Liminal Villa

Location: Iran, Gilan

Material: Wood

Design date: 2025

Architect: Amir Reza Madadi Javid

Design team: Kimia Hejazi, Kosar Yadegari, Fatemeh Hosseinian, Fatemeh Moradi

Story:

Text provided by the architects:

This work is the result of the mental explorations of an architecture student in confronting simple geometric forms.

Architecture can be both simple and complex at the same time. Its simplicity is evident in forms and shapes, while its complexity lies in the layers of meaning, experience, and the relationships that a space establishes with its users. Even basic geometric elements—circle, triangle, and square—have the ability to create spaces that are not merely physical structures but also provide functional and cognitive experiences for the occupant.

Beauty and efficiency are rooted in the purity of forms and the honesty of design, not in excessive decoration. Using basic geometric shapes as the primary language of architecture demonstrates that simplicity can produce spaces that are efficient, organized, and enduring—spaces where functionality, environmental connection, and spatial understanding are considered simultaneously.

Simple forms do not impose limitations; rather, they provide the necessary foundation for structural and functional complexity and demonstrate that purity and honesty in design can become the most effective tools for expressing architectural intentions.

Design Concept
This villa was conceived based on a search for purity in architecture—a search that returns to geometry as humanity’s primary and universal language. The choice of circle, triangle, and square was not merely as geometric shapes, but as fundamental concepts—concepts that generate power through their simplicity. The aim was to create a space that leaves a lasting presence not only in its physical form but also in the mind and perception of its audience; a space where beauty merges with meaning, and experience blends with poetry.

Form and Structure
The circle, manifested as a circular pathway over water, plays the initial role in this experience. This path was intentionally designed to be more than a simple access route; it is a ceremonial movement that separates the user from the outside world and gradually invites them into the living space. Walking along this circle creates a pause and a sense of contemplation, transforming entry into the building from a physical act into a mental and emotional experience.

The triangle, expressed through an A-frame structure, defines the main form of the villa. Here, the triangle symbolizes stability and shelter, a connection between earth and sky. The sloped roof, beyond its structural logic, creates a spatial quality that embraces nature. The transparent openings on the main façade dissolve the boundary between inside and outside, extending life within the villa into the surrounding environment.

The square, as a distinct and prominent element, sits atop this composition. This volume not only creates a deliberate contrast with the triangular form but also becomes the pinnacle of the spatial experience: a transparent bathtub with a ceiling open to the sky. In this space, the user is in direct connection with water, light, and the landscape—a pure experience that elevates architecture from the realm of function to the poetic domain of living.

Shortlisted for the 3rd Biennial Villa Award 2025 - Idea Category with participant code VA-0119