TEHRAN – Iranian architecture project Kabootar Khaneh has received an ADEX Platinum Award at the Award for Design Excellence – ADEX Awards in the United States.

The project has been designed and set up by Iranian architects Nima and Sina Keivani at Keivani Architects in the northern Iranian town of Babolsar.

The building “has been recognized by the judges for its superior product design and quality,” the organizers said.  

As the project’s name, Kabootar Khaneh (Pigeon House), suggests, the basic concept behind the design was to create a space for co-existence between humans and birds.

After visiting the project site in the northern Iranian town of Babolsar before the design, the architecture team noticed the widespread presence of birds there. Thus, to respect their rights, they decided to design a house where people could live next to them to create an interaction between them that causes a different sense of space to improve its quality.

This project, which has previously won an A Design Award in Italy, has also been inspired by Iranian historical dovecotes. Consequently, a portion of the interior space was allocated for this purpose that functions as a patio due to the use of glass material and the resulting transparency around it.

The interiors were shaped by the creation of the game area and the level differences in these spaces as well as the specific design of the stairs and voids inside. Even the windows of the building were arranged according to the interior game area. Thus, in addition to creating different sequences of views and exterior perspectives, we see the light radiating from different angles, and consequently, the playful dance of light resulting from a change in the angle of incidence.

Due to the limited budget and according to the design line of thought of respecting nature, inexpensive and sometimes recycled materials were used in the construction of the building. 

All the lumber used in the construction of the building, such as the facade and sloping roof, stairs, doors and windows, came from wood that had been recycled from the old buildings in the location, and was cut and sanded by the construction team. 

The rocks used in landscaping are sedimentary rocks in the village that were collected and used for landscaping at the site. 

A form of sloping roof was used in this building that had not been used before. In fact, the sloping roof is hidden behind the walls to maintain the cubic and minimalist form of the building. Rainwater is collected on the roof surface and drains through utility pipes for irrigating site plants.

Pardis Khaneh, a building designed and completed by Keivani Architects in Tehran, had also been nominated for an ADEX Award, but it failed to garner the honor.

Photo: A combination photo shows views of the exterior and interior of Kabootar Khaneh. 

MMS/YAW