Mohammad Valizadeh Alvan

Belonging & Care is a proposal for senior housing in which spatial and emotional familiarity is used as a design tool to promote comfort and a sense of belonging. It is structured around a framework emphasizing community connection and personal agency, both of which are often lacking in senior residences.

The project incorporates elements that define home in Iran’s collective memory, including traditional residential features such as brickwork, central courtyards, openwork screens, and the Se-Dari, a three-door bedroom that connects indoor and outdoor life.

Each residence houses four people who live in private rooms and share common areas, an arrangement similar to family living. Residents are encouraged to bring their own furniture to turn their units into extensions of their lived experience. Architectural elements such as wooden doors, glass insets, and curtains allow residents to adjust light and ventilation and to control their level of privacy and engagement with others.

I designed a network of small houses arranged around courtyards, each with its own layout, material palette, and regional reference. The courtyards serve as both spatial anchors and emotional touchstones and foster unique communities.

The project is integrated with a walkable residential neighborhood that includes a grocery store, a café, a gallery, and shops, which draw in people of all ages and encourage intergenerational connection. Nearby is a multilevel area with a space for public gatherings at ground level and semi-private galleries above.