Ayenevarzan House

Ayenevarzan House in Damavand was designed not merely as a weekend retreat but as a permanent home for a young couple whose cultural and artistic background differs markedly from the village context. This cultural disparity initially steered the design toward an introverted scheme — a stance in tension with the building's potential to maximize natural light, embrace views of the Alborz Mountains, and engage with all the qualities that draw city dwellers to surrounding villages. The interior spaces were organized into three distinct functional layers. Two axes on either side provide setbacks for skylights, windows, and circulation, enabling the project to simultaneously minimize external visibility while maximizing views, scenery, and light from within. On every floor, visual connections both horizontal and vertical allow passage between functional layers through different means: glass openings on the ground floor, bridges from the terrace on the first floor. The terraces follow two approaches on different floors and orientations. The top-floor terrace, enclosed on three sides, offers maximum views toward the Absard plain; the first-floor terrace extends beneath the western cantilever as a covered reading space. Ayenevarzan is an experiment in perceiving exterior spaces within the interior, achieving maximum views through an introverted approach, and providing building controllability across layers for greater tranquility and security. It won Third Place in the Individual Dwellings category at the 19th Memar Award (2019).