Fundamental Approach Architects has transformed the facade of an eight-storey housing block in Tehran using angular screens of perforated brick.
Iranian practice Fundamental Approach Architects, led by Moshen Kazemianfard, reconfigured the interiors of Saadat Abad Residential Building and designed a facade intended to relate better to its urban context.

With two storeys sitting below ground level, the building combines apartments with commercial units at its base and underground parking.
A new double skin of glass and brick panels was added to balance views, light and a connection to the outdoors with the privacy required in the apartments.

"Recently, the expansion of some cities has eliminated the building of urban boundaries, as well as the integration of interior and exterior spaces," Kazemianfard told Dezeen. "In this project the urban border is blurred, the solid facade replaced by a fluid soft space between the brick and glass skins, which takes advantage of the light passing through."

With the main circulation core at the rear of the block, living spaces have been pushed to the front to maximise views out to the building's surroundings.
The brick panels on the facade have been twisted outwards to angle views from the living spaces out towards a nearby crossing, also serving to animate the facade and create a gap to provide natural ventilation.

"In most existing apartment blocks the connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces is limit...