Khalili Family Village

The Khalili Family Village, located 10 km along the Royan Road opposite Salah al-Din Township in Mazandaran, won Third Place in the Residential Buildings category at the 9th Memar Award (2009). Designed by Sohrab Rafat & Associates (Sohrab Rafat and Nasrin Faghih), the complex encompasses 2,100 m² of built area on a 15,000 m² (1.5 hectare) site, creating an interconnected village of family villas set within lush gardens.

Franco Micucci identified the project's strongest feature as its social program — creating a village for a family to live together, where each member can retreat to their own villa yet remain connected. Kamran Afshar Naderi observed that the external facades nearly match the internal spaces, with skillful connections between the villas creating a sense of belonging and community. Hossein Sheikh Zeinoddin praised the walls and courtyards as very well-executed, creating delightful spaces from the perspective of landscape and its relationship to the buildings. Reza Daneshmir noted his appreciation for the project's organic planning, its use of local materials, and its sensitivity to the Caspian climate, though noting that the architectural forms and details remain at a moderate level.

The villas are oriented toward the sea with natural cross-ventilation, connected by stone-paved garden paths, water features, and mature plantings. The rustic stone walls, pitched roofs, and yellow-ochre facades create a vernacular character that feels indigenous to the forested northern landscape of Iran.