Standing at the edge of an Iranian village, the Separo House blends gently into its mountainous context with its earthy tones. The residence not only inhabits an edge physically—between the built environment and context—but also stylistically at the convergence of modern and traditional architecture. It doesn't quite hold the organic form of conventional adobe houses with vaulted ceilings, neither reflecting the stark modernity of the other, sharply orthogonal dwellings. Conceived by Tehran-based Hypertext Architecture Studio, the residential architecture holds the balance of integrating traditional building techniques and modern architectural forms, bestowing its contemporary form with a deeply contextual nature. The house is located in the village of Separo—from which it borrows its name—near the city of Nain in the Isfahan Province, 160 kilometres from Yazd in Iran. The name ‘Separo’ refers to a place surrounded by flowing water on three sides, although it currently faces water scarcity. The site on which it stands is a 220 sqm plot located on the village’s end, bordered by surrounding mountains to the west and residential neighbours to the east.

"Archetypes arise from collective human experiences over the years and can effectively establish a connection with the past,” the studio proclaims. The idea finds resonance in Christopher Alexander’s patterns as an equivalent to archetypes in his book The Timeless Way of Building, which talks about how a sense of repetition is what gives architecture a sense of identity—through recurring materiality, spatial configurations, architectural elements or motifs. Alexander elaborates, “Each building gets its character from just the patterns which keep on repeating. Each neighbourhood is defined, too, in everything that matters, by the patterns which keep repeating.” The patterns, however, need not retain a militant constancy and evolve through subtle iterations in each application, which remains the case for the Separo House. The patterns are adapted to suit a modernist form but retain familiarity. The Iranian architecture firm elaborates, “Through studying and observing the village and its historic buildings, it became clear that one of the main features of these structures is the curved roof, which serves as an archetype in the village's architecture. The harmony with the context was a key reason for choosing an arched spatial form.”

The residential design's massing is sectioned into open, public and private spaces with linear access. The home's entrance opens into a front yard which leads to the living room and the kitchen on the ground floor. A staircase then leads to three bedrooms alongside a private living space and a balcony on the upper level. The structure’s orientation and high compound wall come together to create a combined sense of privacy and openness to the natural landscape with proximity to its surroundings. The warmth and textures of the wood articulating the home's inside enliven the otherwise highly minimalistic, neutral palette of the interior design.

The vaulted ceiling inside the contextual design creates a dynamicity of volume and the lack of periphery beams floods the residential interiors with natural light. The primary facade of the house faces away from the village, providing a scenic view of the plains and mountains to the inhabitants. The curved roof does not limit itself to architectural resonance with its context but also provides additional thermal comfort (in comparison to a flat roof) by providing a higher thermal mass. The double-shell design enhances insulation in the interiors, thus reducing energy consumption. The residence also features thick external walls, augmenting its insulation capabilities.

Another ‘archetype’ that the landscape architects engage within the Separo House is the use of local handicrafts. They explain, “Today, handicrafts can serve as a bridge between architecture and community. Basket weaving with branches from the purple tree, which grows on the slopes of the mountains, is an important handicraft in Nain and surrounding Iranian villages overlooked in recent years. In the Separo House, we aimed to promote local industries and create jobs for residents by using these handicrafts to construct wooden panels for shading in interior spaces. We sought window coverings that would not obstruct light while being consistent with the building's materials. Additionally, when closed, they should not impede natural ventilation or airflow.”

The choice of adobe as the primary construction material adds a sense of transience between the village and the western mountains, as the house visually resonates with both contexts. "Considering that the project is located on the last plot of the village and adjacent to the western mountains, we chose adobe as the primary material in a colour that matches the village context and surrounding mountains," the studio reiterates. "This choice allows residents to perceive a harmonious image with the context at the end of the passage. It not only achieves a unified facade but also reduces construction costs," they continue.

Illustrating the challenges faced during the project, Hypertext Studio told STIR, "One significant challenge was balancing traditional architectural techniques with modern building standards and expectations. Ensuring that the house meets contemporary comfort and energy efficiency standards while using traditional materials like Adobe requires careful planning. Additionally, sourcing local handicrafts and ensuring they met modern functional needs, such as window coverings that allow light and ventilation, posed challenges.”

The Separo House invokes Christian Norberg Schulz's idea in his book Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture that the ‘spirit of the space’ or the Genius Loci does not lie in duplication. “To understand the genius loci of a place does not mean to copy old models. It means to determine the identity of the place and to interpret it in ever new ways,” Schulz notes. Analysis of our techniques and resources becomes critical. A sense of vigilance becomes indispensable in asking more of ‘is this appropriate for the time we’re building it in?’ Traditional sensibilities certainly play a significant role in attempts to build holistically sustainable practices but need to be contextualised to allow accessibility—for it to step out of the ‘alternative practices’ shadow and become mainstream.

Project Details

Name: Separo House
Location: Iran
Typology: Residence
Architect: Hypertext Architecture Studio
Structural Engineer: Mr Ehsan Ekhveh
Year of Completion: 2024