BUSAR Residential Complex
The design of this project began with a fundamental question: How can a model of social living be created that, while being flexible and adapted to the hot and humid climate of the island, offers a concept beyond mere habitation? In addressing this challenge, the project sought to combine local climatic wisdom with contemporary architectural approaches to create a space that not only meets functional and environmental needs but also enhances the sense of coexistence, interaction, and belonging among the inhabitants.
One of the major issues faced by the island’s inhabitants has been the lack of interactive and communal spaces, alongside the need to maintain privacy and direct connection with nature. In local communities, despite strong interdependence and interaction among people, many spaces, due to improper designs, have failed to provide an adequate social environment for sharing experiences and forming human connections. On the other hand, maintaining privacy in residential environments has always been one of the fundamental needs of the inhabitants. The contradiction between the need for public and semi-private spaces, alongside direct interaction with nature, posed a significant challenge in the project’s design.
In the region’s vernacular architecture, homes were typically interconnected using natural and transparent boundaries. For example, in many traditional homes, semi-open spaces and courtyards served as places for daily interactions and a sense of social coexistence. In this project, by replicating these basic forms and integrating them into the design, spaces have been created that facilitate multi-dimensional and intra-group interactions.
Alongside these small and semi-private spaces, the design of common and public spaces at the center of the neighborhood strengthens the sense of social coexistence on a larger scale. These spaces, indirectly, create a network of social interactions at the neighborhood level.
The basis for the formation of this project is the replication of the basic forms of traditional homes, as well as homes like those in fishermen’s settlements, using simple and modifiable geometries. These forms, which are typically constructed from simple frames and structures, have been combined and replicated in this project in a way that, while preserving cultural identity, helps to strengthen social interactions at the neighborhood level.
The replication of these forms has been designed in such a way that semi-private spaces are available alongside each residential unit. These spaces, redefined as passages, courtyards, or open spaces, provide opportunities for daily interactions such as conversations and information exchange between residents. These interactions can flow across various scales, from close neighbors to family members and even newcomers to the neighborhood. This design, through the creation of generic forms that are adaptable to the diverse needs of residents, could serve as a model for other projects in similar regions with comparable climatic conditions. The use of solid and void masses in the facade also helps break the monotony of the urban facade and creates more spatial variety and interactions at the neighborhood level.
The structural system of the design is based on a modular and open grid, which creates a flexible, expandable, and adaptable structural framework. This concept draws from the principles of Metabolism, where components are capable of expansion, modification, and adaptation. By combining cubic forms and human-scale elements in a network of semi-open spaces, the design strengthens the connection between private and public spaces and helps reduce heat in the hot and humid island climate through porous forms, shading, and facilitating natural airflow. Ultimately, the potential for coexistence with the climate is enhanced through the proposed morphology.
The structure of the pathways and masses in the design, inspired by the urban morphology of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Bandar Lengeh, reinforces the sense of exploration and discovery in the public spaces. Simple geometric forms, open and semi-open spaces, common and semi-private areas have been designed in such a way that, across three levels, they encourage social interaction and enhance the sense of belonging to the environment. Additionally, by creating varied spatial layers using mesh structures and semi-transparent surfaces, the design fosters a sense of spatial dynamism and legibility.
In this design, the public spaces are specifically located on two distinct levels, encouraging spontaneous social interactions and fostering connectivity with neighbors, ultimately strengthening the feeling of “home” and “neighborhood” for the residents.
The ground and first levels offer a variety of spatial qualities, providing spaces for rest, work, and social interaction according to the diverse needs of the inhabitants. These spaces are organized to enhance the sense of belonging and identity in residents, based on the unique geographical and cultural context of the island.
Moreover, the sense of curiosity, as one of the principles of design psychology, is introduced. Navigating through various paths and discovering new spaces in the neighborhood encourages residents to continuously seek exploration and deeper interaction with their environment. This can have profound psychological effects. Based on psychological theories such as cognitive theory and environmental behavior theory, dynamically designed spaces stimulate curiosity and creativity in individuals. Especially in different areas of the design, residents can experience new interactions with the space, which ultimately strengthens both individual and collective identity within the environment.
