Rolling House on a Rolling Villa by KRDS in Nur, Iran

Project: Rolling House on a Rolling Villa
Architects: KRDS
Location: Nur, Iran
Area: 4,736 sq ft
Year: 2023
Photos: Mohammad Hassan Ettfagh

Rolling House on a Rolling Villa by KRDS

Discover the Rolling House — a modern architectural marvel in Royan with a Caspian Sea view. This project harmoniously blends ancient Iranian rolling techniques with contemporary design, achieving an ideal balance between tradition and innovation. Its north-south orientation maximizes natural lighting and ventilation, adapting to the coastal climate and making it a harmonious and visually appealing residence.

The Rolling House project is located at the end of the villa development in Royan, offering a view of the Caspian Sea. The design pursued two goals: first architectural — an attempt to utilize the potential of rolling techniques that ancient Iranian architects extensively applied. The second goal was to harmonize with the regional environment.

Regarding the first objective, everything that was possible using materials and construction systems of that time has been implemented in the design and construction of such structures. Today, with the emergence of advanced steel and concrete constructions, new possibilities have opened for further experimentation, adding fresh and creative compositions to the collection of architectural works using rolling and dome structures realized in this complex.

Iranian architecture is shaped by two forms: domes and vaults. Double-shell domes can be seen as the pinnacle of such constructions. In this project, following structural compositions of such dome types, we have innovatively designed new combinations of vaults by intersecting and rotating them at right angles to each other, stacking one above the other. Each vault's load is supported by the arch below, achieving novel combinations of arches of a unique type.

In this new model, the load from the upper vault is transferred as a point to the pole of the lower vault and redistributed to the walls. Such load distribution is not part of traditional vaults and is only possible with steel beams. Additionally, it's visually clear and easy to perceive, thus expanding architecture beyond purely aesthetic aspects.

For the second goal of harmonizing with the northern climate, the building is oriented north-south to maximize light and ventilation. Air flows from the sea, with opposite openings creating a kind of louver effect that cools the interior. The eastern and western sides are maximally closed, while the shadow cast by the sun's movement on the vaults creates a temperature difference between sides and, consequently, airflow around the building. A mansard roof system is used to cover the upper parts of the structure, and main walls are made from cement. These are materials widely used in this region to combat harsh rainy conditions.

–KRDS