2021 RIBA Emerging Architect Winner

Iranian architectural firm, Hooba Design, has won the prestigious RIBA International Emerging Architect 2021 prize for their design of the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building in Tehran. The innovative approach to brick construction, coupled with environmental considerations, has made the structure a beacon of creativity in a city not typically associated with architectural innovation. 

The building stands alongside the busy Sattari highway and utilises a unique perforated brick, dubbed the ‘spectacled brick,’ to create a homogenous and harmonising structure that divides the highway and the residential neighbourhood. The brick is produced in three different forms glass, filled, or empty, which regulates the building’s temperature and light supply in the dry heat of Tehran. The resulting exterior spectacle of light at night is a testament to the ingenuity of the architects. 

The vegetation planted within voids inside the building filters the polluted air from the main road, providing a refreshing green space for occupants. Hooba Design worked closely with the Kohan Ceram factory to produce the ‘spectacled brick’ and collaborated with the client to create an environmentally friendly building that stands out in its grey surroundings. 

The decision to use a single material to create both the external and internal structure has resulted in an intriguing ambiguity about what is solid and what is void. This creates different perceptions during the day and night and makes for a stunning visual display. 

The building is minimal and cohesive in design, with the facade’s voids providing light, ventilation, and space for vegetation to grow. The architects have embraced the dry and polluted climate of Tehran and have created a space that is uplifting and inspiring. The Hooba Design Group’s collaborative approach to innovation has qualified them as worthy recipients of the RIBA International Emerging Architect 2021 prize. 

Denise Bennetts, Chair of the RIBA Awards Group, praised the project, saying: “The judges were impressed by how the practice’s Kohan Ceram Central Office Building successfully addresses a number of key criteria and responds with an architecture of restraint, invention and elegance. An uplifting and inspiring design, this project as well as the Hooba Design Group’s collaborative approach to innovation, qualifies them as a worthy recipient of the RIBA International Emerging Architect 2021.”In conclusion, the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building by Hooba Design stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. The use of the ‘spectacled brick’ and the incorporation of vegetation has resulted in a building that is not only visually stunning but environmentally friendly as well. The project's success shows that it is possible to create inspiring spaces in challenging environments, and the Hooba Design Group is a deserving recipient of the RIBA International Emerging Architect 2021 prize.

 

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Photos ©Deed Studio, Courtesy of Hooba Design