Anahita Bagheri

This project transforms an existing structure into a cozy café near a commercial street while maintaining its original character. The design follows an adaptive reuse approach, making minimal but impactful modifications to enhance both function and aesthetics.

Arched Windows: Replacing the original windows with arches introduces a classic and inviting ambiance that complements the stone façade.

Interior Enhancements: Light wooden slats and greenery soften the industrial textures, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Efficient Layout: The space is optimized to accommodate seating, a service counter, and storage while ensuring a smooth flow for both customers and staff.

This renovation preserves the essence of the building while adapting it to a new purpose, blending tradition with modern comfort.

This project is designed for a family vacation house in a mountain setting. The clients wanted a retreat where they could escape the pressures of city life and reconnect with nature. One of their main requests was to have large windows that framed the breathtaking views of the wild mountains, allowing natural light to flood the interior while maintaining a seamless connection with the outdoors. They also emphasized the importance of surrounding the home with greenery, both inside and outside, to create a peaceful and rejuvenating environment. The design balances comfort, openness, and tranquility, offering a perfect getaway for relaxation and renewal.

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This project explores the transformation of fire lookout towers into serene weekend retreats for hikers, promoting relaxation and connection with nature.

Phase 1: Analysis of Existing Towers 
We begin by assessing the current state of fire towers—whether abandoned, deteriorated, or in good condition—to determine which can be restored and preserved.

Phase 2: Improvement and Funding 
Next, we focus on improving these towers with sustainable methods, identifying funding options through public-private partnerships, grants, and community support, ensuring economic and ecological viability.

Phase 3: New Design 
Finally, we design new structures based on these insights, blending modern minimalism with functionality. These new towers will serve as eco-friendly retreats, offering spaces for meditation, relaxation, and nature connection.

This project aims to save, improve, and reimagine fire towers as sanctuaries for those seeking a peaceful escape from urban life.

The goal of designing this complex center is to create a memorable environment where people can walk with loved ones and enjoy the scenery, with the first trailer of their favorite movie playing in the background. The concept of walking to take in more views establishes a lively location that leaves a lasting impression. In essence, this place is meant to connect with people’s emotions, ensuring they remember it, no matter how much time has passed since their first visit.

In this project, in addition to connecting the physical structure with psychological elements to create lasting memories, I aim to design a space that fosters a true dialogue between modern technology and the architectural heritage of Iran, specifically tailored to cold and dry climates. 

This project is located in a region with high summer humidity, making natural cross-ventilation essential for maintaining a comfortable, cool environment inside the buildings. As a result, nearly all structures are detached and designed to be outward-facing.

Semi-open spaces are essential elements of Guilan’s vernacular houses, commonly found in forms like Iwan and Telaar. However, the lack of enclosure and the strong connection between these spaces and the outdoors lead to significant thermal fluctuations, impacting people’s thermal comfort.

This project is all about blending the indoors with the outdoors, using bold, minimalist design while embracing the surrounding nature. The dark metal cladding contrasts with large glass windows, letting in plenty of natural light and showcasing stunning views.

Inside, the open layout makes use of natural materials like wood and stone, giving the space a warm, yet modern feel. The lighting is carefully designed to make the most of daylight, with soft, indirect lights at night that create a calm atmosphere. The outdoor areas extend the living space with carefully chosen plants, textured hardscapes, and ambient lighting, offering a peaceful escape that feels both private and open. This project connects modern design with nature, providing a calm and sophisticated space.

This project posed a significant challenge for our design class due to two key factors: the building’s function was undefined, and we had the option to either remove or preserve the historical brick kiln. I chose to preserve the kiln, which made designing the site more complex. For the building’s purpose, I decided on a fashion hub, inspired by the preservation concept—just as clothing protects us, the building would serve to protect the kiln.

This fashion hub will serve as a meeting point for significant fashion-related activities. It combines retail spaces such as dress galleries, fashion ramp walk stages, photography rooms, production units, fashion sales booths, fashion teaching classes, food courts, restaurants, offices, etc.

Nowadays, affordable buildings often lack green areas or courtyards, neglecting the importance of connecting residents to their surrounding environment. Typically designed with confined units, these spaces can lead to feelings of depression among low-income residents already facing significant daily stress. By denying them access to peaceful, green surroundings, we exacerbate their struggles.
In this project, I designed units around trees, incorporating catwalks alongside tall trees. This design allows residents to feel surrounded by greenery, even those too busy to socialize in lobbies. By fostering this connection to nature, we can enhance their living experience and overall well-being.

A common area with direct access to green spaces enables residents to enjoy the view and experience of living in a forest-like environment, even within the city.

By designing a small café near the Pullman-Idaho highway, I aimed to create a vibrant zone within the residential complex. This lively space can benefit residents in several ways, as the café will attract visitors, fostering a sense of community and safety. Additionally, it provides economic opportunities for residents, allowing them to work and operate within the café.

Silent Transformation

This work represents Amelia, a character from Franz Kafka’s *The Castle*, and shows how her life changed after rejecting a letter from a castle official. Once full of life, shown through her bright pink color, Amelia became silent and withdrawn when the villagers, who admired the official, turned against her and her family. Her family lost their social status, home, and livelihood, and the rejection from their neighbors left them devastated. The drawing contrasts Amelia’s lively past with the dark forces of the village, shown as black elements that trap her and silence her voice. Her true self, like a pearl inside a shell, remains hidden. The assignment was to use non-architectural images, cut them into unrecognizable forms, and create a collage architectural drawing to describe a character from the novel.

Threshold of Thoughts

This drawing, *Threshold of Thoughts*, shows the changing relationship between K., the main character in Franz Kafka’s *The Castle*, and Barnabas, his messenger to the castle. At first, K. sees Barnabas as a noble and important person, but later realizes he is just an ordinary man. The drawing represents this change in K.’s thoughts and is designed to be viewed from both sides. This reflects the question of whether K. imagined Barnabas as noble for his own reasons or if Barnabas tried to appear important at first. The work uses simple, abstract forms to show this shift in perception and how thoughts can change over time.

Endless Passage: The Castle’s section

This architectural section design represents the castle, inspired by the relationship between the main character, K., and the other characters in *The Castle* by Franz Kafka. The design of the gates symbolizes K.’s endless and frustrating journey as he searches for a way into the castle. The repeating pattern reflects the unceasing cycle of his quest, always just out of reach. This section captures the emotional and psychological barriers K. faces, representing the ongoing struggle and the unresolved nature of his pursuit.