Villa 136, Northern Coast

Villa 136 on the Northern Coast of the Caspian Sea by Reza Ali-Abadi presents the vernacular architecture of the coastal regions in a new revision, with a touch of postmodernism that critic Kamran Afshar Naderi identified as the only notable weakness of the project. The use of cement render and plaster on the facade and the valorization of the aesthetics of these humble materials is noteworthy.

Afshar Naderi praised the project's fresh approach to Caspian vernacular architecture — rather than copying traditional forms, the designer reinterpreted regional building traditions with contemporary sensibility. The commitment to extracting beauty from modest materials like cement plaster was seen as an important statement about finding architectural quality without expensive finishes. Selected as a Jury Selection at the 2nd Grand Memar Award (2002).