Located in a warm, dry climate and of two storeys, the ground floor being the social space and the upper the private, the Villa is a modern redefinition of the traditional Persian summer house (koushk). Irrigation water on site was used for a ringed pool surrounding the building footprint, also reflecting the building image as well as daylight into the house. Following koushk principles, four walls (symbolising the four natural elements) form a cubical structure and an enclosure for the closed and semi­open spaces. The inner spaces were set back from the outer envelope for protection from direct exposure to sun and the façades of the inner spaces were distinguished from the main shell to emphasise the contrast between solid and empty space.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture