- Project: Hannah Villa
- Architect: Eade Va Ejra
- Location: Iran, Hashtgerd
- Year: 2023
- Area: 460 m2
- Photography: Mohammad Hasan Ettefagh
A Multi-Generational Retreat Near Tehran
Conceived as a family escape from the urban intensity of Tehran, Hannah Villa reimagines domestic life in Hashtgerd. The clients envisioned two villas—one for grandparents, the other for their child and grandchild—that would remain close yet independent, offering shared experiences within a unified setting.
Rather than dividing the 1,300 m² of land into two separate plots, Eade Va Ejra proposed a merged villa complex. This decision allowed the architects to carve out generous open green space, enhancing quality of life and embedding the home within a more natural context despite its dense urban surroundings.
Overlapping Cubes: External Simplicity, Internal Excitement
The project’s form is defined by two overlapping cubes. This simple yet dynamic gesture organizes spatial hierarchy while responding to privacy concerns in a tightly built environment.
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Terrace: The overlap generates a wide first-floor terrace, a social hub that opens the villa outward while remaining shielded from the neighboring fabric.
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Pool Enclosure: Below the terrace, the architects initially envisioned a semi-private pool zone. Yet after re-examining issues of privacy, this plan evolved into a far more radical solution.
Privacy Redefined: Relocating the Pool Indoors
In Hashtgerd’s dense urban grain, outdoor pools often compromise seclusion. Responding to the family’s repeated emphasis on discretion, the design team relocated the pool inside the villa.
The move was transformative: the pool became not an afterthought but the heart of the interior. Fully enclosed within the overlapping volumes, the water feature offers year-round usability while strengthening the villa’s identity as a private oasis.
This strategic design choice balances cultural values of modesty with contemporary desires for leisure and luxury.
Inside–Outside Interplay
The overlapping geometry not only addresses privacy but also generates fluid transitions between indoors and outdoors. The central core, located at the intersection of the cubes, acts as the anchor for circulation. Courtyards, terraces, and planted edges blur thresholds, allowing greenery to weave through the villa.
Natural light penetrates deep into the interiors through voids and openings, ensuring that the indoor pool and living spaces remain bright, healthy, and visually connected to the landscape.
A Contemporary Iranian Villa
In Hannah Villa, Eade Va Ejra has crafted more than just two conjoined homes—it is a prototype for multi-generational living in Iran’s suburban fringe. By merging volumes, prioritizing privacy, and integrating open green spaces, the architects have created a villa that is at once simple in form and complex in experience.
It demonstrates how architecture can negotiate density and tradition while still embracing contemporary comfort. The result is a residence that provides serenity and connection for three generations, a rare architectural balance in today’s rapidly urbanizing Iran.
