Villa For a Friend

Villa for a Friend, located on a steep hillside in Lavasan near Tehran, was designed by Razan Architects (Alireza Taghaboni and Parisa Almohammadi). Built on a 374-square-meter plot with a total area of 300 square meters, the villa was completed in 2008. The design emerged from the challenging topography: a southeast-facing slope with panoramic mountain views and a desire for security and privacy.

The building is organized as a series of interlocking concrete boxes cascading down the hillside, with public spaces (living room and kitchen) on the upper level — taking advantage of the view — and private bedrooms below. The upper yard serves as a public gathering space for celebrations. Raw exposed concrete walls and warm wooden cladding create a striking material dialogue, while the cantilevered volumes produce dramatic shadows and sheltered outdoor spaces.

The project unanimously won first place in the Residential Buildings category of the 8th Memar Award (2008). International juror Vicente Guallart praised the variety and richness of the spatial composition. The jury was particularly impressed by the architect's handling of the steep site and the way the building addresses both the mountain landscape and the need for intimate domestic spaces. A Lucio Fontana painting adorns the interior stairway — one of the clients' personal wishes that the architect incorporated into the design.