited the replacement of traditional houses with new multi-story residential buildings.
The city of Garmsar on the edge of the central desert of Iran is a historic city near the Silk Road. Except for a few caravanserais, a house, and a part of a Road traced back to the Sassanid period the architectural heritage of the historic city has mostly vanished. Designing a residential apartment in Garmsar City based on the historical and traditional style of Iranian desert architecture has been the main design challenge.
Kolbadi House is a residential project in the urban context of Garmsar. a 70% lot coverage, location of neighborhoods are the most important factors in the building mass. In most new speculative constructions, quantity takes precedence over spatial quality.
the designer has changed challenges to the most commonly practiced massing to address the major project scopes and enhance spatial qualities.
the way of massing to achieve a volumetric mass that answers the basic challenge of the design. in addition, the typologies considered in the design besides providing the required quantity of space.
By maximizing the building outline to the street edge and in return carving out the building mass which forms a void in connection with the central courtyard, the project meets the maximum permitted floor area. As it is seen in historic precedents, the aforementioned central void provides natural light for all interior spaces.
The nine-square architecture typology of traditional forms all building programs. One square forms the central courtyard, three squares are dedicated to communication and service spaces, one square shapes the reception areas, and the last one serves the kitchen respectably respectively.
The project Followed the same type in volume, and three large boxes in the eastern view occupy the interior spaces. These closed boxes have remained faithful to the introverted pattern of desert houses. To connect the rescue forces in case of an accident a section of brick shell in the form of rail and hollow is considered in each floor; To allow the arrival of relief forces at the time of a possible accident. This brick texture is also modeled on the traditional Iranian architectural brickwork on the facade shell.
The aforementioned spatial pattern echoes in the building façade design, where three large boxes in the east elevation envelope the interior spaces. these enclosed boxes follow the introverted pattern of desert architecture. to be accessible for firefighters, a portion of the brick shell is operable at each floor level. Traditional Iranian brickwork techniques also inspire the textured brick of the façade.
Iran's construction industry suffers from a shortage of skilled construction workers. Fluctuation of the rial rate and rapid inflation during the last three years caused the shortage of raw materials. The designer does not have many options to use. Local materials like brick have been common for many years.
Reinforced Concrete and Steel frame systems are the most common construction systems in Iran. According to SCI (2013a) about 82.5% of new buildings in 2012 in Iran were constructed from either steel or reinforced concrete frame systems.
Due to leveling, area, and division spaces designer decided to use a steel frame structure. The steel structure is more common in such construction and leads to a reduction in the cost of construction compared to the other types of structure.
Applying regional/local materials and modifying the details and components to produce useful Local construction methods that are suitable for the Iranian conditions. besides, using simple construction methods that do not require highly skilled workers or heavy machinery brings more success in construction.
Besides the construction issue, the architecture in Iran is devoid of its past archetypes. With the rapid modernization of Iran in the early twentieth century, traditional houses were vanished. Consequently, traditional houses, vernacular typologies, construction, and decoration techniques have also become less commonly used. This issue also causes a series of undesirable side effects such as climatic and environmental problems, energy loss, and demolition waste.
In garmsar house, architects try to make a simple fabrication method to cover the building with local materials due to its local climate. Also, In this method, the traditional brick pattern represents the new construction.
Fabrication Techniques:
Brick has a strong relationship with Iranian culture and architecture which are fused into a contemporary façade in this project. To create a brick façade in this project, Innovative techniques were used that reinterpret traditional methods. In creating a low-budget House in Garmsar, the Architect deploys a kind of fabrication technique to create a façade based on a traditional brick facade.
The building has been entirely covered with brick. A prefabricated steel grid is used to set up bricks that cover windows. The distances between the bricks have been adjusted to create an effect, while when there is a window behind the mesh, it becomes a transparent grid. The steel grid is easily movable by two small wheels which are hidden under the grid.
Ventilation and lighting:
The central void as a central courtyard in traditional houses provides natural light for all interior spaces. Besides, due to the warm and dry climate, the void ventilates the house. during the summer, Warm air rises up the void and exits from the trapdoors located around the skylight. In winter the trapdoors close and the warm air circulates.