Turning Hut, Chaboksar, Northern Iran building

Turning Hut Chaboksar, Northern Iran building images, Iranian architecture design

Turning Hut, Chaboksar, Northern Iran

6 May 2026

Design: HABI MAD Architecture (Habibeh Madjdabadi Architecture Studio)

Location: Chaboksar, North of Iran

images courtesy of architects practice

Turning Hut, Chaboksar – North Iran Contemporary Villa

In the lush landscape of Chaboksar, northern Iran, architect Habibeh Madjdabadi introduces the ‘Turning Hut ’—a contemporary villa that appears to levitate above the forest floor. Foregoing traditional pilotis used in the region’s damp climate, the entire structure is suspended between the site’s boundary walls, completely liberating the ground plane below. A single staircase anchors the home, leading up to a volume defined by a traditional sloped roof that is dramatically sliced and rotated at its peak to frame distant views of the Caspian Sea.

Context and Topography

Situated in Chaboksar, nestled in the lush northern region of Iran, the “Turning Hut” occupies a unique threshold between two dominant natural landscapes: the dense Alborz mountain forests and the Caspian Sea. Located just 1,500 meters from the coastline, the site offers a dual spatial experience. The lower levels embrace the immediate, immersive views of the surrounding woodland, while the upper elevation captures the distant, expansive horizon of the sea.

Redefining the Ground Connection

A primary driver in the design process was the region’s climatic conditions. Northern Iran’s high humidity traditionally necessitates elevating buildings off the ground, typically achieved through the use of pilotis. For the Turning Hut, the design sought to challenge this conventional approach. The objective was to elevate the structure and free the ground plane without relying on a typical grid of columns.

The structural and architectural solution was to suspend the entire volume. The house rests on robust concrete beams that span directly between the two solid boundary walls of the site. By anchoring the structure to the perimeter, the central footprint is entirely liberated.

The building appears to levitate above the site, with the landscape and the ground plane flowing continuously underneath, uninterrupted by the architecture. The only physical connection between the earth and the suspended mass is a single, central staircase that acts as a subtle anchor, drawing residents up into the home.

Form and Volumetric Shift

In its geometry, the project pays homage to the traditional vernacular of the region, utilizing a steep, sloped roof designed to shed heavy rainfall. However, this familiar archetype is manipulated to respond to specific sightlines and programmatic needs.

The spatial organization consists of a main duplex residence below, crowned by a distinct upper studio. To differentiate this upper space and maximize its potential, the peak of the sloped roof was conceptually “sliced” and rotated. This dynamic volumetric shift achieves two crucial goals: it breaks the rigid symmetry of the traditional form, and more importantly, it reorients the studio’s glazed facade to directly frame the distant sea view and overlook the entrance alleyway.

Materiality and Integration

The monolithic expression of the exterior contrasts with the transparency of the large, recessed glass facades. The resulting silhouette—a striking, angular form with a shifted apex—acts as a contemporary reinterpretation of the regional vernacular. By successfully negotiating extreme climatic conditions while establishing a poetic, gravity-defying relationship with the earth.

Turning Hut, Chaboksar, North of Iran – Building Information

Project Name: Turning Hut
Architect: Habibeh Madjdabadi
Team: Mohammad-Hossein Bashari, Mona Mohseni
Location: Chaboksar, North of Iran
Design Year: 2025-2026
Typology: Residential

Email: Habibeh_madjdabadi(at)yahoo.com

Turning Hut, Chaboksar, North of Iran images / information from Habibeh Madjdabadi Architects

Location: Chaboksar, North of Iran, North Iran.

Iranian Designs by Habibeh Madjdabadi Architecture Studio

Vertical Village 10+10, Sorkhrood, southern coast of Caspian Sea, Northern Iran

image Courtesy architecture office
Vertical Village 10+10, Caspian Sea Apartment