Not long ago, there were gated dead ends (Sibe), surrounded by houses that accommodated relatives. Not long ago, there were enclosed courtyards, surrounded by rooms, housing a family. These Sibe (semi-public urban spaces) and courtyards (semi-private spaces) used to gift us the "sky" as soon as we stepped out of the house. Today, however, these families, households, or individuals live in different parts of the city, country, or even the world. Where? In apartments. Apartments, that upon stepping out of them, only reveal a closed space and a depressing environment. Apartments with low ceilings and an elevator. So where is the shared sky that belongs to us all... The mysterious blue umbrella... In the "Paakat" project, we presented the "sky" to the Akbari family, aligning with the general culture of Isfahan.
The being of the Paakat
The "Paakat" project utilizes the architectural pattern of houses with central courtyards, characterized by complete closure from the north side and a perforated wall from the south, embodying a sense of wholeness. It embodies both nothingness and everything simultaneously, much like any other "paakat" (Farsi for packet).
While the facades of neighboring buildings, both new and old, are crowded with windows, balconies, and trendy decorations, "Paakat" is a large, simple, and perforated box that serves as a vessel for life and countless daily occurrences, accessible only at the discretion of the Akbari family. It embodies a form of introversion reminiscent of central desert architecture, critiquing the extroverted nature of contemporary urban architecture, irrespective of climate and culture. "Paakat" is a blank canvas amidst its neighbors, offering an opportunity for contemplation and reflection.
House or Apartment?
The Akbari family didn’t want much. They wanted an apartment where they could live together yet independently. A place where, occasionally, in the morning or evening, by opening just a window, they could call each other and perhaps invite each other for tea. Considering the site conditions, it was essentially an urban infill apartment. However, we were thinking of a house. The same house around a central courtyard!
Despite the limitations of urban infill apartment projects and the architectural and urban planning regulations of Isfahan, the attraction of accessibility, spatial diversity, and connecting spaces to various private courtyards inspired us to envision the spatial qualities of a house, which "Paakat" physically manifests!
The City and the House; Connected or Detached?
The physical connection of residential buildings with the busy streets of today's city, contrasted with the intrinsic tranquility needed in a home, presents a duality that can be the main focus in designing any urban residential project.
The pattern of gated “Sibe” from the urban planning of the central desert, as an ideal intermediary space for connecting neighboring units with each other and with the city, was our answer to this challenging duality. A solution that today, due to issues of ownership, limited municipal resources in the public realm, rising land values, and lack of economic justification in the private realm, has been completely forgotten.
"Paakat" has transformed the Sibe’s structure from horizontal to vertical and, by adding the stair box of the apartment units, has economically justified it, reviving this intermediary space and utilizing its main functions such as filtering the city's noise, strengthening the connection between neighboring units, properly connecting public and private realms, and so on.
Lattice work
"Paakat" uses traditional latticework art (a product of the Seljuk and Safavid periods derived from the traditional architectural art of Isfahan) on its southern side in a new form to provide maximum openness while maintaining privacy and controlling the sharp summer sunlight from the southern side.
The Yard and The Staircase
"The elevator undermines all the architectural qualities of stairs! - Rem Koolhaas"
The architectural and urban planning standards in Isfahan have constrained buildings and their connection to the city, limiting the height of openings facing the passageway to 170 cm. This restriction has significantly diminished the quality of views and natural light.
"Paakat," however, by defining a northern central courtyard and creating terraces between the building and the street, and their openings toward each other, provides a variety of open spatial packets, ensuring the quality of light and view and the scale of openings without restriction and according to the needs of the space. This northern central courtyard, like Sibe, is a place for interaction and accidental encounters
