Marz Project – Alireza Sherafati – The Hidden Charms of Simplicity

The arrangement of two rectangular towers in an L-shape on the site creates an open space on the ground floor, transforming it into a large public park. This green public courtyard can be enjoyed by the neighborhood residents as well. Various commercial, office, cultural, and other functions on the ground floor, adjacent to the public space, provide the tower residents with access to services that are otherwise scarce in the neighborhood. Sharing some of these functions with the neighborhood establishes a connection between the project and the city, promoting social sustainability.

In this design, public green spaces are not limited to the ground floor but are also distributed across the middle and upper floors. Recreational and sports areas on the middle floors, rotated 90 degrees relative to the other floors, create expansive green courtyards at these levels, allowing residents to gather and enjoy panoramic views of Tehran. A 300-meter walking path on the roof is another notable feature of this project, enhancing its landmark status in the city.

This design considers the diverse social groups residing in the neighborhood. Residents with lower incomes can purchase some of the lower-floor units with medium spatial quality through special financing. In the upper floors of one tower, high-quality, larger units are reserved for the affluent residents. Middle-floor units with their own communal yards provide a social living environment for elderly residents who may otherwise suffer from loneliness. Thus, the designer has planned and designed the project with full consideration of the social classes living in the neighborhood.

The typology of the residential units follows a classic corridor-in-the-middle layout, with units on either side, and includes a central core for vertical circulation comprising two staircases, three passenger elevators, a garbage chute, and a main utility shaft. This decision simplifies construction and keeps project costs economically feasible.