HomaKids Complex
- Project: HomaKids Commercial Complex
- Design Team: Farzan Shamasblou, Hosein Ebrahimzadeh, Ehsan Arab.
- Project Type: Mixed-Use
- Area: ~150 m²
- Client: Kharazmi Construction Development Company
- Location: Tehran, IRAN.
- Status: Competition Proposal - 2nd Place Winner
- Design Year: 2012
Project Description
The Homa Kids project competition was organized to create a landmark in the region, featuring a mixed-use structure with a focus on children as its primary audience. The project is situated on a plot of approximately 6,400 square meters. The competition’s predefined conditions included preserving the pre-designed structure and vertical shafts, creating a distinctive and independent urban landmark, and ensuring compatibility with the surrounding environment and conditions. Accordingly, the influential ideas for the current project are derived from these specified factors.
Context: Considering the project site’s location in an area with relatively steep slopes, topography has been treated as a significant factor influencing both the form and function of the design. The site is positioned lower than adjacent masses, making all dimensions of the project visible to observers, thereby emphasizing aesthetic design across all surfaces. Due to a 10-meter elevation difference on the south-southeast facade, where the main entrance is located, the commercial floors are planned across three different elevation levels. The entrance is set at the middle level to facilitate vertical access and smooth circulation within the interior spaces. The morphological shape of the project’s split form is also influenced by the site’s slope.
The surroundIng land uses, including educational facilities to the north and northwest and residential units to the south and southwest, have guided a two-level design approach that harmonizes with the scale of these neighboring entities. Consequently, the first level (commercial) aligns with the adjacent residential units, while the second level (administrative) is designed to match the height of the northern buildings, creating a balanced and cohesive landmark.
Drawings and Diagrams
Concept
The project’s design focuses on two fundamental principles:
1- Visual “appeal” is a critical element in designing commercial complexes. Given that the effect of this appeal on children’s spaces (such as educational environments) is rapid and short-lived, the project emphasizes creating a sense of Deja vu for children. The LEGO form, a familiar object for children, was selected as the project’s primary formal component. This choice was also informed by the modular structure of LEGO, which aligns with the existing structure from a tectonic perspective.
2- Considering the rapid technological advancements and the digital nature of children’s lives today, the exterior facade was designed based on digital morphologic patterns. These were implemented using parametric design methods, giving the facade a dynamic and contemporary form.
The circulation paths in the project are designed based on the structure of a Möbius strip within the commercial floors. This design enables a primary pathway allowing transitions from the first floor to the third, then from the third to the second, and finally returning to the first floor, avoiding repetition in spatial movement. Additionally, by creating intersections in pathways and establishing vertical connections, users are provided with multiple options for navigating between floors. The void spaces beneath the commercial surfaces are utilized to create access routes for ramps with a 5.2% slope, ensuring parking facilities align with the same circulation structure of the commercial spaces.