Interconnected space

The project consists of two interconnected interventions: the restoration of a 1920s Cretan stone residence and the addition of a contemporary vertical extension, together forming a unified family home. Originally built as part of the refugee housing settlements of the early twentieth century, the existing structure represents a characteristic example of vernacular domestic architecture, now reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural language that allows the building to regain visibility and presence within the urban fabric.

 

Restoration Strategy

Rather than concealing the traces of the original dwelling, the intervention embraces the existing stone shell as a bearer of memory and spatial identity. Elements of the historic residence are preserved and incorporated into the new architectural composition, particularly within the lower level where the shared living functions are organized. Century-old details remain visible throughout the interior, contributing to an atmosphere that balances familiarity, permanence and subtle nostalgia.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The new extension is constructed through a lightweight metallic structural system combined with a timber roof and an additional loft level. The design approach seeks to establish a coherent architectural dialogue between the permanence of the original masonry structure and the lighter contemporary intervention. Clean geometric volumes, semi-transparent surfaces, generous ceiling heights and a restrained material palette contribute to an environment defined by spatial clarity and continuity.

 

 

Spatial Organization

Within the upper levels, where the private sleeping quarters are located, the architectural composition explores variations in height and section to introduce spatial complexity and moments of openness. The shifting interior volumes generate a sense of lightness and optimism, reinforcing the experiential quality of everyday domestic life. The result is a residence where restoration and contemporary addition coexist without hierarchy, producing a unified architectural narrative grounded equally in memory and transformation.

Urban shelter

Located along one of Mashhad’s main boulevards, the project emerged as an architectural pause within the density and disorder of the city, seeking to reintroduce calmness, intimacy and balance into a fragmented urban landscape. The residence is conceived not merely as a five-storey building, but as a vertical garden and contemplative retreat. It negotiates movement and stillness, presence and seclusion, urban exposure and domestic introspection. An architecture that breathes with the city while offering refuge from it.

 

Context Integration

Situated at minimal distance from a major boulevard, the project confronts the intensity of traffic, noise and visual clutter that define this urban edge. The surrounding fabric is composed primarily of low-rise, aging houses of limited architectural value; The project was the first contemporary intervention on the street and therefore assumed a dual role: to act as a prototype for future development while remaining a respectful neighbor.

Within this modest green setting, a single Afra tree stood as the only trace of nature in the lane. Opposite the site, views open toward a row of auto-repair workshops and disordered rooftops, conditions that demanded careful mediation rather than confrontation. The project thus positions itself as a composed urban façade toward the boulevard, while cultivating an inward-looking domestic sanctuary for its residents.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The building’s spatial logic is structured around the interplay of light, greenery and privacy. Two primary volumes organize the program: a southern box accommodating private spaces and oriented toward optimal sunlight, and a northern box containing public functions in closer dialogue with the street. A continuous architectural envelope unifies these volumes into a coherent mass, negotiating between exposure and retreat.

As the first structure along the alley, the building establishes its own height datum in relation to pedestrian scale and anticipated neighboring constructions – an act of measured restraint rather than assertion. The presence of the existing Afra tree inspired the creation of a terrace that vertically extends this fragment of greenery across upper levels, enabling residents to cultivate their own planted thresholds over time.

By rotating the northern public volume toward this terrace, the design transforms the outdoor space into a central spatial nucleus rather than a secondary amenity. Anticipating future urban densification, the project avoids dependence on distant views, instead generating internalized qualities through layered sections, filtered light and spatial depth.

 

 

Material Palette

A permeable brick screen wraps the entire building, forming a porous membrane between dwelling and city. Behind it, a narrow green patio runs along the façade, introducing vegetation and diffused daylight into the interior while softening the harsh outlook toward the workshops across the street. This brick layer performs as a climatic and visual filter, moderating light, temperature and privacy, operating less as ornament and more as a responsive skin.

The building’s fluid appearance emerges from a disciplined modular system, lending the mass a subtle dynamism: grounded among its older neighbors, yet gently inclining toward the boulevard as if acknowledging the city’s rhythm. Inside, the layout privileges flexibility and calibrated ambiguity. Rooms adapt to evolving domestic routines; furniture becomes a spatial mediator, and light itself operates as a subtle partition. The kitchen and living areas maintain partial opacity, extending the façade’s conceptual dialogue of “seeing” and “being seen” into the interior realm.

 

Remaking functions

One of the two 19th century historical buildings, located on a one-acre plot of land, has undergone a complete restoration. Originally designed and constructed as a hat factory, the building is repaired and includes a new extension to accommodate the needs of the owners.

 

Preservation of the existing elements

The architectural components of the building have been carefully restored, playing a pivotal role in shaping the new, aesthetic outcome. The new extension is made of a lightweight metal framework, artfully designed to complement the industrial character of the original building, yet distinctively divergent in both material and form.

 

Functional layout

The three-story building, spanning a total area of 600m2, houses three separate residences. The first occupies the ground floor, along with a portion of the first floor and the basement. The primary spaces include a living room, a pool table area, a dining room, a kitchen, and a lounge. The new, metal extension serves as the lounge and connects seamlessly to the kitchen. The cellar is situated in the basement, accessed through the lounge. The first floor houses the bedroom, cloakroom, and office.

The second residence occupies the remaining first floor. It is designed as an open plan living, kitchen, and dining area. The bedroom, bathroom, and storage space are situated in separate rooms. Finally, the third residence is on the second floor and includes two en-suite bathrooms with a free-standing bathtub, a cloakroom, a gym, and kitchen. The spaces are connected through a communal lounge.

 

Natural materials

The choice of materials, with a focus on wood and metal, takes inspiration from 19th-century architecture, honouring the historical significance of the building while at the same time reflecting the distinct character of its owners.