Interview about Gilak Villa, winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2022
In the project, an attempt has been made to use the climatic techniques of temperate and humid regions in Iran; which control humidity, wind, and radiation and bring the standard of living closer to the comfort range. These items work best in the form of a nine-square geometric technique and are based on the geometry of Iranian architecture and Iranian carpets. The main mass of the building is formed around the central axis, which is designed as an integrated void and on all floors, there are openings to it from all four directions, which cause airflow and moisture to escape from inside.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWe believe that climate-responsive architecture allows us to learn from the paths our ancestors have taken—paths shaped by centuries of experience. By studying these traditional methods, we aim to extend their effective principles and reinterpret them for today’s needs, updating vernacular strategies and integrating them with contemporary techniques to reduce the reliance on non-renewable energy.Historical Iranian architecture offers abundant examples of utilizing clean and renewable resources—sunlight, wind, water (hydro), rainfall, and even the thermal capacity of the earth. In the Gilak Villa, we revisited these principles and transformed them through architectural form, functional mechanisms, spatial configuration, and thoughtful material composition.In doing so, we sought not to replicate tradition, but to renew it, shaping a contemporary architecture rooted in timeless ecological wisdom.
In traditional Iranian architecture—particularly in hot–dry, hot–humid, and temperate–humid climates—we see remarkable examples of how the "Stack Effect" was used to move air naturally. Atriums, thermal chimneys, central courtyards, domes with ventilation openings, and vertical shafts all served as intelligent mechanisms for guiding airflow.In the Gilak Villa, this heritage inspired us to reinterpret the ventilation shaft as a renewed, contemporary system placed at the core of the building. By using temperature differentials between surfaces, and by carefully controlling the size of air inlets (larger than the outlet openings), we created a stable and manageable airflow throughout the house.This system helps extract internal moisture before it can damage surfaces, and it prevents condensation from settling within the structure. It also significantly contributes to reducing indoor temperatures during the warmer months.
The use of the "Nine-Square" geometric layout—arranged as three-by-three modules within a primary mother square—served several essential purposes in the design of the Gilak Villa. This configuration allowed us to establish a clear central core at the heart of the project and to position the vertical circulation in an optimal and coherent manner.Functionally, the geometric order creates a balanced quadrilateral form that enhances natural ventilation from the building’s lateral faces and improves solar control. It also enables the formation of a four-sided pitched roof, which efficiently manages and channels the region’s heavy seasonal rainfall.Culturally, this geometry echoes traditional Iranian spatial logic and the modular patterns found in Persian carpets. Circulation is organized as a continuous loop around the central axis, generating spaces of equal hierarchy and a unified spatial rhythm—qualities deeply rooted in Iran’s architectural heritage.
In temperate and humid regions, traditional architecture often opens itself toward nature to secure airflow, pleasant views, and a seamless connection with the outdoors. In the Gilak Villa, we embraced this principle by softening the boundary between interior and exterior, allowing the landscape to flow into the living spaces.This approach echoes the region’s cultural tradition of living in close dialogue with the environment, while also responding to contemporary lifestyles that value openness, continuity, and a more immersive connection with nature.
The four-sided pitched roof of the Gilak Villa was shaped primarily to manage the region’s intense seasonal rainfall. Beyond its functional role, the form echoes traditional rooflines of temperate–humid regions, carrying a familiar and nostalgic cultural identity.Its geometry also provides favorable orientations for the future integration of photovoltaic panels—allowing the roof to serve as both a climatic response and a multifunctional energy-conscious system.
The peripheral circulation of the Gilak Villa follows a traditional continuous walkway that wraps around the building. In our design, this ring was reinterpreted and divided between two levels—part of it operates on the first floor and part on the second.This split configuration enhances its environmental performance: it improves natural ventilation, moderates solar exposure, assists in channeling rainwater, and preserves panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. As a result, the system achieves a more efficient and versatile functional response compared to its traditional precedents.
By updating traditional climatic systems in the Gilak Villa, the use of non-renewable energy has been minimized. The design employs stack-effect airflow in the central vertical corridor and four-directional ventilation made possible by the building’s quadrilateral geometry.The four-sided pitched roofs are prepared for photovoltaic panels and collect rainwater along their perimeter ring, while an additional collection path around the building stores surface runoff for drier seasons.Solar control is achieved through the extended roof edges on the east and west, and through unified north–south openings that capture desirable light. Together, these measures address Gilan’s environmental challenges while enabling automatic regulation of sunlight, humidity, and airflow with minimal energy consumption.
In most vernacular and climate-responsive projects, the primary building forms are shaped according to the dominant annual weather conditions. In the Gilak Villa, the four-sided pitched roof was designed to control solar radiation, direct intense rainfall, support airflow, and extract moisture from the highest level of the building, while also making maintenance and repair more accessible.In this climatic zone, spring brings pleasant weather with heavy rainfalls, and autumn continues to be marked by intense precipitation. In winter, due to high humidity and the significant thermal capacity of suspended water molecules, extreme cold is not experienced. Finally, in summer, rainfall decreases and temperatures rise under stronger solar exposure.As a result, in this region the main task of the roof is to manage humidity and rain, while also facilitating the release of internal heat—functions that guided the shaping and optimization of the roof form in the Gilak Villa.
In climate-responsive design, the architect’s responsibility is to make intelligent use of the accumulated knowledge of past generations. Evolving these traditional principles through contemporary research, improved materials, modern construction capabilities, and careful control of non-renewable energy use creates an effective path toward buildings that coexist harmoniously with nature.
The most important lesson the Gilak Villa can offer future projects—and young architects—is the clear distinction and direct response to each specific climatic need. This approach makes it easier to recognize the necessity of fundamental ecological principles. A building should, unmistakably, express its respect for nature.
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