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Architectural Research and Design delivers both form and function for a manufacturing plant near Tehran.
Parand Industrial City, a 680-acre manufacturing zone just 20 miles to the south of Iran’s capital, resembles one large construction site, much like Tehran itself. About a third of the lots in the approximately eight-year-old development have buildings under construction while another third are already occupied.
Most of the factories here are similar to those found elsewhere in the country: large sheds with slightly pitched roofs, clad primarily in brick and supported by pre-engineered portal frames. However, just inside the gates of the industrial park is one that stands out — the Paykar Bonyan Panel Factory, designed by Tehran-based Architectural Research and Design (ARAD). The white building has a glass and aluminum checkered main facade and a simple but striking geometry.
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Program
The factory produces a building material comprising polystyrene panels between galvanized steel mesh. At the construction site, contractors spray the prefabricated panels with concrete to create load-bearing walls and other components. Mostafa Mahmoudi, Paykar Bonyan president, imported the technology from Italy to offer an alternative to the on-site intensive methods typically used by Iranian builders and to respond to growing demand for construction materials in this rapidly urbanizing country.
Given that the product manufactured inside the building is intended to transform construction processes, it is not surprising that Mahmoudi hoped that his factory would also make use of innovative methods and bear little resemblance to typical industrial buildings. At the same time, like any industrial client, he wanted a structure that would, within a limited budget, accommodate the functional requirements of the production process, and be completed as quickly as possible.
Solution
The architects responded with a scheme based on 24-by-157-foot-long “strips” supported by a steel structure and clad in prepainted aluminum sandwich panels. The unit is repeated 12 times to create the 56,500-square-foot factory. This modularity helped Bahram Kalantari and Kourosh Dabbagh, ARAD senior partners, meet the project’s time and budget constraints: Paykar Bonyan was designed and built in less than a year for about $32 per square foot.
Although based on a repetitive unit, the approach permits flexibility. The designers combined 9 modules to create the 33,000-square-foot factory floor (almost completely open except for the row of columns marching down its center). Two strips are devoted to administrative and support areas, with a gap between the volume that houses the most public functions, such as the showroom, and the one containing employee-only spaces, such as the technical offices. A glass-enclosed bridge connects the two and spans a drop-off area for those arriving by car.
In addition to fulfilling the functional requirements, the strategy also satisfied the owner’s desire for distinctive architecture. Each of the strips have roofs with alternating slopes and perimeter walls that cant in opposite directions, creating a sculptural rhythm and making for a lively play of light and shadow on the building’s exterior.
The arrangement helps create a comfortable interior environment. The alternating geometry provides even daylighting for the main production space through north-facing clerestory windows while mitigating heat gain — an important consideration in a climate where summer temperatures often climb above 100 degrees. Sliding gates on the west and east elevations provide natural ventilation.
Commentary
Though skillfully executed, the building does have minor flaws, such as the central row of columns that somewhat awkwardly bisects the main workshop. But by designing the structure in this way, the architects avoided the expense of longer spans. And, in spite of the visually disruptive elements, Paykar Bonyan still responds well to the requirements of the manufacturing process. At the same time, through an ingenious system based on a repetitive geometry, the architects created a delightfully contemporary object and a rare example of distinctive industrial architecture.
Formal name of project: Paykar Bonyan Panel Factory
Location: Parand Industrial City, Iran
Completion Date: October 2007
Gross square footage: 56,000 sq.ft.
Total construction cost: $1.8 million
Owner: Paykar Bonyan Co.
Architect:
ARAD (Architectural Research And Design) Co.
# 402-Roshan Bldg. (1681)
Valiasr Ave
Tehran, Iran 1965653338
tel/fax:+98 21 22010203, +98 21 22045561
web: www.aradoffice.com
email: Iinfo@aradoffice.com
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