Between Two Landscapes

Design team: Mostafa Movahedinia, Vahid Ghazanfari

Mohammadreza Khodabakhshi, Zahra Rostami

Graphic: Elnaz Kavehahangar, Roya Hajalizadeh

Fateme Zeinalsabzevari, Parastoo Ebrahimi

Photo: M.h Etephagh

The project site is located along the Haft Bagh axis (between Kerman and Mahan) near the city of Mahan. The area offers a unique and rare landscape, where the pristine desert environment merges with mountain ranges to the south and northeast. Given the pleasant climate, occasional rainfall, and proximity to the city of Kerman, the area attracts many residents, especially during holidays and weekends. The clients for this project are a working couple with two children who have decided to spend their holidays away from the noise and chaos of urban life in a peaceful environment. Their vision was a simple and economical villa featuring three bedrooms and a terrace facing the natural landscape.

Problem Statement:

Can architecture respond to issues beyond or related to other disciplines, or should it solely address its intra-disciplinary concerns?

Can we, instead of creating a new landscape, highlight and enhance the natural characteristics and values of the surrounding environment?

Considering the client's requirements and the regional design regulations (limited to two floors and a maximum of 150 square meters), along with our own grammatical goals, we arrived at the following design strategy:

Design Concept:

We approached the architecture as a form of installation art, one that harmoniously settles into the untouched natural surroundings. The design features an internal void in the form of a green corridor, linking the northern and southern landscapes and emphasizing the natural beauty and characteristics of the existing environment, rather than imposing a new one. This approach also provides uninterrupted views of the stunning sunrises and sunsets from the terraces.

The project architecture is defined by its cross-sectional design. The diagram of the green corridor, which serves as a bridge between the two landscapes, extends into the interior space. All interior and exterior spaces (terraces and connecting corridors) are unified through two voids flanking the corridor, creating a cohesive whole. This arrangement allows for visual continuity within the interior spaces in three dimensions, while the openings around the voids invite natural light into the interior.