Interview about Taravat Villa Residential, winner of the A' Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design Award 2025
The villa design blends traditional Persian architecture with modern sustainability, showcasing arched openings and intricate tilework that connect the structure to the region’s cultural history. Green spaces and plants improve air quality, regulate temperature, and enhance energy efficiency. Large windows maximize natural light, fostering a connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The landscaping, with native plants, creates inviting areas for relaxation. Overall, the design balances cultural tradition with sustainability, offering a timeless, eco-friendly living experience.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe integration of AI-assisted design tools in the Taravat Villa Residential project was never about replacing tradition — it was about enhancing and reinterpreting it. My goal was to honor Persian architectural heritage, not as a fixed past, but as a living, evolving language that can speak to the present.AI supported my process in multiple ways. Firstly, through generative design, I was able to explore complex spatial arrangements inspired by Persian geometry, such as muqarnas and symmetric courtyards, and test dozens of variations quickly. This accelerated ideation while allowing a more experimental approach rooted in traditional forms.Secondly, AI tools helped me simulate natural light behavior, thermal performance, and user movement throughout the villa. This data-driven feedback allowed me to refine design decisions — like optimizing window placements, courtyard proportions, and façade layering — in a way that aligned with both environmental sustainability and cultural symbolism.Most importantly, I used AI as a collaborator, not a dictator. The creative vision — the narrative, the emotions, the references to Iranian identity — remained human and intentional. AI simply helped me amplify the soul of the space with greater precision, speed, and depth.By blending tradition with technology, I was able to create a home that feels both deeply rooted in history and relevant to the future — and I believe that is where true innovation happens.
In designing Taravat Villa Residential, I was deeply inspired by the timeless beauty and wisdom embedded in Persian architecture, particularly its craft-based elements like intricate tilework and arched openings. These aren’t merely decorative components; they carry centuries of cultural, climatic, and symbolic knowledge.The tilework, for instance, was inspired by the geometric motifs and chromatic harmony of Safavid-era architecture. But instead of replicating historical patterns, I reinterpreted them using locally sourced materials and low-VOC glazes, ensuring the surfaces remained both environmentally friendly and culturally expressive. The tile colors were selected not just for aesthetic appeal, but also to reflect light and regulate surface temperature.The arched openings served multiple functions — they created a sense of grandeur and spiritual openness, but more importantly, they allowed for passive cooling and natural ventilation. By adjusting the proportions and orientations of these arches based on solar angles and wind flow analysis, I was able to enhance thermal comfort inside the villa without relying heavily on mechanical systems.These traditional forms, when thoughtfully adapted, are inherently sustainable. My approach was to bridge the emotional richness of heritage with the ecological responsibility of contemporary design. In doing so, I believe Taravat Villa offers a narrative that is both rooted and forward-looking.
while Taravat Villa Residential does not include a central courtyard in the traditional sense, the project reimagines passive cooling techniques by distributing green terraces, arched balconies, and strategically layered volumes to achieve similar environmental effects through a more vertical and contemporary configuration.One of the key inspirations came from traditional Iranian architectural principles like multi-layered spatial hierarchy, thermal massing, and shaded transitional zones. Instead of placing a courtyard at the center, I created semi-open terraces and recessed balconies on multiple levels, which act as thermal buffers, promoting natural ventilation and minimizing heat gain — especially in warmer months.To optimize these passive strategies, I used environmental simulation tools like sun-path analysis and wind-flow modeling. These tools helped me position openings, recesses, and overhangs to regulate interior temperature naturally — ensuring the space remains cool without excessive reliance on mechanical systems.Moreover, the presence of climbing greenery and planters integrated into the facade contributes to evaporative cooling, improves air quality, and creates a biophilic connection with nature — another subtle but powerful interpretation of the traditional Iranian garden (Bagh).By blending environmental technology with vernacular spatial thinking, Taravat Villa creates a sustainable and emotionally resonant living experience that stays true to its cultural roots while addressing today’s climatic needs.
In Taravat Villa, the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces was central to our design philosophy. Inspired by traditional Iranian houses and their emphasis on spatial fluidity, we aimed to create a harmonious dialogue between the built environment and nature.Key considerations included:Layered Terraces and Green Platforms: I designed cascading green terraces and semi-open verandas to act as transitional spaces—these serve not only as extensions of the interior but also moderate the microclimate through vegetation and shade.Use of Arches and Large Openings: The architectural language employs generous arched windows and doors that frame views of nature, increase daylight penetration, and facilitate natural ventilation. This blurs the boundary between inside and outside.Material Continuity: I used a consistent palette of local brick, traditional turquoise tile, and stucco across interior and exterior surfaces. This material continuity reinforces spatial unity and creates a soothing visual rhythm.Cultural and Climatic Sensitivity: Drawing from Persian garden design and climatic architecture, I placed great emphasis on thermal comfort—by positioning openings strategically, integrating greenery, and orienting the building to harness prevailing winds.Ultimately, these transitions elevate the living experience by offering sensory richness—light, breeze, greenery—and simultaneously enhance the building’s environmental performance by reducing reliance on artificial systems.
The landscaping philosophy for Taravat Villa was deeply rooted in ecological sensitivity and cultural identity. I envisioned nature not as an addition to architecture but as an integral design element woven into the spatial narrative of the villa.My approach was guided by the following key principles:Use of Native and Drought-Tolerant Plants: I prioritized indigenous vegetation that thrives in the local climate with minimal irrigation. These plants not only reduce water consumption but also foster biodiversity and maintain ecological balance.Layered Green Integration: Landscaping was not limited to ground level. I extended greenery vertically across terraces, balconies, and rooftops—transforming each level into a breathable green layer that enhances insulation and reduces the urban heat island effect.Cultural Reflection: Inspired by Persian garden principles, I used vegetation to define movement, create contemplative spaces, and establish harmony between humans and the natural world. Green elements act as soft thresholds between indoor and outdoor zones.Sustainable Microclimate Design: The landscape plays a passive yet powerful role in the villa’s environmental performance. Trees and plants provide shade, filter dust, and cool the air, significantly reducing the need for mechanical cooling systems.In essence, the landscape in Taravat Villa is not just an aesthetic gesture—it is a living system that supports sustainability, enriches the user experience, and reinterprets traditional values in a contemporary architectural language.
The design of Taravat Villa relied significantly on AI-assisted tools that helped simulate environmental behavior and suggest efficient spatial solutions. Instead of conducting traditional in-depth climate analysis or physical material testing, I used AI to process regional data and quickly generate responsive design options.One of the most unexpected outcomes was how effectively AI could suggest form and orientation strategies aligned with passive cooling and natural lighting principles. It also led me to consider local materials such as brick and tile not only for their cultural value but also for their performance benefits in warm climates.This approach allowed me to balance innovation with tradition, using technology to inform decisions that remained sensitive to context and identity.
rtificial intelligence played a key role in optimizing the form and spatial layout of Taravat Villa to respond effectively to the challenges of southern Iran’s hot climate. Rather than relying solely on traditional intuition, I used AI-based simulation tools to test how various volumetric configurations would perform under intense sunlight, high temperatures, and prevailing wind conditions.These tools enabled me to:Quickly evaluate solar exposure on different facades and surfaces, leading to precise placement of overhangs, recesses, and shading elements.Optimize natural ventilation by analyzing wind flow through the building’s openings, which helped reduce reliance on mechanical cooling.Refine spatial zoning, ensuring that private, semi-private, and service areas were placed in thermally appropriate zones throughout the day.What made this process especially valuable was the speed at which AI could generate and compare alternatives. It allowed me to arrive at a compact yet layered design that minimizes heat gain, enhances airflow, and aligns with both functional needs and cultural expression.Ultimately, AI served as a tool to enhance environmental responsiveness without compromising architectural identity — a balance that was essential to the vision behind Taravat Villa.
In selecting materials for Taravat Villa, I was guided by two main principles: environmental responsibility and cultural continuity. I wanted the villa to reflect a modern commitment to sustainability while still resonating with the timeless material language of Persian architecture.The decision to incorporate recycled concrete and low-carbon steel came from a desire to reduce the project’s embodied carbon footprint without compromising structural integrity. These materials allowed for greater flexibility in form and detailing, while aligning with international standards for sustainable construction.At the same time, I balanced these modern elements with regionally sourced brick, lime plaster, and handmade tilework — materials historically used in Persian architecture for their thermal performance, durability, and expressive quality. This juxtaposition allowed the project to feel both contemporary and rooted.What ultimately shaped my material palette was not just performance data, but a deeper intent to create a dialogue between old and new — using today’s technologies and sustainable materials to tell a story that honors traditional building wisdom while responding to present-day environmental challenges.
In Taravat Villa, the integration of double-height spaces was not only an aesthetic or spatial gesture — it was a passive strategy deeply connected to environmental performance. These vertical voids act as natural thermal chimneys, facilitating stack ventilation by allowing warm air to rise and exit through upper openings, while drawing cooler air in from lower zones.To enhance this effect, I carefully aligned window openings, vents, and recessed balconies to create cross-ventilation paths throughout the villa. The proportions of these double-height spaces were also optimized to balance airflow with thermal comfort, especially during the region’s hot summer months.By combining these vertical volumes with AI-assisted airflow simulations, I was able to test and fine-tune ventilation efficiency across different scenarios. As a result, the villa maintains a comfortable indoor environment with minimal reliance on mechanical cooling systems, even during peak heat periods.This strategy reflects a core design value in the project: leveraging spatial form as a passive environmental tool, rooted in both vernacular wisdom and contemporary analysis.
I believe the future of sustainable residential architecture in Iran lies at the intersection of cultural continuity and technological innovation. Projects like Taravat Villa show that we don’t need to choose between heritage and progress — we can integrate both to create designs that are not only efficient and climate-responsive, but also emotionally and culturally resonant.By using AI tools alongside traditional design principles, I was able to uncover new ways of solving age-old problems — from managing heat to shaping space — without losing the symbolic and spatial richness of Persian architecture. This hybrid approach can inspire a new generation of architects to see sustainability not as a technical checklist, but as a creative dialogue between identity, environment, and technology.As climate challenges intensify and cultural homogenization increases, I see this method as a way to preserve local character while embracing global tools. It offers a model for how Iranian architecture can evolve: grounded in place, enriched by memory, and empowered by innovation.
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