A universal problem facing cities worldwide today is mass social housing. This issue manifests differently in different places: in some cases, housing built on modernist principles has proven unsustainable and socially problematic; in others, the challenge is to replace informal construction with safe, universal housing schemes — without repeating the mistakes of modernism. Another problem and perhaps a more important concern with social housing has been how to give the most with less money.

The Seda and Sima Towers by Khato Safhe is an iconic residential high rise located on the mountain skirts of Sadra city. This social housing estate broke the traditions of typical residential architecture. Conceived as a solution to sprawling suburbia, Khato Safhe embraced verticality as the cure.

Rising to 12 floors in height, the five identical towers sit on a total site area of 12147sq/m. The internal core houses the lifts and staircases, in addition to the utility functions such as, waste disposal chutes. A pattern of windows breaks up the monolithic exterior and provides ample delighting into the interior.

The last two floors reduce to 6 units rather than 8 provided on other floors which allows for a green roof top for the residents to use. The scheme also includes plans to reintroduce local natural features and reclaim public space by providing parks and green spaces.

For many people, there is an unfortunate stigma attached to social housing. Fortunately, Khato Safhe  hase realized that one of the best ways to combat this stigma is through good design.