Silk Tree Deaf Friendly Urban Park / Ashrafi & Zad

The design impetus for the Silk Tree Park began before the project existed, with an investigative studio at Tehran’s Urban Innovation Center. The research led by Raha Ashrafi at TUIC focused on providing safe and comfortable urban environments for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, ultimately resulting in a handbook titled 101 Tips To Design for a Deaf Friendly City. Months later, when Ashrafi & Zad was commissioned for the design of a small urban park adjacent to Tehran’s Sports Federation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the practice identified an opportunity to bring awareness to Tehran’s Deaf community and offer inclusive public amenities in the neighborhood.