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Architects: USE Studio
- Area: 400 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Mohammad Soroosh Jooshesh
Home: This project aims to explore "home" not only as a type of architecture but also as a part of our daily life and identity, which goes beyond any physical location and reflects our relationship with ourselves, others, and the surrounding universe. The concept of "home" in Iran and the world has undergone significant changes over the past few decades, but it can be said that in Iran, the turning point of these changes was in the 1950s. At that time, due to the increase in urban population on the one hand and the increase in oil income and wrong policies of governments on the other hand, "home" turned into a profitable commodity for capital production. This trend became more bureaucratic by the government in the 1970s, and "home" and housing became the most important investment field in Iran.
However, for us in the process of designing "House Number 10 Jolfa", there is an opportunity to search for a deeper contemporary meaning of "home". Therefore, this project seeks to interact effectively with its context and become a safe and peaceful place that can restore some of the lost tranquility of its residents. Now the question is whether retrieving a contemporary meaning of "home" in response to current conditions can provide a better living and resilient space for humans today in this difficult geography and facing these challenges?
"House Number 10" is located in the Jolfa neighborhood, next to Vank Cathedral, a place that was designated by the order of Shah Abbas Safavi 400 years ago to relocate Armenians from Zayandehrud to Isfahan. Vank Cathedral, Maryam Church, Beit al-Ham, Jolfa Square, and historical houses are still standing as tangible evidence of the architecture and way of life of those people. Today, Armenians do not constitute the majority of the residents of this neighborhood because a significant population of them has migrated in recent decades. And on the other hand, due to the location and tourism potential of this neighborhood, many spaces have been converted into cafes and restaurants, turning this neighborhood into a place for citizens and tourists to spend their leisure time.
During this process, the "home" and permanent residence that used to exist in this area on a daily basis have been reduced, and commercial and tourist spaces have taken over. Although creating public spaces and tourism infrastructure has many positive aspects for the city, this trend, if continued without planning and considering all aspects of the matter, will have negative consequences. One of its most important consequences is the loss of the "social texture" achieved by removing permanent residents and their daily life from this context. Now the question is how "home" and the issue of residence, as the most important components of the city, can be effective in the physical, social, and cultural changes of the surrounding context?
