Designing with Memory: Rafayel Israelyan’s Enduring Legacy in Armenia

In a time when much global architecture can feel disconnected from local identity, the work of Rafayel Israelyan stands out for being rooted in place, culture, and memory. Working in mid-20th-century Armenia, Israelyan created architecture that is more than functional or monumental; it is culturally resilient. His use of traditional Armenian motifs, materials, and symbolic forms gave his designs a second life after the fall of the Soviet Union, when many buildings across post-Soviet states were abandoned or demolished. Armenia, by contrast, preserved many of his works, likely because their design approach not only served a specific moment in time, but also told a larger story. Long before concepts like sustainability or critical regionalism became popular, Israelyan understood that buildings gain meaning and endurance when they reflect the specific identity and characteristics of their place.

Bhavati House / Dhrumam Architects

Bhavati is situated on 20 cents of Plot No.33 in 4.5 acres of land planted with various fruit trees. The promoters decided that there shall be no fences between plots and a footprint of 600.0 sft for the buildings, so as to maintain the area as an orchard. Plot No.33 is at the lower part that slopes from south to north. Bhavati bestowed the Indian Institute of Architects National Award for Excellence in Architecture 2023 for Residential Budget House up to 1500 sq.ft.

ITCH atelier / Atelier ITCH

[About the New Space] Four years have passed since ITCH HOUSE. It was both our newlywed home and our first office. During that time, we lived through the early days of marriage and our business journey. As our team grew, the need to separate home and work became clear, and with changes in our family life cycle, we began planning a new space.

Revitalization of The Relic Site of Yongle Palace / URBANUS

Creating a Dual Spatial Configuration
Only a small part of the original temple site is legally buildable, while the rest are basic farmlands. Within these constraints, a dual spatial configuration is adopted to reflect both the heritage of Lv Ancestral Home and the historical temple site. The west side builds on the base of current ancestral shrine to create a renewed cultural field, while the east focuses on evoking the memory of the original Yongle Palace. Visitors come from the west to search for the east, retracing a path that begins from informal vitality and ends with a structured ritual experience, reviving the historical interplay between everyday life and official sanctity.

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