House 471

A new depth to an existing home.

House 471 transforms an existing two-storey home in the Qasr-e Dasht neighbourhood of Shiraz into two independent residences. Rather than replace the building’s identity, the renovation works with what is already there: its structure, openings and relationship to the garden.

The first intervention is spatial. Selected internal walls were removed and structural reinforcement introduced to create larger, more connected living areas. The entrance becomes an organising point, clarifying circulation and the relationship between public and private rooms. Two entrances to the kitchen improve its connections to the adjacent living and reception spaces.

Outside, the facade gains depth. Projecting frames and terraces turn the envelope into a sequence of intermediate spaces, allowing daily life to extend towards daylight, fresh air and the surrounding landscape. Each opening is reconsidered as a spatial opportunity, rather than simply a break in a wall.

A perforated brick surface at the entrance and stair filters the light while maintaining privacy. The screen gives the circulation spaces an indirect connection to the outdoors and introduces a changing pattern of light into the house.

Gray brick creates a continuous architectural surface. Oxidized metal frames the existing openings and transitional elements, its weathered appearance setting up a dialogue with the renewed brickwork. Material contrast makes the intervention legible while preserving traces of the building’s past.

Designed between March and May 2021 and completed in June 2023, the project accommodates 360 square metres across two floors on a 450-square-metre site. House 471 explores how a precise set of spatial and material changes can give an existing home a renewed way of living.