Sideway Apartment | Ashari Architects

Sideway Apartment

The project is located at the western entrance of Shiraz, with the building's extension running along the main boulevard. Our primary concern was how pedestrians on the lower level and riders on the upper level would engage with the building's design. With the ground floor serving a commercial purpose and the upper floors designated for residential use, our strategy focused on designing the building's base to have a neutral appearance in both shape and color, ensuring a harmonious interaction with pedestrians and passers-by. This reduces visual clutter, fostering a seamless connection of the commercial section with the surrounding urban space. On the upper floors, taking into account the viewpoint and the movement of riders, a design language distinct from the base has been chosen.

Another concern was managing the intrusive sunlight from the west on the main body, for which vertical blades were introduced. Given the windows' preference to draw light from the south, these blades were angled in that direction. As a result, the blades were rhythmically arranged on the primary facade, imbuing it with movement and vitality as it faces the city. The terraced floors facing the main street, on each level, weave through the facade's vertical strands, reminiscent of weft threads in a fabric, lending harmony to the facade's texture.

Furthermore, Considering the project's visibility from multiple external vantage points, ensuring a cohesive design across all facades was essential for us. The side situated in the chamfer aligns seamlessly with the blades. Hence, for viewers approaching the project from the left side, the chamfered facade and the primary facade present themselves as an integrated, cohesive sight.

The challenge of controlling light and avoiding unsuitable visibility was addressed differently on the other sides of the facade. For the north-western and south-eastern facades, integrated designs using hollow concrete modules were implemented. While the facade boasts a porous texture, it is perceived as a simple, unified structure, ensuring that attention remains focused on the main facade. In this project, we identified a need for a hollow texture with a square frame and heightened visibility. This insight drove our design of the concrete modules. These square modules offer versatility, as they can expand in various directions. They can be utilized in either a solid or hollow state while preserving the distinctive texture on the facade.