Hidden Boxes Residential Building by KaSa Office: Rethinking Spatial Norms in Contemporary Iranian Architecture

Breaking Monotony: A New Synthesis of Form and Function

In the urban fabric of southern Hamedan—where dense low-rise structures confront abrupt vertical growth—Hidden Boxes by KaSa Office emerges as a critical reinterpretation of residential architecture in Iran. Responding to a context dominated by monotonous spatial typologies and repetitive urban forms, the project questions conventional design through a spatial, historical, and cultural lens.

KaSa Office poses a bold inquiry: Can the prevailing monotony in contemporary housing be dismantled through a spatial reconfiguration rooted in Iran’s architectural legacy? The result is a residential complex that blends historical references, contextual response, and conceptual clarity into a unified architectural statement.

Historical Echoes and Modern Layers: Theoretical Foundations

Drawing from iconic architectural concepts such as Raumplan, Domino, and the Universal Plan, the architects investigated the evolution of spatial organization. However, instead of reproducing past forms, the project aims to deconstruct the rigid spatial structures by proposing a dynamic Mass/Void composition, intricate surface relationships, and varied plate geometries.

Inspired by traditional Iranian architecture, where void spaces are just as important as built volumes, KaSa Office challenges the boundaries between open, semi-open, and closed spaces. The design responds to both internal architectural logic and external forces—such as climate adaptation, privacy concerns, and urban cultural needs—to craft a new synthesis of dwelling.

Spatial Boxes and Fragmented Plates: A Modular Language

The building’s identity is rooted in a compositional strategy of modular spatial boxes and interrupted plate layers, arranged both regularly and heterogeneously. Each box acts as an independent yet interdependent volume, contributing to a flexible yet coherent mass. The fragmentation not only enhances spatial dynamism but also creates multiple micro-environments within the structure.

This strategy dissolves traditional floor-based zoning in favor of vertical and sectional complexity, producing nuanced interactions between units, circulation spaces, and the city beyond.

Climatic Sensitivity and Privacy Control

Externally, the building confronts environmental challenges directly. With intense western sunlight threatening thermal balance, the architects introduce an envelope system to buffer the façade. This layer is further articulated through the breaking of volumes and offsetting of plates, creating shading, privacy, and ventilation advantages without compromising on natural light.

Privacy—a core aspect of Iranian domestic architecture—is carefully managed through angled window placements, recessed terraces, and controlled visual corridors, maintaining personal boundaries while engaging with the neighborhood.

Toward a Contextual Urbanism

Hidden Boxes is not just a singular design gesture but a critical urban artifact. It reflects an ongoing effort to define a culturally sensitive, historically grounded, and environmentally responsive form of contemporary Iranian residential architecture. By reconciling binary oppositions—open vs. closed, past vs. future, public vs. private—the project reframes what housing can be in Iran today.

All Photographs are works of Mohammad Hassan Ettefagh