- Project: Parnian House
- Architect: White Cube Atelier
- Location: Iran, Maku
- Year: 2019
- Area: 599 m2
- Photography: Farshid Nasrabadi
A Minimalist Family Home Framing the Light of Mount Ararat
Set against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Ararat, Parnian House by White Cube Atelier redefines the contemporary Iranian family home through an architectural language of light, geometry, and proportion.
Located in the border city of Maku, the residence captures daylight from both north and south façades, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains while maintaining a deep sense of privacy. Designed for a family of four, this single-level residence merges modern minimalism with functional intimacy, transforming everyday living into an experience of space, light, and landscape.
Concept & Design Philosophy
Unlike the duplex typology typical of the region, Parnian House was conceived as a horizontal dwelling, formed through dialogue between client and architect. The design explores how a single-level layout can still offer spatial diversity and volumetric depth.
The architects organized the home so that 70% of the plot accommodates built space, while a 1.5-meter setback along the ground floor introduces breathing room for light, ventilation, and circulation. Public spaces—including parking, lobby, and a multi-functional hall—are oriented toward the southern yard, ensuring openness and solar gain.
At its core, the project embodies clarity of plan and honesty of form. Every spatial decision is governed by the relationship between light, privacy, and proportion, with each room designed to respond to its orientation and function.
Spatial Organization & Flow
Access to the house is provided through two distinct routes:
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A lightweight metal staircase positioned in the yard for direct outdoor connection.
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A closed stairway and lift leading from the ground level to the vestibule entry.
The vestibule acts as a transitional threshold between public and private realms. From this space, the layout unfolds in three directions:
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The kitchen directly ahead, symbolizing domestic life at the core.
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The private zone to the right, containing the bedrooms.
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The public zone to the left, opening into the living room and hall.
Above this vestibule, an internal void connects the entrance to the upper terrace, flooding the center of the home with sunlight and visually linking all major spaces. This vertical link simulates a semi-enclosed courtyard, reinforcing the studio’s exploration of light as structure.
Private & Public Realms
The private wing hosts three bedrooms:
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The master suite enjoys adjustable privacy via vertical wooden louvers, filtering sunlight and views.
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Parnian’s bedroom, slightly recessed from the street, receives gentle morning light through a folded wooden façade element that ensures discretion.
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The third bedroom, adjacent to the internal void, benefits from indirect illumination, maintaining visual connection without exposure.
The public zone — encompassing the living and dining areas — is defined by large French windows that invite daylight deep into the interior. The spaces are arranged in continuous dialogue with the outdoors, ensuring natural ventilation and a seamless indoor-outdoor flow.
A lightweight wooden staircase ascends from this social hub to the second-floor terrace, an elevated retreat with panoramic views—a place for gathering, reflection, and connection to the open sky.
Materiality & Architectural Expression
The architectural language of Parnian House is one of folded surfaces and quiet precision. The façade, ceiling, and lobby walls all reflect a rhythmic geometry of folds and planes, reinforcing the home’s sculptural coherence.
Material selection emphasizes natural light and tonal restraint:
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Wooden louvers soften sunlight and enhance privacy.
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Large glazed openings frame distant views and expand spatial perception.
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Neutral finishes in white and warm timber tones create visual calm, highlighting the play of light and shadow across the interior.
Every element — from structural rhythm to tactile surface — contributes to an atmosphere of refined simplicity that characterizes White Cube Atelier’s architectural ethos.
Integration of Light & Landscape
Throughout the design, light operates as both material and metaphor.
Each space is oriented to capture specific qualities of sunlight — morning rays in the bedrooms, diffused illumination in the living areas, and golden evening light across the terrace.
By embracing both northern and southern exposures, the architects maximized cross-ventilation and energy efficiency, allowing the home to breathe naturally with its mountain climate.
The roof is conceived not as a barrier, but as an interface between built form and sky, blurring the boundaries between architecture and atmosphere.
Parnian House by White Cube Atelier is an exploration of light, geometry, and domestic life — a project that challenges the conventions of suburban housing in Iran.
Its refined composition, sustainable orientation, and interplay of volumes express a new architectural language where form follows sunlight, and function follows family.
In its serene minimalism and structural clarity, the residence stands as both a home and a manifesto for context-aware modern living — a tranquil frame for the mountain views of Maku.
