Arghavan Mahboubin – SAIC Graduate Exhibition 2025

SAIC SHOWS 2025 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Graduates

SAIC SHOWS 2025 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Arghavan Mahboubin

Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture

Graduate Exhibition Two

arghavanmahboubin@gmail.com

arghavanmahboubindesigns.com

I’m Arghavan Mahboubin, an Iranian-born designer whose work explores the intersection of cultural identity, interior architecture, and environmental resilience. With a background in traditional Persian design and a master’s degree in Architecture—with an emphasis on Interior Architecture—from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I bring a globally informed, research-driven approach to spatial design. I currently serve as Vice President of NOMAS at SAIC, where I actively advocate for equity and representation in architecture. My thesis investigates sustainable materials and passive cooling strategies inspired by Iran’s architectural heritage, reimagined for contemporary residential spaces. I’m passionate about creating environments that are both emotionally resonant and functionally refined, always with careful attention to cultural context. My work is grounded in a deep sensitivity to human behavior, storytelling, and place-making—blending historical depth with innovative design thinking.

Arghavan Mahboubin - Beyond the Anthropocene

Beyond the Anthropocene, McCook Quarry/Reservoir- FIELD STATIONS

This project focuses on the typical approach of landscape architecture, in order to create a new approach to tell the stories of McCook Quarry. By adopting the new approach reacting both to place and time, which can be visual and audible, innovative and interactive, this thesis explores the potential of the site itself along with its rich history and story. Being on US Route 66 and within a short distance from downtown Chicago, McCook Quarry will need the new approach and the new elements of time-based media combined with conventional landscape structures to become a fascinating, spectacular site which connects the past with the present, nature with the industry, and the metropolis with the local community. This site not only holds on to its history but also attracts a new generation of visitors by telling its story through new media: a wonder as part of the chain of wonders along Route 66 with cultural, historical and geological value.

Arghavan Mahboubin - LANDSCAPE INSTRUMENT

LANDSCAPE INSTRUMENT, Landscape Kitchen in the Park

An open kitchen/restaurant where all the ingredients are coming straight from "Global Garden Refugee Training Farm". So they can promote their culturally rooted agricultural products and make money to provide their family.

Arghavan Mahboubin - Nurturing Transition

Nurturing Transition, Adaptation of immigrant children to their new surroundings

My main concept revolves around the creation of a children’s community space tailored specifically to aid in the transition of immigrant children into their new city. This space serves as more than just a building; it’s a sanctuary where these children can find solace, companionship, and the opportunity to gradually integrate into their new environment. Center of the concept is the idea of intimate spaces within the community. Recognizing that enclosed spaces might trigger trauma in some children, the design emphasizes the creation of small, intimate spaces where they can feel safe and secure. These spaces serve as retreats within the larger community, providing a sense of privacy and tranquility amidst the chaos of the new urban life. the design also acknowledges that many immigrant children may not have had access to large, separate spaces for play or solitude in their previous environments. By incorporating intimate spaces within the larger community, the design ensures that every aspect of the space is tailored to the needs and experiences of its young occupants.

Arghavan Mahboubin - The Century Building

The Century Building, Early 20th- century Chicago School architecture building which transformed into a Dormitory for the "School of the Art Institute of Chicago

The transformation of 212 S State Street reimagines a historic Chicago School building as a vibrant dormitory for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Anchored by a new central core for circulation and safety, the design introduces bold, glass cantilevered social spaces that contrast with the original façade—merging heritage with innovation. This adaptive reuse celebrates the building’s legacy while creating a light-filled, collaborative environment that supports creative student life and reflects the evolving narrative of architecture in an urban context of Chicago.

Arghavan Mahboubin - The New Vernacular

The New Vernacular, Redefining Contemporary Residential Architecture Through Iranian Cultural Identity and Environmental Sustainability

The transformation of 212 S State Street reimagines a historic Chicago School building as a vibrant dormitory for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Anchored by a new central core for circulation and safety, the design introduces bold, glass cantilevered social spaces that contrast with the original façade—merging heritage with innovation. This adaptive reuse celebrates the building’s legacy while creating a light-filled, collaborative environment that supports creative student life and reflects the evolving narrative of architecture in an urban context of Chicago.

I design with memory in my hands and the future in my eyes. Rooted in Iranian heritage, my work explores the delicate balance between cultural identity, emotional resonance, and environmental responsibility. Whether reimagining a historic Chicago high-rise as a modern space for student life, or shaping a sunlit courtyard in Yazd with wind, water, and earth, I am always searching for that quiet intersection where the past breathes life into the present.

Architecture, to me, is not just structure; it’s storytelling. Each project is a dialogue between place and purpose, ornament and openness, tradition and transformation. I draw from vernacular materials, inherited rituals, and the poetry of space to craft environments that feel both deeply personal and universally human.

Through my practice, I hope to create spaces that don’t just shelter, but inspire; homes for memory, movement, and meaning.