B aba- B astani:
the ice-cream shop
A two-storey complex of a successful business and a residential designed by an Iranian Finland-educated architect, Sepehr Dehkordi, when he was visiting his hometown in the southwest of Iran. The town itself suffers from lack of direction in urbanism and architecture whilst you see buildings emerge now and then based on an eclectic manner. Nothing else but a bad taste beyond the nonsensical growth of city façade occurring based on a shift between the role of design-specialists and generalcontractors whose attitudes are on the subject of “building cheap but more.” This might be also associated with privatization of construction and the individualistic and unethical maneuvers of real-estate agencies throughout the urban developments. Haji who, is deciding to develop his successful business, which is a popular ice-cream shop, meets up with his architect over a coffee asking him something “different” yet tasty, to be representing a bit of a tradition of the business’ myth. The name of the shop Baba-Bastani (Persian: )بابــا بســتنیis an iconic name of a place in the city while, a wide range of people enjoy not only ice-cream, but also coffee and bakery and a salad-bar portrayal of the shop. The new property which new facilities to be built in, is located in a dense part of a mostly residential and recently commercialized privileged boulevard. Believe it or not, in this part of the world, you might not find many self-sufficient executive teams on the side of construction. Haji, a perfectionist of his kind, goes around and chooses maestros of any technique, elders of any field. A team made up of welder, fabricator, mason, paver, carpenter, tile-setter, and designer in addition to demolition and debris removal parties was formed. At the start, to an extreme level, it was assumed
for the designer that the design part of the project− considering the circumstances of the business and the client, knowing the fact that finances weren’t the issue but the timing and the restrictions applied by planning department−shouldn’t being seen as a product but a process. Therefore, he, the designer, proceeded and made decisions of the project in a so-called on-site manner. It became known, the main problematic of the project went around three matters−one affecting the other two−which needed to be acknowledged. One considered the machineries of the ice-cream shop. Baba-Bastani houses at one point ice-creammaking machines and batch freezer for ice-cream retailing, and at the other point, several vertical refrigerators and a semi-large walk-in freezer. In addition to mentioned machines, there is needed room for too many other smaller appliances which to name some, coffee machines, cream-maker, juicers, and etc. The second scenario, speaks of the fact that Haji’s family of four, was going to reside in upper floor. Which the access(es) to that storey needed to be drawn in mind. And the third item of importance was how to house the very large population of costumers reminding the very popularity of the shop. To understand the salvations on how settling different spaces, one may go back and see the machineries of the shop through. For handling the ice-cream shop there are two spaces mandatory: one, the kitchen where customers receive their orders behind its counters and two, the workshop where all the products are either made in there or arranged or stored. Hence, the mentioned spaces are established one above the other accessing and connected by a throughfloor hydraulic lift and a space-saving diameter spiral staircase. Besides, all the three-phase machines and the walk-in freezer are located in the underground workshop. One way to access the residential, is an elevator
operating in-between the three floors. The access to the elevator is possible from the backyard allied with the backstreet. Another way of approaching upstairs goes from the kitchen by means of a spiral staircase which as the owner of the business and considering the time Haji’s family spends in the shop, this is one convenient cozy way for the family members to reach for home. According to the rules municipality of the region set, and the estate planning laws, only %60 of a property could be built and the rest has to be left unroofed where in our case, has to have a vehicle access from backstreet to support transferring and storing foods and goods into the workshop underground joined with the yard by a fixed ramp. And likely, the backyard itself was envisioned to be used as an unroofed lounge to accommodate more customers whom are wishing to enjoy their orders in outdoors. What it was decided on the characteristics of the very notion of “design” itself−meaning the aesthetics−both designer and client agreed on a genuine simplicity and transparency which to focus the effort on representing quality over quantity; what which is lacking in such communities, regrettably. Accordingly, materials being used were all chosen based on availability and society’s taste. Only, more sensation being employed on (again) quality, colors and “detailing.” One can see the exteriors of the building itself is largely embossed by travertine pavers and to add up some flavor, some parts are coated by decorative refractory bricks. Against the very untouched neutral nature of the façades, building’s backyard exhibits an exotic image. Reddishness of the yard’s floor and flower-boxes is going to confront the greenery of the planetary. The implementation of the shop was accomplished after almost a year and its opening took place on the first day of Nowruz.
Sepehr Dehkordi +9 8 9 1 3 1 8 1 9 7 3 7 sepehrdehkordi@gmail.com