Presenter: Alireza Taghaboni, founder of Next Office
Moderator: Pedram Farashbandi, AIA, Principal at David Baker Architects

This International Practice Committee featured event will be a moderated discussion regarding how residential architectural practice has evolved in Iran through the lens of culture, economy, and constraints. The discussion will extract lessons about broad urban topics, such as density, that could be applied in San Francisco and beyond.

About the Speaker

Architect and lecturer Alireza Taghaboni was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1977. He commenced his university studies in 1995 at Gilan University, in the field of architecture. Upon receiving his master’s degree in architecture in 2002, he began the Ph.D. program at Azad University of Science and Research of Tehran and graduated in 2007.

With eight years of experience in various architectural firms, Alireza began his practice in 2004 and established Next Office in 2009.

He has designed more than 60 projects and has received numerous architecture awards. He is a four-time recipient of the Memar Award (Iran’s most prestigious architecture award) for his projects: “Villa for a friend” (2008), Amir Villa (2011), Sharifi-ha House (2014), and Ariochoob Showroom (2015). Additionally, his project Kouhsar Villa placed second for the award in 2012, and his projects “Villa for Younger Brother” and Safadasht Dual received third place awards in 2015 and 2017. His projects Construction Engineering Disciplinary Organization of Qazvin and Sharifi-ha House were shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in 2011 and 2014.

About the Moderator

Pedram Farashbandi, AIA, Principal at David Baker Architects, is a visionary architect focused on mid-rise and high-rise design. Pedram earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Azad University in Shiraz, Iran, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

His diverse projects include market-rate housing in Baltimore, Maryland; an extensive modular development in Union City, California; all-electric affordable housing in Sunnyvale, California; and OME at 1178 Folsom, a mixed-use micro-unit building in San Francisco.

Currently, he is working on a range of projects—from modular to high-rise—in various stages in San Francisco as a Principal at David Baker Architects.