This project responds to the need for high-quality work and living spaces in an environment characterized by instability and rapid, unpredictable changes. It is an environment that demands flexibility and adaptability to endure.

The main challenge of the project lay in the integration of aesthetic values with functional and infrastructural aspects. In contexts such as Tehran’s Iron Market, such concerns are rarely prioritized and often remain unaddressed. Additional complexity arose from tight timeframes, the limited scale of on-site construction, and the client’s requirement for a structure capable of relocation, expansion, and future modification.

Transforming second-hand shipping containers into a workspace likely offered a solution that created shared value for the client, the architects, the environment, and the industrial context of the area.

A 16 by 6-meter section of an open warehouse was allocated for the new building. An old prefab unit was already being used as an office on this part of the site. a common practice in the region.

Considering the dimensions and proportions of the available site, two 40-foot containers and one 20-foot container were arranged to form a T-shaped connecting corridor. This configuration allowed for the efficient division of work areas and ensured effective circulation and access throughout the space.

The 20-foot container housed service spaces such as the kitchen, restroom, and mechanical rooms, while the two 40-foot containers accommodated the main work areas. In addition to internal wall insulation, a modular roof system was installed over the containers to provide thermal insulation and cover the corridor space. Throughout the design, provisions were made to ensure that all structures could be dismantled and reassembled elsewhere if needed.

For example, each container was separated in terms of access to electrical and network systems. A bolted joint system using standard profiles was also developed for attaching the modular roof to the containers. This method allowed for future additions, such as a canopy that was attached using this technique nine months after the project was completed.

Ultimately, the old prefab unit was dismantled and reused by a new owner at another site. The modified containers were transported from the fabrication workshop to the main site, where the pre-fabricated components were assembled within a few days, quickly enabling staff to begin working in their new office space.

In this way, a functional space was created by recycling industrial products, with minimum disruption of the site or demolition of existing structures. The workspace was efficiently zoned and arranged to address spatial limitations. It was composed of materials such as steel, wood, and glass, all connected using dry construction methods.

The project provided a respectable appearance for a reputable company and an efficient workspace for its staff, while also minimizing resource waste through the upgrading of electrical and mechanical infrastructures beyond the original design scope. It offered a new model for office space in the region. one that meets both aesthetic and functional needs while reducing energy waste.