Revolutionizing Urban Scenery with the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building

Architect Hooman Balazadeh's Innovative Design Approach for the Kohan Ceram Headquarters

One of the key inspirations for this project was the idea of a single building triggering strategic changes in the urban landscape. Balazadeh sought to unify the urban scenery by minimizing the formic expression of buildings as singular objects and emphasizing the city as a whole. This was achieved by unitizing different elements of the building, including walls, windows, doors, and reducing the variety of building materials.

The Kohan Ceram Central Office Building stands out due to its unique design properties. The building, which serves as the headquarters for the Kohan Ceram Brick Manufacturing Company, was designed with a special brick, created by Balazadeh himself, to represent the factory. This "Spectacled Brick" not only forms the exterior façade but also transforms from a surface into a volume, extending into the building in the form of modular green spaces. This innovative approach to design allowed for the integration of various building qualities, such as interior and exterior, introversion and extroversion, façade and space, transparency and solidity, natural and artificial lighting.

The realization of this design was a significant technological achievement. The Spectacled Brick, a combination of industrial brick and cast glass, was created through a series of trial and error experiments. The brick block used in this project is a combination of industrial brick and cast glass, with the building envelope consisting of two layers of brick-glass block with a thermal insulation layer in between. This innovative building block not only forms the entirety of the project but also could be applied in many other projects, potentially boosting the living quality of many "infill" projects around the country.

Despite the challenges faced during the design process, the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building stands as a testament to Balazadeh's innovative approach to architecture. The project was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2021, a prestigious accolade granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom.

In conclusion, the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building is a remarkable example of how innovative design can transform the urban landscape. Through the use of unique building materials and a thoughtful design approach, Hooman Balazadeh has created a building that not only serves its functional purpose but also contributes to the aesthetic and environmental quality of the city.