Ali Lavasani, the founder and CEO of Alagroup Architecture Studio, said in an interview with HonarOnline about native architecture with modern language in Iran: In the definition of architecture, This field is one of the most important branches of art, but unfortunately, art is far from architecture. In my opinion, the constructive relationship between architects, sculptors, musicians and other artists in other fields of art can lead to the development of architecture and, as in the past, give a new line of thought to the field of architecture. Architects' connection with great artists helps our architectural line of thought reach the intellectual maturity of the past. Facades of buildings are objects that exist in the city. In fact, each building represents a sculpture or painting in the city, so it is very important that there is a constructive relationship between the artist and the architect.
He said about participating in various architectural events: In 2020, we won second place in the Spanish urban furniture design competition. One of the most important things that I observe in projects, furniture design, industry, buildings, etc., and it has been very important to me, is to be able to express a design with a sincerity, and this is what modernity does. The slogan designed for our office is the same; "Simply, live stylishly." If we can talk to ordinary people and they see the details and understand it, then we can get positive feedback.
He continued: In fact, so was Spain; A simple cube volume that had sunk into the heart of the earth and created seating in it was, in the judges' view, a matter of simplicity, well expressed in the work. Our proposal for the Iranian Cultural Center in Seattle in the United States also became a finalist. We participated in the evolo-2021 compatition with a vertical city plan for illegal immigrants, which is one of the global concerns. The designer included towers where people could both live and work in workshops. In addition to living and working, get acquainted with the culture of the region. In fact, this building could solve all the needs of a human being for a limited time. Unfortunately, we could not get a position.
Ali Lavasani stated about the refereeing criteria in Italy and world student competitions: After the works are submitted by the students, I review them and guide them to the best of my ability and knowledge, and finally send them feedback so that they can make progress in this regard. I advise Iranian students to participate in these competitions to gain experience. For a while, I became a mentor in the Asian Games. Three or four students from different cities, such as Yazd, Rafsanjan and Rasht, worked with me, and it is interesting that most of them are girls and are very hardworking. I think the future belongs to those women architects. In other words, the future of Iranian architecture is tied to women.
The architect spoke about the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on architectural style: In the beginning, people wanted to be telecommuters, but over time, they returned to the old style. The corona is not over because it is as if a new version enters the world every time, so the world goes in the direction that the number of singles increases. The future of architecture is such that very small spaces are designed for humans. Given that people have become accustomed to being alone for the past two years, it is not easy to get things back to normal.
Lavasani said about using green space and adhering to sustainable architecture: Today, forests are disappearing easily and the weather has changed. Unfortunately, the environmental conditions are deteriorating. Therefore, laws must be passed that allow builders to allocate a suitable percentage of buildings to green space, although the relevant bodies can determine certain rules or conditions.
Referring to the sense of vitality and beauty in cities, he said: Unfortunately, beautifying cities is not a priority and there is no sense of vitality. One of the ways to enforce and enforce laws by bodies such as the municipality. Due to the fact that the climate of Tehran is moving from hot and temperate to hot and dry and the pollution is intensifying, particles remain on the facade and the facades become gray. Therefore, by washing the facades and creating a green space, it is easy to help beautify the city. Lavasani said at the end of his speech: I only advise students as a small person in the architecture community if they are interested in this field and think that they were not created for something other than architecture, to enter the field of architecture and try to add something to architecture.
I dedicate the last part of my talk with a quote from Mohsen Vaziri, the first designer, sculptor and one of the most important artists of modern Iranian art, and that "If we do only one work that the employer likes and we have presented only one work, this is not Art."
By Dorsa Bakhshandegi