Adaptive Reuse for Hospitality Design
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Adaptive Reuse for Hospitality Design. Focus on Qajari Architecture. Yas Jahani Spring Semester 2020 Berlin International Advisor: Prof. Javier Martin Second Examiner: Prof. Dr. Carola Ebert Adaptive reuse for Hospitality Design. Focus on Qajari Architecture By Yas Jahani Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in Interior Design At Berlin International University of Applied Sciences The author hereby grants Berlin International University of Applied Sciences (BI) permission to place this thesis in the library, reproduce and distribute copies of this thesis, in whole or in part, for educational purposes. Any original of the thesis will not be available for borrowing. ______________________________________________________________________ The author hereby legally declares that he/she has completely written the attached thesis on their own and has not used any other tools than those explicitly mentioned in it. In all instances where the author has borrowed content created by other authors, either directly or in paraphrase, it has been explicitly marked in the thesis as such. This thesis has not been presented, fully or in part, to another examination authority, or been published anywhere. (The above declaration has legal value both internally at Berlin International University and externally under German public law as an „Eidesstattliche Erklärung“.) . Signature of the Author: gag'M Date of Submission: Monday, August 3rd 2020 Table of contents I. Abstract & Introduction • Problem Definition & Research Aim • Methodology II. Adaptive reuse • Adaptive Reuse: Importance & Definition • Adaptive Reuse & Relevance for Hotel Design: Key Theoretical Strategies for a Successful Project III. Building Typology of the Qajar Dynasty • Isfahani & Tehrani Architectural Styles & their Characteristics • Prominent Interior Characteristics of Qajari Residential Buildings along with the example of the Boroujerdi Historical House in Kashan IV. Case Studies • Introduction • Case One | Joybar Boutique Hotel • Case Two | Manouchehri House Two • Case Three | Hanna Boutique Hotel • Case Four | Azin Historical House • Comparative Analysis & Conclusion V. Design Proposal • Introduction & Background: The Case of the Bafandeh Historical House • Transformation • Implemented Adaptive Reuse Strategies VI. Conclusion VII. Bibliography & List of Figures Yas Jahani 2020 1 I. Abstract Winston Churchill once said: “ We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” (Hartenberger, 2011.) Most of the existing buildings constructed during the Qajar era in Iran have outlived their initial owners, surroundings and functions. Their remainders strongly mimic the past, creating a divergence between what once was & what is today. The majority of these treasures are currently deteriorating, leaving nothing but piles of dust, being eventually replaced by fabricated structures. Fig.1 Abandoned Qajari house, Kashan. By author. (Fig. 1) Throughout the recent years, there has been a heightened interest in the new generation of architects and designers in Iran to revive these structures, cautiously preserving & restoring them back to their glorious existence, whilst giving them a new function. By transforming them into boutique hotels, they not only attract foreign tourists, but also local architecture and design enthusiasts across the country. • Introduction In the 21st century, a new ‘art de vivre’ is being practiced where topics such as ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ , lowering CO2 emissions, culture and heritage preservation and economical sustainability play a dominant role within each society, leaving architects and designers with a new challenge within their professions; To reuse existing structures, rather than to thoughtlessly demolish them in order to construct anew, turning each individual into one of the key players in creating a better future, whilst setting the foundation for the evolving act of adaptive reuse. Yas Jahani 2020 2 • Problem Definition Recently, In the world of hottelerie, there is a spark of interest to revitalize old buildings, as the new generation of travelers seek more than just a standard accommodation, but rather a unique and authentic experience (Daspit, 2019). The number of adaptive reuse projects for boutique hotel purposes in Iran have been drastically increasing ever since the Manouchehri historical house in Kashan has opened its doors to international and local guests in 2010. (Aga Khan Development Network, 2020.) Not only do these buildings regain their value, they also provide an unmatched experience in a state-of-the-art world. Giving a second life to a building can have its good, bad and ugly. How to proceed with ancient structures remains one of the greatest challenges of the today’s world of architecture and design, as each structure has it’s unique history, characteristics and qualities that differ from another, resulting each building having to forego a different path in order to be able to host a particular and new function. The synthesis of the existing with the new design requires adequate knowledge on the adaptive reuse strategies that benefit each structure. It is important to mention that each strategy however, is not suitable for every building. The role of the architect is to extract the suitable strategies by stitching the buildings past with its future envision. (cf. Brooker & Stone, 2014, 79) Throughout the recent decades, researchers have gathered a broad range of strategies that help architects tackle the principle of adaptive reuse projects. A selection of existing literature on this topic will be thoroughly researched. Yas Jahani 2020 3 • Methodology The aim of this research paper is to tie a link between the strategic theories developed in the 21st century and their implementation on the existing historical buildings constructed during the Qajar era1, seeking to determine which of the strategies are best suitable to employ on these particular structures. Initially, a selection of the current literature available on adaptive reuse strategies will be examined in theory, by conducting a thorough and comparative analysis, in order to observe which strategies can be utilized for these buildings. The following chapter tackles the building typology of focus, granting an in-depth study of each architectural element and analyzing their function and purpose within the structure. In order for the reader to be able to visualize these specific structures in their distinct chronological order, a famous Qajari building is demonstrated. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an insight to the building typology, its unique materiality, the heritage and history and finally its national significance, which are crucial aspects when dealing with an adaptive reuse project as such. After collecting & analyzing all the necessary theoretical information, four case studies will be thoroughly reviewed. The case studies have been chosen based on two criteria; The first aspect being the building typology and the second being the newly- applied function of the structure. Firstly, each project will be thoroughly investigated based on its initial versus new function, the process of restoration & the theoretical adaptive reuse strategies implemented by the architects. Eventually, a conclusion is driven by this analysis in form of a comparison. The objective is to investigate how far can interior design influence & intervene with the existing & to examine which strategic approaches architects impose in order to conserve ancient traits accompanied by the newly-attributed function & design of Qajari buildings. The outcome of this research will be reflected in the fifth chapter, the bachelor thesis project, a design proposal for the Bafandeh Historical House and its 1 The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian dynasty ruling over Iran from 1789 to 1925. (Wikipedia 2020) Yas Jahani 2020 4 reprogramming to a boutique hotel & the project conclusion, serving to represent a personal strategic approach. The intention of this research is to provide a basis for projects tackling the same building typology, its challenges and the methods architects can undertake guaranteeing a successful outcome with the help of the theory of adaptive reuse. II. Adaptive reuse • Importance & Definition Nowadays, there is a high interest in the world of architecture and design to work with existing structures, repairing them and restoring them for future use, as “The inherent qualities of the place and its surroundings, combined with the anticipation of the future use, produce a multi-layered complexity impossible to replicate in a new building.” This process of alteration and adaptation is mostly known as ‘adaptive reuse’. (Brooker & Stone 2014, 9.) Offering a wide range of possibilities for transforming a building into a functional, yet authentic structure, adaptive reuse is a great tool for meeting society’s contemporary needs of today, whilst preserving the essence of the past. (Plevoets and von Cleempeol 2019, 23.) According to a study conducted by the university of Moratuwa, it is only necessary to demolish 0,5 to 1,0 per cent of the buildings constructed today, as most buildings can be used for up to 60 years on average, although their lifespan can even be prolonged to even a century by carrying out proper and regular maintenance. (De Silva, Dilantha & Perera, Kanchana. 2016.) Adaptive reuse is not only seen as a strategy of utilizing what already exists, but also, it is seen as a way to conserve history, culture and heritage, creating a beautiful collision