Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Ghaffari (often credited as Mohammad Ghaffari) is an Iranian architect-designer whose work ranges from product design to exhibition and interior projects. He works at the intersection of craft, cultural memory and contemporary production, often drawing on regional narratives and material traditions to create objects that feel both familiar and new.
Kariz — product snapshot
Kariz is a sculptural flower pot / vase that translates the idea of the Iranian karez (an ancient underground aqueduct) into a domestic object: a system of shared water and a compact vessel language that evokes desert irrigation, communal tanks and the memory of water management across millennia. The object reads as a shallow horizontal basin with integrated channels and a communal tank logic — a poetic piece designed to remind the user of traditional life while serving a clear horticultural function. Kariz won a Bronze A’ Design Award in the Furniture / Home Furnishing category in the 2021–2022 cycle.
Why Kariz matters — concept and cultural resonance
Kariz matters because it compresses a large cultural system (the karez network) into a small, everyday object. Instead of simply making a decorative pot, the design invites the owner to think about water, communal care and the rituals of planting in arid landscapes. That narrative depth helps the object function on two levels: as a useful planter and as a conversation piece that carries place-specific meaning. The project’s award recognition emphasises that juries valued both its storytelling and its execution.
Designer mindset — how Ghaffari approached the brief
Ghaffari began from a cultural question: how can a household object remind us of larger systems of life (water, agriculture, community) without feeling literal or museum-like? His approach balanced three priorities: fidelity to the karez concept (so the memory is legible), usability (planting and watering must be practical), and manufacturability (clear production methods and reliable tolerances). He treated the object as a modern mnemonic—a minimal, functional sculpture that evokes tradition rather than reproducing it.
From idea to prototype — the development path
The development of Kariz followed a practical studio loop that designers use when translating cultural research into buildable objects:
Research & mapping. Study the karez system, its spatial logic (channels, shared reservoirs) and the rituals associated with communal irrigation. Identify which elements are most legible when scaled down to a tabletop object.
Concept sketches & rules. Generate simple rule sets: how will channels connect? How will plants sit relative to the central “tank”? Sketch multiple proportions and choose a silhouette that reads as both basin and landscape.
Scale maquettes & mockups. Make small clay or foam mockups to validate plant fit, soil depths and water behavior (how will water collect, drain or be shared?). These low-cost models quickly reveal ergonomic problems.
Material tests. Try candidate materials (ceramic, cast stone, composites) to find a balance between tactile quality, weight and manufacturing feasibility. Test glazes or surface treatments that suggest weathered stone without being fragile.
Functional proto & refinement. Build a full-size prototype, plant it, water it, and observe—adjust rim heights, channel angles and any shared reservoir geometry to prevent overflow or stagnation.
Final detailing & production preparation. Finalise draft angles, wall thicknesses, finishing specs and packaging notes so the piece can be produced consistently at scale.
This iterative loop—research → model → test → refine—lets a strongly conceptual object survive the gritty demands of real use.
Materials, manufacture and finish logic
Kariz’s material strategy supports both concept and function. For a planter that evokes geological and architectural memory, choices such as textured ceramic, fibrous cast stone or high-fidelity composites make sense: they read tactilely like carved earth while remaining producible. Ghaffari tuned wall thickness and draft for reliable moulding; he also selected surface finishes that pick up light and shadow in ways that emphasize channel geometry and the “tank” volume. Practical choices—resilient glazes, sealed interiors, and careful drainage—make the piece durable for daily use.
Ergonomics & horticultural performance
A great planter balances beauty with horticultural reality. In Kariz the designer calibrated soil depth, pot openings and channel slopes so common indoor plants fit and drainage is predictable. The shared-tank motif is primarily symbolic, but physical design choices ensure water does not pool dangerously and that root space is adequate. Wear-and-tear concerns (scratches, knocks) were addressed by finish choices that mask blemishes and by designing edges and rims that are comfortable to handle.
Prototyping lessons — what changed during testing
Common prototyping discoveries for this kind of project include: small changes in rim height change how plants read the piece; channel angles that look good dry can trap debris when in use; and certain glazes accentuate flaws. Ghaffari’s process likely involved at least one full-size, planted prototype to validate these behaviours and to tune the final finish so it reads as intentional even after months of use. The result is a planter that behaves as thoughtfully as it looks.
A’ Design Award — what the jury rewarded
Kariz’s Bronze A’ Design Award highlights three strengths juries often look for: a clear and original concept, technical competency in production-ready form, and an emotional/cultural narrative that gives the object meaning beyond utility. The award helped the project gain visibility, connect with galleries and retail partners, and communicate a credible quality signal to buyers and press.
Commercial positioning and who buys Kariz
Kariz naturally suits audiences who value narrative-driven objects: boutique interior buyers, collectors of contemporary craft, hospitality projects that want localised storytelling, and retail customers seeking design-forward plant containers. Its balance of story, finish and function also makes it appropriate for limited-edition runs or small-batch manufacturing—formats that preserve the object’s crafted identity while allowing distribution.
Maintenance, aftercare and lifecycle thinking
Because Kariz is a living-plant object, provide simple aftercare instructions—how to water without overfilling channels, how to clean surface finishes, and how to handle freeze/thaw if the product is used outdoors. Designing for repair (replaceable interior liners, spare parts) or offering a take-back / refurbishment pathway extends the lifespan and aligns the project with sustainable procurement values.
Design takeaways — lessons for studios and students
Translate systems into objects: take an entire cultural system and ask which parts are meaningful at a human scale.
Prototype in context: plant the prototypes; only real use reveals practical problems.
Balance story and manufacture: strong concept + producible details = award-winning work.
Make maintenance obvious: a beautiful planter must also be easy to care for.
Use awards strategically: recognition opens doors, but production readiness closes deals.
