architect’s talk
KEEP IN TOUCH!
with Alireza Taghaboni and Mark Gilbert, moderated by Negar Hakim
08/10/2026, 5pm
as part of the exhibition project Keep in Touch!, curated by Negar Hakim & Christiane Kalantari
Venue: philomena+ project room, Heinestraße 40, 1020 Vienna
Left: Safadasht Dual, Tehran, 2016 – Nextoffice / Alireza Taghaboni. Photo: Hamoon Moghaddam. Right: zwei+plus – Intergenerational Network, Stavangergasse, Vienna – trans_city ZT GmbH / Mark Gilbert. Photo: H. Hurnaus.
How can architecture foster relationships across generations? Alireza Taghaboni and Mark Gilbert discuss the tandem housing model, in which two households from different generations live in close proximity and support one another while retaining their independence and privacy. Drawing on examples from Iran and Austria, they examine how intergenerational living is conceived and implemented within different cultural, social, and architectural contexts—and how clients, society, and the architectural profession respond to such concepts. Conceived as an open conversation between the architects and the audience, the event invites participants to discuss why such housing models are particularly relevant today.
architects
MARK GILBERT
(*1961 in Schenectady, New York) studied mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester before pursuing architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Since 2009, he has been a co-founder and partner of trans_city ZT GmbH in Vienna. His work focuses on architecture, urban planning, housing, and sustainable urban development. He has received grants and awards from the Graham Foundation, the City of Vienna, and the Vienna Business Agency’s departure programme. He has also published numerous texts on architecture and urbanism.
ALIREZA TAGHABONI
(*1977 in Tehran) is one of the leading figures in contemporary Iranian architecture. He studied architecture at the University of Gilan and later earned his PhD in Tehran. In 2010, he founded the internationally renowned architectural practice Nextoffice, whose work critically engages with Iran's architectural heritage, transforming its spatial principles into new architectural typologies and narratives. Based in Tehran, Taghaboni combines professional practice with architectural education and independent educational initiatives. His work has been exhibited and published internationally and has received numerous prestigious awards, including several Memar Awards and The Royal Academy of Arts of London.
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