Arfak, Mohammad Yousef Salehi, Mohammad Sadegh Afshar Taheri, Kasra Shafieezadeh & Humanitarian Architecture

Project Name: ARFAK_NGO / Function: Educational / Office: 4 Architecture Studio / Lead Architects: Mohammad Yousef Salehi, Mohammad Sadegh Afshar Taheri, Kasra Shafieezadeh / Design Team: Azin SavehDoroudi, Iman Eslami, Samin Heidari, Farshid Nasr Azadani, Mojan Fekri, Helia Moradzadeh, Bardia Shafieezadeh, Arezoo Hekmat, Mahya Amouei, Arash Faghihi / Client: Children of Arfak / Executive Engineer: 4 Architecture Studio / Mechanical Installations Engineer: Mohammad Bozorgnia / Structural Engineer: Iman Hazrati / Location: Shush, Tehran, Iran / Total Land Area: 655m2 / Area of Construction: 800m2 / Date: 2019-2020 / Photographer: Peyman Amirghiasvand
Instagram: @4architecturestudio

There was no employer in ARFAK project. We were some empathetic and sympathetic individuals who gathered to attain a big wish. The old school building was to be appended to another building at the back of the school to expand spaces and promote quantitative level, and also we wanted to reconstruct the school.The aim was to make valuable space for children at a low cost. It should be done so that no interruption happened in school function, and also, the budget of implementing project should be collected in a planned and staged manner from donors; these were significant challenges for the project. We started work by removing additions from these two seemingly low-value buildings. As we went along, we realized the value of the two buildings. Buried corridors and arches were found one by one, changing the whole design again. In designing this project, we tried to preserve identity and display it, and all holes, arches, and patterns were strengthened, and their appearance was used as a design element. We represent the feeling of the lost house in these buildings. We consulted with experts for the use of colors, materials, plants, the connection between spaces, the relation between donors and children and crew, and design was done very accurately and sensitively. In the first design, adding space like training workshop, think tank, game room, health room, and …, was prioritized. Also, for connecting spaces, a bridge was defined as a passageway for children’s adventure and educational and recreational space. Since the buildings were very old, the construction was strengthened, and a suitable heating and cooling system was added to the project. The game element was included in the corners of spaces, and children are invited to caper and discover spaces and rove through movement in spaces so that their minds and spirit become stronger for encountering problems and future successes. In design, a space named MEHRYAD was defined so that these two wings (receiver and giver) would be thankful to God for his generosity, and names of kind people and receivers of kindness would be beside each other without separation.According to the social responsibility and subject of the project that was school-related to low-income children (child labor), this project was decided to be designed and implemented in a philanthropic manner.