Architecture of Shade | Blog

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March 14, 2016 In Blog

Happy Nowruz!

Nearing the end of the Persian year, we are already getting excited for next year’s projects, including a museum, school, and ranger station project!
Persian New Year is called Nowruz and is celebrated in March.
Now/no meaning “new” from the old Persian “nava” and
Ruz meaning “day” in modern Persian, and originating from the word for “light” (roj).

Norouz is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, and welcomes the new year as the sun sits over the equator and spreads evenly across the Earth.
We are welcoming the new day, and the new light of Spring this year, with a mind for the environment and evolving toward more sustainable and ecological architecture.

We wish you all the best in beginning a new chapter!

March 6, 2016 In Blog, History, News

Two Eco-dome homes found near Bam

While researching for our upcoming project located near Jiroft, we discovered two works by Nader Khalili constructed just after the devastating Bam earthquake.

Eco – Dome design by Nader Khalili – near Bam, Iran.

These two homes are built in his Eco-dome design. A method of construction called “earth-bag” construction and a form of Superadobe. Requiring no energy for compaction, such as in rammed-earth methods, this technique makes use of bags of adobe material stacked to create domes and vaults.

February 1, 2016 In Blog, Design, Philosophy

The Light in the Shadows

Courtyard shadows over the enclosed Iwan

Architecture is an integral part of everyday life and an active agent in shaping culture. My architecture is about shade rather than light.
In Iran, we learn from childhood to stand in the shade due to the overwhelming heat of the sun during summers.

Iran’s sun is strong, creating too much light. As a result, our architecture evolved to help us hide from the sun. READ MORE

January 31, 2016 In Blog, Design

iwan : liminal shade

I was always fascinated by architecture as space to live, meaning; a work space, a living space and a leisure space. Having spent much of my childhood in gardens, I enjoyed the relationship between interior and exterior spaces. My life would shift from the inside to the outside of the house from summer to winter. The transitional space in between is called the Iwan (covered terrace); an Iranian architectural element characterized by a 5-sided cube opening to the garden on its one open side.READ MORE

January 10, 2016 In Art, Blog

Towards the Ineffable: Farideh Lashai

Farideh Lashaei | Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMCA), Nov. 21 – Feb 26 2016 |

Towards the Ineffable: This is a well-curated, must-see event! This retrospective of the late modernist painter (and writer) displays a collection of her abstract works throughout her life as an artist.

November 22, 2015 In Art, Blog

Ghazal Radpay: Intersections, Road Movie 7&8, Still Life

New show opening last weekend!

Ghazal Radpay | Azad Art Gallery, Nov. 20 – 25 / 29 Aban – 4 Azar |

Ghazal explores roots and rootlessness through her raw approach to art as she returns from Paris to her native Tehran. As part of this show, she provides a social commentary on Iran today by filming herself while writing her experiences and every-day perspectives on a board for all to see. As quickly as it is read it is erased, and the content was anything from major problems facing the poor or the youth of Iran to a solicitation for the adoption of her new batch of kittens.

We highly recommend this show!

November 16, 2015 In Art, Blog

Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddem – Retrospective 1959 – 2015

Now on display at Etemad Gallery, a retrospective of the works of Vaziri Moghaddem. This well-curated show is representative of his work from the 50s until now.

The works are well-documented with descriptions in both Farsi and English language along with accurate dates.

November 3, 2015 In Blog

Thoughts on Sustainability

How would you define “sustainability”?

Sustainability in regards to architecture includes these basic elements; efficiency, cost-effectiveness, preservation, green energy, and optimization of comfort. But, there is so much more depth behind these elements which comes to define what sustainability can be. By nature, it is not a static thing, but rather it informed by its environment and actively adapts to its context. In this way, it becomes a source of balance between the restorative, productive, and destructive forces of the natural systems we are all a part of. Ultimately, sustainability is an intelligent, productive and adaptable system of endurance.

November 2, 2015 In Blog

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!
Here we share our news, passions and ideas – Thank you for visiting!

Look forward to information on various ideas and projects we are exploring as well as updates on our environmental activism and cultural preservation projects. Here, you find historical information about the long history of Persian architectural techniques.