Practice Profile
Originally set up in 1992 with its approach being based on the multi-disciplinary nature of architecture profession, designing from city to light fitting from street or a neighbourhood strategy to the design of door handle. Keeping our continues interest in practice and theory over the years we have designed a number of projects varying in size from small residential in England and abroad to urban strategies for neighbourhoods in London, Manchester, Berlin, Tehran etc.
The practice provides intensive services for our small projects while collaborating with relevant and complimentary consultants to build up an effective team for large projects. In our international projects we work closely with local consultants, architects and associated engineers to provide an effective, economical service with locals knowledge of building technologies and common life styles in order to provide a sustainable design.
Golzari is very much interested in the subject of culture and identity – often running projects that have a close link to local communities and street identity. Our interest is to link community, art and architecture within a culturally sensitive environment. the interest and preoccupation has been in providing one-off proposals, each specifically tailored to the needs of our clients . We try to add qualities in all our work, respecting the social dimension, the existing conditions and local crafts, encouraging a sustainable development, when dealing with a complex or simple project. The idea of establishing a dialogue, a kind of conversation with the existing physical and cultural context is one of our main concerns and inspiration
Participation
The practice and the partner in the practice, Nasser Golzari, has many years of experience of working with residents and building users in the educational and residential field. We acknowledge the need for a degree of continuous consultation to formulate a successful brief and workable timetable to achieve a building that doesn't restrict its users. Participation can add dynamic layers and energy to the projects.
Technology
The practice is inspired by the cultural potential of the use of different materials in terms of climatic and social offering in different context. we try to make different materials perform economically and authentically. A building does not have to be expensive to look good and last long. Materials are not a mere item of clothing of a building, they are elements which can be touched and felt through their textures and surfaces. Like space they have a sense of poetry which can make a building remembered for many years.
Project Types
The following projects are selected from years of experiences of Golzari Architects and the co founder Nasser Golzari working within NGarchitects
and other associated practices inculding private and govermental organisations. Building projects in housing, residential, education and urban design, regenarion and community consultation projects.
Residential
The practice has, over the years designed a number of residential and housing projects mainly private individual clients, and at times, local government Many projects in London including houses, extensions, refurbishment and interiors. The practice has also designed private houses and villas in Greece, Iran and Czech Republic.
Prototypes
There is a constant interest and engagement in the design of research based projects acting as prototypes related to a specific climate and place. A number of experimental houses have been designed varying from a self-build energy efficient fully disabled access pair of houses in London’s Dockland in 1990 to more recently a climate house and Green Office designed for Tehran, all government sponsored.
Urban Design
Working with cities we respond to neighbourhood’s social needs and their identity trying to design a culturally and economically sustainable strategies, this has been our long inspiration and pre-occupation. The practice and the partner in practice have had experiences of major re-generation projects in London, Manchester, Berlin, and Tehran working with Local authorities and
Municipalities as well as local community.
Public Buildings
The work of the practice and the partner in practice consists of different types of public projects including mini-town halls in ~London, a number of schools and related educational buildings as well as ~urban parks and mixed-use faculties. We believe in active involvement of the users and the local community in order to achieve a sustainable design.
Academic and Research Activities
One of the objectives of the practice had been to link practice and academic activities together with research to be in the forefront of new ideas and experiments. This we have managed to do by initiating and participating in research based projects leading to public and traveling exhibitions, nationally and internationally, community consultation workshops and live projects. Working with government bodies, local authority, municipalities and academic Institutions.