White Trio is a rehabilitation project carried out by Tehran-based White on White Studio in Kashan, Iran, in 2022. The building that was exhausted by years of use with multiple functions was brought back to life by a modern design that is also in harmony with the warm and dry climate of the city and the function it’s supposed to serve.

The building is located on the main street of Kashan, a small but important desert city. The significance of Kashan is due to the magnificent architecture of its centuries-old houses, and ironically its gardens that have created an oasis where nothing grows. It has long been an example of the preservation of life and beauty in the heart of the desert. But White Trio is not about desert architectural genius. It gets its name from a poem from Iran’s renowned and popular poet and painter Sohrab Sepehri, who was from Kashan and used to reside in one of the units of this building for some time.

However, when the team was assigned the project, "the building was devoid of any poetic element" as architects Ruhollah Rasooli and Faezeh Arefnazari put it. The building had seen several different commercial uses with mere profitability in mind, while the preservation of it had not been an issue for the owners. There were also many breaches of the project area limitation. Therefore, the architects needed to work with restrictions, such as the western side of the building that needed to be maintained with minimum change since any intervention on that side could trigger the building setback according to the street widening ordinance.

As the architects put it, the project objectives defined by the owners were ironically "not to create a distinct architecture" but to enhance the building profitability and to find a solution for the independence of the functionalities of each commercial activity being carried out in the building. The client specifically requested that access to each part be separated. For the architects the fact that this building had been the temporary residence of the beloved poet was still immensely important, therefore their mission was to meet all the client’s demands but add their own twist to the project to honour Sepehri.

To do so they began by separating the entrances to different parts of the building. Access to the commercial side of the building was opened from the main street—also to enhance foot traffic—and access to the residential parts and offices was provided through the side street. To meet the client's financial limitation, the approach was to create a building that could be utilised for commercial use and create added value through architectural intervention with the lowest cost. Thus, on the ground floor, a space for a café was created to maintain the connection between the entrance and the yard with the commercial spaces. This solution opened the building to the world outside and made it an extension of the urban flow.

On this floor, one can observe the work done on the façade of the building which has made the project quite distinct. The façade is divided into rectangular shapes that are rendered distinct using different materials. The brickwork used on the upper left utterly separates itself from the flat white and striped dynamic on the left. The sharp angles are challenged by the softness of the arch window which has given the façade a unique character. But the most distinct characteristic of the façade is the foldable shutters of the wide windows that are inspired by the latticework and screens used in this region to defuse the light and decrease the heat inside the houses. The mobility of these shutters allows the users to control the flow of light as they please and it also creates a dynamic play of shadow and light inside the building.

The access to the basement was initially possible through a wider staircase which is made narrow to increase the space. Since the function of the basement was not defined by the client, light, and ventilation were the main issues that needed to be addressed by the architects. Thus, they designed a sunken courtyard as the solution, which, due to the limitations of the yard area, had its roof covered with a trillium dropped to act as a ceiling. Plants have a significant role in creating life and dynamism in this space and the sunken light shaft sits there like a tranquil art piece. Inspired by windcatchers of desert cities of Iran that bring down light and breeze through a shaft, this room receives defused natural light from the openings made on the ceiling.

The first floor held a special place for the architects, as it was the home of the poet, and it gave them an opportunity to explore aesthetics aside from the function-oriented nature of the rehabilitation. “It was enough for us to create a wall that would turn the audience’s mind to Sohrab for a short period of time.” From the brick wall to the nude colour of the material and the play of light created for visual pleasure, the architects have tried to create a space that is reminiscent of Sohrab Sepehri’s time in this place.

The White Trio project is an example of how architects need to maintain a balance between aesthetics, historical value and poetry, and the realistic requests of clients based on special reality and financial restrictions. White on White Studio attempts to bring out the best of the project despite limitations. Budget and special limits and the demands of a client that might be considered callous considering the history of the building did not deter the architects from creating an aesthetically pleasing project that meets the demands of the client and the harsh environment of the city but also is a modest tribute to the poet who once considered this place a home.

Project Details

Name: White Trio
Location: Kashan, Iran
Architect: White on White Studio
Design team: Ruhollah Rasooli, Faezeh Arefnazari (lead architects)
Construction: Hossein Khodaverdian
Area: 240 sqm
Year: 2022