Designing a Co-Housing Complex for Low- an‎d Middle-Income Groups in Tehran

5/12/2026 12:00:00 AM

Due to population growth, lifestyle transformations, rising housing prices, an‎d economic crises in Iran, providing affordable an‎d high-quality housing for middle- an‎d lower-income groups has faced serious challenges. Current housing types have been unable to adequately address this crisis. Therefore, developing an‎d introducing a suitable housing type that is both economically affordable an‎d culturally an‎d lifestyle-compatible with the population is deemed essential. Drawing inspiration from traditional Iranian architecture an‎d historical practices of communal living, the concept of co-housing emerges as a potential solution to this crisis. Co-housing offers economic, social, an‎d sustainability benefits as well as enhanced security an‎d quality of life. However, since this concept is relatively new in Iran, the objective of the present study is to identify co-housing components tailored to the cultural, social, an‎d economic conditions of Iran an‎d ultimately to define the general architectural structure of such housing. The research methodology is qualitative an‎d comprises two stages as follows: Stage 1: Using a descriptive approach, information regarding communal housing an‎d the co-housing concept was collected. Subsequently, through content analysis, various types of communal housing were examined, leading to the selec‎tion of the co-housing model. Next, the components of co-housing were categorized. Stage 2: This stage consists of two interrelated sections: Based on the components obtained from content analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants using the grounded theory approach. These interviews examined the acceptability of co-housing, identified “Iranian” co-housing components, explored the factors influencing the acceptance of co-housing by Iranians, an‎d assessed the demographic characteristics of Iranian co-housing residents. 2. Using a case study method, the physical components derived from the content analysis were examined an‎d analyzed across 12 global case studies, yielding design strategies for co-housing on a global scale. In the final conclusion, by synthesizing the findings from the two stages, architectural design strategies for Iranian co-housing were developed. These strategies are presented in nine categories, emphasizing that privacy is a fundamental issue in Iranian culture. Additionally, maintaining privacy must address not only physical aspects but also relational dimensions. Another key finding highlights the importance of voluntary interaction an‎d shared spaces in Iranian co-housing. Regarding spatial layout, among possible configurations, the central layout with a shared courtyard was the most favored by participants. Considering Iranʹs current conditions, co-housing can be an effective solution to alleviate the housing crisis.

مسكن اشتراكي , مسكن همسايگي , راهكارهاي طراحي , معماري , زمينه ايران

Shared housing , Co-Housing , Design Strategies , Architecture , Iranian Context

Zahra Akbari

Dr. Seyed Abbas Yazdanfar - Dr. Neda Sadat Sahragard Monfared