Jungle Moon Villa

Nowshahr, Mazandaran, Iran – 2021

Jungle Moon Villa is a house on the threshold between forest and village, between the silence of trees and the clarity of moonlight. It seeks to redefine dwelling not merely as a matter of form and function, but as a lived experience in dialogue with nature.

The design process began with a choice: a wild fig tree located at the entrance of the site was not removed, it became the project’s starting point. Instead of resisting nature, the architecture stepped back, split open, and gave space to the tree’s presence. This gesture set the tone for a design language rooted in responsiveness to the land, respect for living elements, and the creation of spaces whose meaning emerges through voids.

A key decision in the design was the rotation of the main volume—both to optimize southern sunlight and to distance the building from the adjacent street, ensuring privacy and tranquility. With a subtle shift, the form opened toward light and inward seclusion, preserving openness for public zones while shielding the private areas.

The spatial structure of the villa is based on contrast and connection between two principal volumes: a closed, solid mass and an open, transparent one linked by the main courtyard, which orchestrates views, light, and airflow. This courtyard is not just a negative space, but the perceptual and breathing core of the project a place for pause, for looking, for hearing the wind in the leaves.

Formally, the villa is composed through quiet minimalism. Pure white surfaces, sharp lines, measured openings, and the interplay of light and shadow give the architecture a sense of silence. Materials were chosen for their honesty and calmness, allowing the space and light themselves to carry the experience rather than decorative expression.

Here, architecture does not seek symbolism or spectacle. Instead, it strives to cultivate what Christopher Alexander called the “quality without a name” a sense of balance, depth, stillness, and human presence emerging from within the space itself.

Jungle Moon Villa is a house that listens. A place to watch the light pass across a wall, to sit beside a tree, to inhabit a gentle presence within silence.