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Project Name:
Hayat (Yard)
Team: Amir Lahouti, Shadi Bitaraf, Zahra Askarian
Year: 2024
Location: Tehran, Iran
Category: Competition (Drawing)
Traditionally, the house found definition in its proximity to the yard—beside it, encircling it, and sometimes within its bounds. Acting as both a refuge and structured space, the house stood as a formal fixture amid the expanses of open but bounded land. This outdoor realm served as a stage for myriad events throughout history—a versatile canvas accommodating diverse functions, experienced in a myriad of ways by its inhabitants.
In contrast, the contemporary urban dwelling takes on an "apartment" ethos, rising across varied elevations within the urban landscape. Urban planning segregates the once unified expanse into discrete parcels, transforming land into isolated pockets, each the domain of a distinct urban apartment. Here, thoroughfares and pathways weave through the cityscape without interruption.
In this modern paradigm, adjacent yards are partitioned by walls, each parcel becoming the domain of a separate apartment. The yard, once a nexus between street and structure, now serves merely as a conduit, diminishing its vitality and relegating it to a neutral, lifeless space. Yet, revitalizing the yard, and restoring its communal utility, may hold the key to addressing this issue.
In reimagining the house, the neighborhood, and the urban experience, lies the opportunity to redefine the yard, bridging the gap between these neutral spaces and the apartments. By blurring the boundaries between apartment yards and reshaping the streetscape, and by elevating buildings from the ground, two forms of integration emerge at the urban level. One is a cohesive, expansive ground-level yard accessible from the street—a unified, extended space. The other manifests as semi-private courtyards at varying heights, fostering multiple uses while maintaining continuity and integrity.