Saeed Amini

advisor

Tehran University of Art

United Arab Emirates

I am an architect, researcher, and architectural critic who views architecture not merely as a… more

Your proposal successfully transforms a modest rural school building into a flexible coworking and community environment, and one of the strongest aspects is the balance you’ve established between preserving the existing structure and introducing a contemporary spatial character. The decision to keep the plan open and adaptable demonstrates a clear understanding of the building’s future programmatic uncertainty, and the new central sanitary block offers a sensible organizational anchor. The interior atmosphere light, soft materials, and integrated greenery creates a pleasant working environment, though some areas could benefit from stronger spatial hierarchy to distinguish individual working zones from communal ones. In the renderings, the glass partitions and newly opened windows significantly improve daylight penetration; however, the glazing proportions and mullion detailing could be refined to achieve a more unified visual identity. The outdoor interventions bring a refreshing community dimension, yet the density and arrangement of trees risk overwhelming the façade and obscure the building’s relationship with the open spaces. These outdoor paths and seating clusters would be more effective with clearer orientation points and a hierarchy between movement, gathering, and quiet areas. Structurally, reinforcing the roof and stair insertion are well justified, but further expression of these upgrades either through exposed elements or material contrast could give the renovation a stronger architectural narrative. Overall, the project displays thoughtful sensitivity to budget constraints, functional adaptability, and community engagement, with room for refinement in spatial clarity, landscape organization, and articulation of the building’s renewed identity.

While the project presents a calm and inviting atmosphere, several areas could be strengthened to achieve a more cohesive architectural identity. The interior layout though intentionally flexible would benefit from a clearer hierarchy between collaborative zones, circulation, and private work areas, as some rooms currently feel too similar in character and lack distinct spatial roles. Material transitions, especially between old structural elements and new insertions, could be articulated more confidently to celebrate the renovation rather than conceal it; introducing subtle contrasts in texture or color would help. The coworking areas would gain from improved acoustic strategies, as the current layout with minimal buffering risks noise spillover between workstations and social spaces. The outdoor environment is pleasant, but the placement of seating, equipment, and pathways could be better choreographed to guide movement and create stronger activity nodes. Window proportions and façade details are successful, yet the interior lighting strategy appears uniform and could use more layers—task lighting, warm accent points, and daylight modulation to elevate the atmosphere. Finally, the visualizations would be stronger with more consistent human-scale references and refined shadow quality, which would help communicate depth, materiality, and programming more convincingly.
03.12.2025