Changing Iranian Taste in the Concept and Form of Architecture: Details of the “Good Architecture” Team’s Proposals to the Supreme Council of Architecture
news.mrud.ir/news/58872
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 – 09:27 – Housing and Urban Development
The representative of the “Good Architecture” team, while announcing the details of the team’s proposals, reported on efforts to change Iranian tastes regarding the concept and form of architecture and presented a report on the team’s activities at the fourth meeting of the Supreme Council of Architecture.
According to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development news agency, Navid Ganji, a member of the “Good Architecture” team, attended the fourth session of the council by invitation and presented some of the group’s nationwide initiatives.
Ganji stated: “The ‘Good Architecture’ project, proposed by our team, is an implementation platform aimed at raising public awareness and was established approximately two years ago with a focus on architectural challenges.”
According to this young architect, these challenges include public awareness of architecture, the lack of perspectives leading to the formation of social architecture, and the absence of mechanisms to empower the architectural community to foster mutual interaction between architects and the public.
Emphasizing the importance of utilizing the potential of tens of thousands of architecture students as an opportunity rather than a challenge, he stated: “At ‘Good Architecture,’ we believe that leveraging the capabilities of architecture students to fulfill their social responsibility is an invaluable opportunity available to senior officials.”
The representative of the “Good Architecture” team explained that their initiative is structured around three core pillars:
- Architecture and the Public
- Architecture and Cultural Identity
- Architecture, Global Perspectives, and Future-Oriented Thinking
Ganji further elaborated: “Through ‘Good Architecture,’ we have developed six main programs that guide us toward achieving appropriate outcomes at different stages. The first stage involves research, followed by urban and operational phases.”
He noted that global experiences show architecture has received little attention in urban and operational phases. “We have tried to localize the limited existing experiences in Iran by developing various discussions and advancing our work based on expert opinions. So far, we have implemented this approach in 10 cities across Iran.”
The representative emphasized the team’s efforts to create a human network founded on social responsibility.
He also mentioned that their initiative does not overlook digital platforms, stating: “In the first phase, we created an online platform to enhance the architectural community. These tools allow public engagement, facilitate interaction, and help generate content. Ultimately, we aim to implement our plans effectively.”
Ganji outlined the six key components of their initiative:
- Research and Dialogue: Creating discussions between the public and architects.
- Citizen Participation Program: Conducting workshops to increase public awareness of architecture.
- Young Architects Program: Educating individuals aged 16 to 23 about architecture.
- Consultation and Facilitation Services.
- Architect Empowerment Program: Helping architects improve their professional capabilities and entrepreneurial skills.
- Social Entrepreneurship in Architecture: Encouraging public curiosity and engagement with architectural issues.
The young architect emphasized that “good architecture” is a relative concept. “From our perspective, ‘good architecture’ means establishing a common understanding between architects and the public.”
Ganji then detailed some of the team’s initiatives:
- Organizing “Good Architecture Dialogues” aimed at architects, which include nine discussion sessions covering different stages from initial design to final implementation.
- Piloting architectural discussions in cafés to foster informal conversations about architecture.
- Conducting interviews with architects to refine the concept of “good architecture” and strengthen the relationship between architects and the public.
Discussing another key area of focus, Ganji pointed out the significant influence of real estate agents in shaping public architectural preferences. “At ‘Good Architecture,’ we are analyzing this issue to create positive change. One initiative is the introduction of the ‘Good Architecture Certification’—a rating system that assesses architectural quality based on public opinions and architectural evaluations. This initiative will be piloted in cafés starting mid-October.”
The team aims to design programs that utilize architects’ social responsibility to address urban challenges while generating income.
Ganji continued: “We believe that architectural education currently focuses mainly on design, with little emphasis on entrepreneurship. This neglect has nearly eliminated architects’ professional prospects. We propose specific improvements in architectural education to address this gap.”
He introduced their consultation and facilitation program, explaining that over the past two years, they have been collecting data on how “good architecture” can provide consultation services to the public. Through this initiative, free architectural consultations will be offered to communities by three groups:
- Government and municipal officials
- Renowned architects
- The “Good Architecture” team
Another major initiative focuses on public awareness campaigns, which the team is implementing in collaboration with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development. These include:
- A permanent “Good Architecture” exhibition, featuring four sections: an architecture museum, a contemporary architecture gallery, a research space, and an event area to foster engagement.
- A nationwide campaign to educate the public about architecture.
As a concluding recommendation, Ganji proposed that the Supreme Council of Architecture should establish frameworks that encourage the creation of organizations like “Good Architecture” to refine public understanding of architecture. “To achieve this, forming a professional architectural association may be necessary,” he suggested.
He emphasized that in many countries, specialized working groups help shape public preferences regarding architecture and urbanism…
