Twisted House, Northern Iran building design

Twisted House, Northern Iran

29 June 2026

Architect: Habibeh Madjdabadi

Location: North of Iran

images courtesy of architects practice

Located in northern Iran, just 150 meters from the Caspian Sea and bordered by lush mountains to the south, the Twisted House proposes a critical re-evaluation of the traditional pitched-roof cabin. Rather than treating the sloped roof as a mere functional cap, the project utilizes the three-dimensional rotation and intersection of house archetypes as the primary generator of both massing and interior spatial organization.

Structural Suspension and Climatic Response

Responding to the region’s high humidity, the architecture actively disengages from the ground plane. However, departing from the conventional pilotis configuration, the main volume is suspended on structural concrete beams that span directly to the site’s perimeter walls. The building’s only physical connection to the earth is a consolidated central core housing the essential service areas (elevator and bathrooms). Furthermore, all vertical circulation—the staircases—has been pushed to the exterior of the main envelope, a deliberate climatic strategy to encourage natural ventilation and adapt to the hot and humid environment.

Volumetric Geometry and The ‘Lookouts’

The manipulation of the archetypal forms generates a dynamic exterior envelope. On the northern and southern elevations, V-shaped rotated lookouts emerge from the structural logic of the twisted roofs. These deep, semi-open terraces not only frame contrasting views—the sea to the north and the mountains to the south—but also act as climatic buffers, deeply integrating the surrounding landscape into the architectural form.

Internal Organization and Sectional Continuity

The geometric logic of the exterior extends inward, challenging the notion of stacked, horizontal floor plates. By prioritizing sectional continuity, the interior spaces become highly fluid. A prime example is the second-floor screening room, where the extension of diagonal planes creates a stepped topography that blurs the line between architectural envelope and built-in furniture.

Organized beneath and facing a central void, this terraced area maintains a direct visual and spatial connection with the top-floor art studio. Consequently, the sloped platforms serve a dual purpose: acting as tiered seating for film screenings and functioning as an informal gallery for artwork produced in the studio above, injecting a functional fluidity into the living spaces.

Twisted House in North of Iran – Building Information

Architect: Habibeh Madjdabadi –https://www.habimad.com/
Email: Habibeh_madjdabadi(at)yahoo.

Project Name: Twisted House
Architect: Habibeh Madjdabadi
Project Architect – 3D Modeling: Mona Mohseni
Location: Northern Iran
Site Area: 570 sqm
Gross Built Area: 450 sqm (including terraces)