Interview with Arash Aliabadi

Arash Aliabadi is among the few innovative architects with a codesign mindset, making him a trailblazer in contemporary architecture in Iran. With a deep understanding of the importance of engaging end users in the development phase, his approach is unique to every project.

Arash completed his degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran. After more than a decade of professional and academic work in architecture and urban design, in 2018, he founded the DAAZ office in Tehran, where he currently serves as the CEO. The firm is known for its multidisciplinary approach to design, showcasing remarkable versatility in addressing a broad spectrum of projects.

Arash’s perspective and creativity have earned him global recognition, with multiple nominations, finalist selections, and wins for various architectural awards. These include the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Award 2024 the Aga Khan Architecture Award (cycle 2022-2019) and the Memar Award in Iran. He has also participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale. Arash designs demonstrate a profound comprehension of the significance of collaborative design.

Walls to interact and democratize education
The victors of the diverse categories within the 1400 Architect Award had a particular winner deeply embedded in their hearts. This school has gained significant prominence across social media platforms over several years. Seyyedbar Jadgal village school, situated in one of Iran’s most underserved regions, triumphed in the general category of the 1400 Architect Award, owing to its exceptional architectural design and location. A school was constructed through the “My Iran” campaign, with the efforts of donors and the support of private sector activists in Sistan and Baluchestan. For this reason, we had a conversation with Arash Aliabadi, the architect of this project, which you can read more about below.

Jadgal Elementary School | Seyyed Bar

Congratulations on winning the prestigious RIBA International Award 2024. How does this recognition reflect your journey and approach to architecture, particularly in projects like the Jadgal School? Has this award influenced your vision for future projects?

Thank you. Winning this award brings visibility to an architectural team and their work, providing a platform for us to showcase our experiences. It also lends legitimacy to the team from both social and economic perspectives. While the current trend in architecture competitions often leans more towards business than the discipline itself, the recognition we received for the Jadgal School project was particularly meaningful to me.

It highlighted the unique challenges of working in a small village of fewer than 500 people, drawing attention to the community and showcasing this approach within Iran. Three years after the project’s completion, we are witnessing similar initiatives emerging in various villages, reflecting the positive impact of our approach.

Architects strive to engage with architecture in its abstract and interdisciplinary essence. However, the demands of clients and users often shift during the design process, influencing our interdisciplinary thinking.

For us, the success of this project lay in exploring how to design or create a community through an architectural lens and actively involve that community in the process. It was a complex interplay between architectural concepts and the needs of a small community, presenting both rewarding and challenging moments. If we view an architectural project as a physical manifestation of an idea, the journey of bringing it to life is filled with events that shape an architect’s vision and thought process.

This achievement has enabled us to conceptualize additional projects in the area, such as creating a playground in the village, designing a new village from the ground up, and revitalizing neighborhoods that had lost their vibrancy. Throughout the construction and implementation phases, we found it fascinating to observe how architecture influences a community and how we can apply these insights to future projects. While the pure essence of architecture remains compelling to us, we recognize that external factors and events are intricately connected to it, and understanding architecture’s impact on these elements is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.

How did the concept of constructing a school with a unique architectural design, distinct from the typical schools in Iran, come to your attention? 

The Iran-e-Man organization had previously constructed several schools, all following the conventional style of the school renovation organization. The Seyyedbar Jadgal village school marked a significant milestone as the 100th school that this institution planned to build, prompting a deliberate search for a distinctive and unique architectural design. We were also drawn to this matter because dealing with a subject like a school, which serves as a place for education, learning, and culture, is inherently intriguing and appealing. Meanwhile, we encountered challenges such as reconciling our design concepts with the established school building standards in Iran. This endeavor became even more attractive following our on-site visit to the village, engaging in conversations with residents, visiting the old school, and talking to the village’s teachers.

The Iran-e-Man project, as the executor of the construction of this school, defines it as follows: ‘a school characterized by an endogenous development approach and a multi-functional perspective on the physical space for educators.’ How does this definition shape your vision for its design?

The approach of the founder of the Iran-e-Man org. was both radical and structured when it came to engaging with the local society. We were tasked with deeply contemplating the role of the school within the village and finding meaningful answers to our questions. Our goal was to ensure that the school building would be familiar in the town, fostering effective collaboration with its residents. In terms of the social and cultural layer of the school, teamwork played a helpful role, and we came together as a cohesive unit right from the project’s inception to its completion. The sustainable development approach was initially introduced to establish a school in collaboration with locals, the labor force, and the area’s children to work and sustain its existence. Our objective was not merely to construct a school and depart from the area. Instead, we endeavored to engage every village member in creating this educational institution, fostering a sense of unity within our small community. Furthermore, we aimed for this school to serve as a neighborhood center where education wouldn’t necessarily be limited to the interaction between teachers and students but would encompass all the people of the village.

Weren’t you worried about the school’s lack of compatibility with the fabric of the village? 

Anyway, the issue was how to place a new building in a rural environment setting alongside rural houses in a way that doesn’t create a significant contrast and, at the same time, introduces a unique design element. To achieve this, we conducted field research on the indigenous architecture of that area, exploring the construction methods and the existing architectural forms. However, it’s worth noting that the village’s new architectural direction gradually leaned towards urban construction, which could have been more appealing. We went back a little in the historical layers of their architecture, examining its construction forms to see if they could inspire our design. Ultimately, what we designed and implemented blends harmoniously with the village, owing to the materials used, without creating stark contrasts.

How did the locals and native people interact with the different architecture of this school? 

This issue can be analyzed in various phases. First, during the design and implementation phase, we encountered several challenges from different generations of village residents, including cultural and social obstacles. These challenges allowed us to engage in discussions and debates, which helped us get to know the residents better, and they also became more familiar with our ideas. However, it was a two-way educational process. In this stage, specific social changes have occurred in the village, and particular traditional perspectives have also changed. These changes are the result of the school and the process of social development that has led to its establishment. After the construction, we encountered exciting feedback, especially as this idea transitioned from paper to a tangible form. Everyone can now utilize school spaces to create small and large gatherings. The multi-functionality of the school space was particularly intriguing to them, and we received a lot of feedback about it.

How did the local people accept your modern ideas for building a school? 

This issue could be explained well with the idea of a wall around the school. Our interpretation of this wall was not to separate the school from its surrounding environment. We aimed to create a democratic educational environment, unlike the schools we have today, where students enter, the doors are locked for hours, and no one is allowed to leave. We did not view it as a wall and boundary but rather as a shell with functions connected to the classrooms and the schoolyard space. The locals provided an example, mentioning that goats enter the schoolyard when this wall is open, so it’s necessary to keep it closed. However, we found it interesting that a few animals might occasionally wander into the schoolyard, which would excite the children. But here, we endeavored to blur the boundaries between inside and outside the school, striving for a sense of freedom even in the presence of the place of education and the process. Our goal was to establish that education doesn’t solely occur within school walls; it is also a part of the learning process, which takes place everywhere.

Embracing the unique perspective of the Jadgal School in design, which emphasizes site-specific design and community involvement, becomes a distinctive approach for those aiming to instigate positive change in the architectural realm. Arash’s codesign approach to the Jadgal School project embodies this philosophy, and his work stands as a powerful testament to the potential of collective design thinking. This exceptional project is a remarkable example of the participatory design approach, deeply rooted in codesign. This triumphant project has been realized in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the Middle East, and its effectiveness has been widely recognized. The codesign approach employed in the Jadgal project involves a cooperative process between the designers and the community members, focusing on empowering the latter to claim ownership of the project. The project has led to various positive outcomes, including enhanced infrastructure, heightened community involvement, and expanded socio-economic opportunities for the area’s residents. In summary, the Jadgal project is a powerful testament to the potential of community-centric design approaches in fostering positive change in underprivileged areas.

 

In collaboration with ZH media