Problem statement: The complex should represent a sense of unity while maintaining independence.
Reason for the problem statement: This issue arose when the client requested a family complex for weekend getaways. The goal was to create a set of independent residential spaces where family members could remain connected. The project necessitated the creation of three distinct residences, complemented by shared spaces designated for sports, recreation, and social gatherings.
Response to the problem: We aimed to create a unified complex by merging visual and conceptual connections, despite the independent separation of the three living spaces.
To clarify, the Astalak project represents unity within independence. The idea of independence of spaces originated in our office with the “two houses, two homes” project, where we explored the interplay of boundaries, further developed in the “Naz Delkade” project in 2011. Now we can consider Astalak as a combination of these two perspectives.
To respond to the project’s goals, our office pursued two simultaneous approaches:
- Purity and simplicity
- The use of repeated internal and external views.
Astalak engages with the urban landscape, standing out with its pure and simple design among a chaos of forms.
This design not only highlights unity in form but also offers a critique of the chaotic urban landscape in Lavasan.
The secondary facade, with its wooden louvered shell, emphasizes the unity of the project while creating a dynamic and adaptable exterior. This facade protects the interior from direct sunlight while creating diverse perspectives, enhancing the connection between the interior and the outdoors, and adding variety to the facade’s composition.
From another point of view, Astalak represents a project of “parallel bridges.” The main axis, beginning at the entrance, aligns with the Latian Dam and is repeated across other levels as voids or bridges. Although the floors have distinct boundaries, the repetition of perspectives illustrates the connection and harmony within the project, both visually and conceptually.
The site has the natural slope of a three-story building. The creation of a sunken garden was our response to the site’s limitations regarding light and views at the basement level, transforming the basement rooms and entrance into a unique space.
All these efforts focused on highlighting the natural flow of space from the inside out, without attempting to project the excitement and diversity of the interior to the outside.