URBAN CABIN with a Persian twist, Albino

The micro-apartment of 25 sqm has been designed for a local couple, of Italian and Persian origin. It consists of the complete restoration of a 1950s open porch A minimal and multifunctional cabin set at ground level, which summarises functionality and stylistic resourcefulness of a living space; a roof garden as an extra outdoor area. A perforated metal grid folds freely in front of the south façade and defines a triangular exclusive garden: an openly declared reference to ancient Persian arches and sun shadings here adopted also as a functional response to the need for privacy. The limited dimensions and extreme narrowness of the existing building suggested a full custom designed interior, where flexibility and multi-usage became key factors together with thermal and health needs.
Francesca Perani’s attitude towards design is ironic and playful, de-dramatising architecture with a forced use of poor but strongly characterised materials, bold colours and a deliberate use of diagonal lines. With the intent of extending seasonal uses and allowing new ones, the cabin was conceived to give a sense of quiet and intimacy at one with the surrounding nature, as well as to provide privacy from the high-density urban location.

What makes this project one-of-a-kind?
A minimal and multifunctional lodge represents an extension of a modern villa built in 1968 by Architect Armen Manoukian and renovated by Francesca Perani in 2008. Low-cost materials, attention to thermal insulation, flexibility and privacy are the key elements of this project, where bold, contemporary architecture and Iranian culture blend creating a reassuring feeling of intimacy and warmth.