The Bridge House: A Harmonious Blend of Architecture and Nature

Soheil Afshar Mohammadian's Award-Winning Design Merges Built Environment with Natural Landscape

Located on a steep slope overlooking a valley, The Bridge House is a private residential project that stands out for its unique approach to design. The house is connected to different parts of the site by a series of interconnected grid bridges, creating a fluid transition between the building and its natural surroundings. This design allows residents to touch the leaves of the trees and enjoy panoramic views of the landscape from various angles.

The Bridge House is not only unique in its design but also in its construction. To combat the high humidity of the area, the building is elevated from the ground and designed with a porous form. The construction materials include goat fibers, hair, and micro-silica, while the decoration features repurposed factory materials such as ceramic tiles, granite, and glass. The facade is equipped with operable sliding panels with louvers, which control light and heat gains and provide privacy.

The interior of the house is designed with a focus on transparency. The amount of light entering the house can be controlled with moving louvers, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow that changes with the hours and seasons. This design feature allows the house to offer different views and creates a dialogue between architecture and nature.

The Bridge House is not only a design marvel but also an eco-friendly project. The design incorporates several measures to reduce energy consumption, including the right orientation, cross ventilation, high-performance insulation materials, energy glass (low e), external panels blocking direct solar load, LED lighting, and automation.

Despite facing challenges such as land slope, humidity, environmental regulations, and the preservation of trees on the site, Mohammadian and his team, including Shohreh Houshmand Farzaneh, managed to create a design that is both innovative and respectful of its natural surroundings. The project, which started in April 2020 and was completed in June 2020, is located in the Mazandaran Province of Iran.

The Bridge House has been recognized for its innovative design and has been awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.