Bonlad Residence: Modern Residential Architecture by Mohat Office in Ilam, Iran

Contextual Design Meets Modern Living

The Bonlad Residence, designed by Mohat Office, stands as a benchmark in contemporary residential architecture in Ilam, Iran. Facing the challenge of integrating a large-scale project within a western neighborhood constrained by urban regulations, the architects focused on resolving the contextual limitations while addressing the needs of a multi-generational family. One of the major challenges was the prohibition of direct sightlines toward a government building, combined with the prevalence of low-quality, fully covered lots that offer almost no semi-open or livable space.

Mohat Office approached this challenge with a critical lens, rejecting conventional dense apartment structures and instead envisioning a residence that embraces active semi-open spaces. Central to the design is the innovative concept of a “Spatial Border,” which transforms the idea of confined urban living into an expansive, flexible environment.

Spatial Organization & Family-Centered Design

The residence follows a dual and contradictory spatial logic – discrete versus continuous – carefully balancing contextual constraints, client needs, and economic efficiency.

• Basement & Ground Floors: Designed for commercial and office use, these levels feature dense, directional arrangements with independent access points and spatial separation.
• Upper Floors: Intended for two brothers to live independently, these levels foster horizontal and vertical continuity, linking separate apartments through voids that reveal the building’s familial core.
• Roof Level: Open to the sky, the rooftop creates shared natural spaces for both units while reinforcing the building’s pixel-like role within the urban fabric, symbolizing a forward-thinking vision for city living.

Innovative Semi-Open Spaces & Hedonistic Sustainability

The project emphasizes green terraces and semi-open courtyards, achieved by varying terrace scales and dimensions up to 7 meters deep. Vertical porosities in the peripheral grid create private, non-centralized green spaces around the residential core. Inspired by Persian architectural traditions, these semi-open areas establish a spatial dialogue between interior and exterior, encouraging active apartment life and embodying hedonistic sustainability – a design approach that blends comfort, pleasure, and environmental consciousness.

Additionally, vertical louvres complement the large windows, ensuring visual privacy while fostering social interaction, a critical requirement in Ilam’s urban context.

Tectonic Precision & Material Innovation

Beyond spatial and contextual solutions, Bonlad Residence showcases meticulous attention to materiality and detailing:

• Brick Facade & Vertical Louvres: The precise use of drilling tools and grooved brick patterns creates material duality and perceptual depth, encouraging tactile interaction.
• Visual & Tactile Experience: The design invites residents and visitors to engage with the building’s surfaces, enhancing both visual perception and sensory experience.

This combination of innovative architecture, sensitive urban integration, and material sophistication makes Bonlad Residence a leading example of modern residential design in Iran.

Features:

• Large semi-open terraces with integrated greenery
• Horizontal-vertical continuity connecting independent living units
• Dual-purpose ground and basement floors for commercial and residential use
• Vertical louvres for privacy and visual comfort
• Elegant brickwork with precise tactile detailing
• Rooftop connectivity offering natural light and shared outdoor space

All photographs are works of  Parham Taghioff