Iranian studio Next Office has completed a house in Tehran that splits in the middle to create two curvy wings (+ slideshow).

As one of the latest examples of Iran's architecture boom, the three-storey Villa for Younger Brother is located in Lavasan, an area northeast of the city that has been referred to as the Beverly Hills of Tehran.

The unusual shape of its plan, which could be described as Y-shaped, was designed by Next Office to give residents an outdoor space that is screened from the view of neighbouring properties.

Related story: Perforated brick screens act as curtains for Tehran housing by CAAT Studio

By creating a split at the centre of the building, the architects were able to provide a generous terrace with a small pool at its centre.
The biggest challenge of this project, according to the architects, was achieving this level of privacy while also creating a house that makes a strong architectural statement.

Their solution was to create a steeply pitched roof that follows the divide of the plan, referencing traditional Iranian construction while also giving the house a chapel-like quality.

"The choice of this sectional configuration is very much informed by the long history of sloped roof construction in northern Iran," explained Next Office, which is led by architect Alireza Taghaboni.

"Yet the conventional form is revisited with a grain of salt," he said.
"The redefinition of the sloped roof, throu...