Design Diversity In Early Residential Complexes In Tehran (1950-1970); Lessons To Learn

During 1950 to 1970, some of the first residential complexes in Tehran were developed to accommodate low and middle-income people.  Although they were among the first residential complexes designed and built in the country, various quantitative and qualitative measures had been considered in their design to satisfy the target residents’ needs and to meet the projects’ goals.  What could be the reason for satisfaction, despite they were among the early experiences of residential complexes design in country?  The main reason for the success of these complexes was due to perfect design considerations; i.e. correct selection of design patterns which are less frequent in recent housing complexes. Some of these design considerations include providing public, semi-public and private open spaces, paying attention to pedestrians, sustainability and respect for the surrounding urban and climatic environment. This paper reviews some examples of early housing complexes in Tehran, including Chaharsad-Dastgah, Narmak, Nazi-Abad, Shahr-Ara, Behjat-Abad, Farah, Kan and Chaharom-e-Aban, to help recognize past achievements and reapply them in designing new housing complexes.