As lovely as all the photos bopping around the Med were this summer, they stirred little in me. Same goes for group pics in Rio at New Year’s or the endless stream of undifferentiated “fun” from the fashion week circuit.
In the past year, though, one social media account has been a constant source of inspiration—the Twitter account of a professor in Australia.
Philip Oldfield is Head of School and a Professor of Architecture at UNSW Built Environment, Sydney, and his posts about contemporary architecture do a better job of taking you to non-touristy neighborhoods of major cities than most publications. I’ve always found exploring a city by trecking across it to see cool contemporary architecture an excellent way to see more than the typical visitor, so Oldfield has been a goldmine. (If I ever do a “how I plan a trip” story, going to a city’s tagged page on ArchDaily is one step.)
But one country in particular is often highlighted by Oldfield—Iran. Actually, maybe it’s not “often” highlighted, but every time he posts about a building there I am utterly captivated. Just based on Oldfield’s posts you’d feel comfortable contending that when it comes to jaw-dropping brickwork, nobody is doing it like Iranian architects.
I’ve always wanted to go to Iran given its history, food, and old architecture, but now I also want to go for its contemporary design. A couple weeks ago, the Jahad Metro Plaza in Tehran was announced as one of the winners of the 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. It felt like the perfect time to reach out to Oldfield for a little Q&A:
WO: I started to come across modern Tehran architecture because of your Twitter account, but how did you first start to see all this really cool contemporary work from there?
PO: I developed an interest in Iranian apartment design as I stumbled across a group of young Iranian architects on social media pushing the design possibilities of mid-rise housing from a material and environmental perspective. I was struck by how Iranian architects are taking local materials such as brick and tile and reinterpreting their use through advanced software tools and technologies, resulting in complex forms and geometries with curving, folding and even twisting brickwork, that is not only visually appealing, but also provides shade and privacy.
WO: Whether accurate or not, there is this sort of perpetual lament in the U.S. about a lack of craftsmanship in a lot of contemporary architecture, especially w/ sort of mid-rise residential buildings. Whereas there seems to be plenty of it happening in Tehran. Why do you think all this really cool brickwork is happening there?
PO: There are sanctions against the Iranian construction sector which I would imagine makes it challenging to import some materials. I suspect this has contributed to Iranian architects innovating more with local materials such as brick and tiles, to great effect.
You can also see an incredible history of using brickwork with strong geometric patterns in vernacular Iranian architecture. We’re now seeing local architects reinterpret these ideas in contemporary ways.
Finally, there’s a clear relationship between the architecture and local climate on show. Too often, in apartments around the world, we see buildings wrapped in an expanse of glass regardless of climate and solar orientation – resulting in banal architecture with little relationship to local climate and culture. But with these Iranian designs, there is far more shade – with recessed balconies, smaller windows, and even beautiful veils of brick across the entire building. This is a response to the hot climate and also vernacular Iranian architecture’s embrace of privacy and shade. It’s a design characteristic we should learn from in cities around the world – too many apartments globally are highly glazed which leads to issues of overheating, lack of privacy and higher energy use.
WO: Have you been to Tehran? If so, what stood out to you and if not, are there certain neighborhoods or things you’re keen on seeing?
PO: Alas, I haven’t been to Tehran yet! While I do see many examples of great mid-rise brick and tile apartments in Tehran, the trend is also apparent in cities across Iran. A common theme is these buildings tend to be at the more luxury end of the market at the moment.
WO: Do you have a favorite from the ones you’ve posted, and I’d be curious why that one stuck with you more than others?
PO: There’s so many to choose from. Farshad Mehdizadeh’s Tabriz Residential stands out for its beautiful use of ‘hit and miss’ brickwork. I love the mix of terracotta and Persian blue tile work in the designs by Sahar Kamaleddin and Nima Safdari in Urmia too.
Then there’s the House of 40 Knots by Habibeh Madjdabadi and Alireza Mashhadimirza. Here a system of brickwork was inspired by watching carpet weavers in traditional Persian workshops. This creates a unique undulating brick façade, but has a multitude of other benefits too – such as eliminating the need for detailed brickwork drawings, which increased the speed of construction and ease of labour.
WO: Any architects in particular whose work you think should be more of a household name?
PO: Hooba Design (founded by Hooman Balazadeh) have some remarkable projects. The Darya residential building in Tehran has beautifully detailed stone facades (made from recycled stone), with a series of voids behind, creating shaded terraces for occupants. The practice was awarded a 2021 RIBA Emerging Architecture Prize, but more people should know of their work.
Then there’s Farshad Mehdizadeh, who has created a series of intricate apartment buildings with stepped forms and shaded terraces. His recently completed Golestan Residence uses arches to create a dramatic silhouette, but also carve out shaded exterior spaces for residents.
WO: If you were to generalize the response to your posts about contemporary Tehran architecture, what has it been like?
PO: A really common response is “why can’t we have apartments like this here?” Many people have suggested dedicated visas and pathways for Iranian architects and builders to spread their skills across the globe. It would be great to see this happen!
WO: Do you have any sort of intent/agenda/hopes when you post about works in a place that a large swathe of the western world likely has preconceived notions about?
PO: When we think about where to turn to gain inspiration for sustainable and beautiful apartment designs, I suspect few people would initially say Iran.
So, my agenda is simple. To shine a light on the talented designers and builders who are producing these fantastic designs, and to hope we can take some inspiration from them.