Learning Garden / Tech Faru + Naghan Co

Architects:Naghan Co,Tech Faru

Area:1200m²

Year:2019

Photographs:Parham Taghioff

Lead Architects:Hamed Kamelnia

Program / Use / Building Function:Faculty of Architecture

Collaborators:Naghshan co.

City:Mashhad

Country:Iran

Text description provided by the architects. In Iran, there are usually fewer opportunities for architects to design educational buildings. A few years ago, a typical building was granted to the Faculty of Architecture to rebuild it according to their future needs. It was a skeletal building structure in two floors with a U-shaped space and an underground space. A central space was then created, as a vital environment for learning.

The learning garden was designed with the elements of Iranian architecture corresponding to a school of Architecture. Throughout the construction phase, students could observe the formation process of a plan during their repeated visits, which acted as a classroom for them. Our major focus in reconstruction and restoration of the project was to revive the dead and missing spaces.

A further substantial change made, was connecting the underground floor to the garden with a staircase to revive and restore the underneath spaces as a functional part in the faculty. This change, created an opportunity for students' gatherings and also connected the underground floor to the landscape by means of a sunken courtyard.

Some noteworthy features in this project are:- Attending to the users' Patterns of behavior- Color in learning spaces- Applying features of Iranian architecture in the spaces: overlapping frames, transparency, reflection, sense of presence in Persian garden, and using elements such as water, light, colored glass, porches, bridges, stairs, and columns (memories).  - Creating a microclimate: Atrium space, serves as a winter garden in winters. Opening the valves in summers, creates wind-catcher-effect in engendering a cellar-like environment downstairs.

Project gallery

Project location

Address:Mashhad, Iran