Vee Derakht Café

Vee Derakht Café transforms a former 20-square-meter flower shop in Karaj into a compact café where spatial efficiency, material continuity, and a carefully balanced use of color establish a distinctive architectural identity. Rather than treating the project as a conventional interior renovation, the design explores how a limited footprint can be reimagined through clarity, precision, and integrated architectural solutions to create a memorable urban destination.

Located within a dense commercial neighborhood, the project responds to the challenge of accommodating all the functional requirements of a contemporary café within an extremely compact space. Food preparation, customer service, storage, utilities, and circulation had to coexist without compromising the clarity of the interior or the quality of the customer experience. Instead of concealing these constraints, the design transforms them into the driving force behind the spatial organization.

The existing unit presented several limitations, including irregular angled walls, limited natural ventilation, and a narrow floor area. Every architectural element was therefore designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously. Built-in storage, integrated furniture, concealed service areas, and precisely coordinated details maximize the available space while maintaining a clean and visually calm environment. The result is an interior where efficiency is achieved through integration rather than addition.

The spatial organization is intentionally simple and intuitive. Positioned along the primary visual axis, the service counter immediately defines the customer experience upon entry and becomes the focal point of the interior. Since the café primarily operates as a takeaway destination, the limited indoor area is entirely dedicated to preparation and service. A small outdoor seating area, created by extending the project onto the pavement in front of the café, provides a place for customers to pause while establishing a stronger relationship between the café and the surrounding public realm.

Color plays a fundamental role in shaping the project's identity. Inspired by the freshness of natural ingredients, green evokes vegetation, vitality, and renewal, while orange introduces warmth and energy. Rather than functioning as decorative accents, these colors organize different architectural elements, strengthen visual continuity, and create a recognizable identity that extends from the façade into the interior.

Material selection reinforces both the conceptual and functional ambitions of the project. Elongated ceramic tiles emphasize the linear geometry of the interior and visually expand the compact dimensions of the space. A quartz countertop provides a durable and hygienic working surface, while large-format white porcelain tiles increase brightness and reinforce the clean character of the preparation area. Outside the café, coin-pattern concrete paving defines the entrance threshold and the outdoor seating area, extending the architectural language into the public sidewalk and creating a seamless transition between the café and the city. Adjustable spotlights accentuate material textures and spatial depth, while the restrained palette ensures durability, ease of maintenance, and a timeless architectural character.

The façade continues the same architectural language through the deliberate use of color, material, and composition. Rather than acting as a separate visual element, it establishes a strong connection between the interior and the street, inviting pedestrians while expressing the café's identity within the urban context. Together, the façade and outdoor seating transform the small storefront into an active public interface that contributes to the life of the neighborhood.

Ultimately, Vee Derakht Café demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can transform a highly constrained retail space into a coherent and efficient hospitality environment. Through the careful integration of spatial organization, material consistency, color, and urban presence, the project creates a compact café whose architectural identity extends well beyond its modest dimensions.