Six Modern Buildings You Won’t Believe Are In Tehran

Published May 13, 2015

Updated December 5, 2017

Sharifi-ha

Architectural firm Nextoffice designed this home, keeping in mind the themes of uncertainty and flexibility. Instead of envisioning the home as a static object, the Sharifi-ha abode is meant to change with its surroundings. Designers play with volume, open spaces and closures to create a home that functions best throughout the seasons.

Tehran Architecture Moving House Interior

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The Sharifi-ha house is seven stories tall and modular. A simple press of a button and the breakfast room, the guest room and the office rotate outside to let light in and create new patio space. Source: The Daily Mail

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The guest room, the breakfast nook and the office can rotate and hang over the street to form terrace space. Source: Daily Mail

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Iranian architects Nextoffice designed the home to adapt to homeowners' needs. The house stays closed in the winter to maintain warmth, and in the summer it can open to create a breeze. Source: The Daily Mail

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These inventive features add to the home’s energy efficiency, while embracing the features of the traditional Iranian home, which often has separate living spaces for winter and summer. Source: The Daily Mail

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The basement of the home receives light through a glass-bottomed pool. The two underground floors benefit from tall ceilings and an open stairwell. Source: Dezeen

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Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.

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Sims, Susan. "Six Modern Buildings You Won’t Believe Are In Tehran, Iran." AllThatsInteresting.com, May 13, 2015, https://allthatsinteresting.com/tehran-architecture. Accessed March 24, 2026.