Carmania Residential
Type: Residential – Social Housing
Scale: 31000 sqm
This project is an attempt to redefine “Social Housing” on the outskirts of Kerman, where restrictive regulations and economic pressures often sacrifice quality for quantity. Our fundamental challenge was the rescue of the “Ground Floor”—a layer that, in residential complexes, is typically marginalized due to lack of privacy, noise pollution, and poor views.
Our strategy was to transmute the ground floor from a solid, separating barrier into a “porous mesh,” suspended between earth and sky. By introducing voids and shifting mass to the lower levels, a “spatial dialogue” was established between the ground floor and the basement. In this exchange, light and air were injected into the depths, destigmatizing the typically intimidating atmosphere of the parking levels.
In return, the basement offered the gift of “sunken courtyards” to the surface. This architectural surgery inverted the equation: the ground floor units (dedicated to residents with disabilities) evolved from rejected spaces into the “project’s highlight,” boasting the highest quality of private open space. Carmania proves that even within strict economic constraints, architecture can recreate spatial justice.
HAJIZADEHs
Architecture: Houshang Mehr Ardalan – Kourosh Hajizadeh – Amir Hossein Hajizadeh – Shayan Rakhshan – Haniye Lotfipour – Alireza Daryabar – Ayda Khalili – Sara Golzar – Parinaz Mansouri – Soheil Jebeli – Sahar Mozaffari – Melika Azizian
Visualization: Amir Hossein Hajizadeh – Shayan Rakhshan
Structure: Razzaghi & Assiciates
Technical Manager: Mehran Motamedi
Mechanical Engineer: Naser Gharakhan
Electrical Engineer: Mohammad Bozorgnia
Maquette: Somaye Arian – Saba Salari – Sina Kalhory
Model Photos: Amir Hossein Hajizadeh
Location: Kerman, Iran
Date: 2019