VILLA KOUHSAR

Alborz Province, Iran

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VILLA KOUHSAR

Alborz Province, Iran

Firm

hopo design

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2021

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

Koohsar is a developing area adjacent to Karaj, once covered with trees and now gradually transforming into a villa district. Koohsar Villa responds to this transitional context by negotiating the relationship between interior and exterior forces—elements that needed to be interconnected through the concept of the villa and allowed to influence one another.

On one hand, spaces had to be positioned appropriately according to function; on the other, they needed to maintain meaningful relationships with each other and with the surrounding environment. Natural light and fresh air were to be invited inside while remaining carefully controlled. Open spaces were essential, yet privacy had to be preserved. Connections were necessary, but they were designed to unfold gradually and calmly. At the same time, security during periods of absence was a key consideration.

The design process began by dividing the site into three primary zones: the front yard, the built volume, and the backyard. These were then further subdivided into smaller functional components, allowing the project to evolve progressively while generating spatial diversity within a cohesive overall experience. The goal was to create a memorable environment structured around an axis that subtly shifts and breaks in different directions, extending and deepening the user’s spatial journey.

A sequence of defined steps shapes the experience of movement through the site. The first step places the entrance alongside the parking and caretaker’s area, forming the initial threshold. The second step leads into a small fruit garden, offering an intimate and sensory interaction with nature. The third step introduces a pond and gazebo at the heart of the courtyard—serving both as a transitional passage and a place of pause.

Before entering the building, a moment of visual engagement with the architecture is created. The volume is defined by balanced proportions, simultaneously solid and transparent. Its solidity responds to the hot, dry climate, while its transparency establishes a visual connection between the front yard and the rear pool courtyard. The building remains flexible in order to accommodate privacy, security, and visual continuity.

As the path continues, the volume recedes and fractures to define the entrance. Here, the courtyard merges with the building mass, forming a semi-enclosed space open to the sky and garden. The integration of greenery into this transitional zone reinforces the dialogue between inside and outside.

Upon entering, the spatial center reveals both connection and separation. A previously hidden quiet courtyard at the rear becomes visible. The staircase emerges as a strong architectural element—simultaneously open and enclosed. Elevated slightly above the ground, it emphasizes its role as a connector to the upper private level while creating an additional living space beneath it.

The final step leads to the backyard pool courtyard, positioned at ground level yet oriented toward the sky. Although located outside the built volume, it remains entirely private. Situated behind the villa, it maintains visual continuity with the front yard through adjacent transparent elements.

Through movement and occupation, the layered composition of spaces, axes, functions, and shifting perspectives becomes fully perceptible, revealing a villa defined not by a single gesture but by the gradual unfolding of spatial experiences.