Perforated brick screens act as curtains for Tehran housing by CAAT Studio

Angled screens of perforated brick provide ventilation and shade for this housing block in Tehran by CAAT Studio, providing its residents with relief from the city's hot and dry climate

The six-storey building is located in the rapidly developing neighbourhood of Kahrizak in the southwest of the capital, which is populated primarily by low-income households.
But the Iranian architects behind the project believe the kind of property being designed for the area is unsuitable. They found that residents often adapt the uniform balconies of new blocks with colourful panes of glass or masonry, creating personalised places to hang clothing and store belongings. They felt this should be something included from the beginning.

"The main purpose of the design was to modify a typology of residential building in this region, in which lifestyle and social class of the population were considered," said CAAT Studio. There was a huge gap between resident's lifestyle and the type of constructions happening in that region," they added, "for example, by observing the existing building in the neighbourhood, balconies as a routine function in the facade were misused."

They developed 21 different types of screen that create a degree of personalisation for each residence while still maintaining the overall appearance of the scheme.