Architects: NextOffice – Alireza Taghaboni
Area: 95 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Neel Studio, Ehsan Hajirasouliha
Lead Architects: Alireza Taghaboni
Design Team: Niloufar Ghobadi, Hadi Ale Davoud, Ali Ghods, Meysam Feizi, Shanbeh Dehghani, Abdullah Dehghani, Mozammal Nohani, Zalour Nohani, Akram Nohani, Abdulrahim Delvashzehi, Mehrdad Makaremi, Sattar Ganjalipour, Masoud Soufiani, Farzad Ferasat, Hadi Irani, Dorsa Sadeghi, Homa Asadi, Asal Karami, Marziyeh Norouzi, Ehsan Ahani
Construction Management: Residents of the Village led by Shanbeh Dehghani, Hadi Ale-Davood
Social Facilitator: Roostatish, Mina Kamran
City/Location: Sistan and Baluchestan Province
Country: Iran

The Nedarag Guesthouse is a community-built hospitality project supporting a remote Sunni-Baluch village in southeastern Iran. Developed through collaboration between NextOffice, a social facilitator, and local residents, the 95-square-meter structure interprets regional construction practices while responding to the area’s challenging climate. A semi-open courtyard organizes the building, where a layered roof encourages shading and cross-ventilation. Handmade stone walls and vernacular trusswork define an economical yet durable structure that emerged from a rare convergence of social initiative and architectural guidance. With land donated by a villager and construction led collectively, the project channels limited resources into a shared spatial asset meant to distribute the cultural and economic value of hosting visitors. The guesthouse ultimately stands as a testament to local agency, craft knowledge, and an architectural process shaped by collective participation.

Nedarag guesthouse / nextoffice – alireza taghaboni

The Nedarag Guesthouse introduces an architectural approach grounded in communal authorship rather than conventional design hierarchies. The remote setting, marked by long-term marginalization of its Sunni-Baluch residents, required a structure that could serve as both a functional amenity and a catalyst for social cohesion. The collaborative formation of the project set the tone for a building intended to strengthen local networks while formalizing an existing culture of hospitality.

The site selection reflected this shared decision-making model. Village elders, the facilitator, the design team, and the client, Shanbeh, jointly identified a plot near agricultural fields and civic spaces, enabling the guesthouse to integrate seamlessly into daily village life. The spatial configuration centers on a semi-open courtyard that moderates the region’s harsh climate, creating a shaded, ventilated core that binds the rooms into a coherent ensemble.

NextOffice revisited the Kapar, a local construction type, by adapting it with handmade trusses that support a wide roof canopy. This system reduces heat gain while establishing a distinct architectural language. The thick stone walls anchor the structure, contrasting with the lightness of the canopy and producing a layered environmental buffer suited to the area’s dry conditions. The interplay between crafted irregularities and carefully proportioned elements adds nuance to the building’s material expression.

Design development relied heavily on field-based dialogue with local craftsmen. This iterative exchange allowed ancient building knowledge to inform contemporary spatial decisions while maintaining the vernacular’s tactile qualities. The synthesis of Iranian vault geometries with the hand-built character of village construction generated a hybrid identity that feels rooted yet distinct.

Construction unfolded as a collective effort that assigned meaningful roles to every generation. Without formal surveying instruments, the layout was marked by children using strings and simple geometric tools. Elders crafted palm-fiber ropes, while women contributed through weaving, plastering, sewing, and meal preparation. These overlapping contributions elevated the guesthouse from a functional project to a record of community resilience.

The project’s modest funding, assembled through a combination of studio support, local donations, and a small loan, underscored its reliance on ingenuity rather than capital. Despite limited resources, the communal process transformed constraints into opportunity, resulting in a building that resonates culturally and spatially. The Nedarag Guesthouse now stands as an emblem of collective initiative, demonstrating how architecture can empower communities often excluded from formal development frameworks.