On the banks of a manmade lake, this minimalist cabin takes inspiration from local materials and contemporary design to create a new housing model

Four hours north of Tehran, Iran, in a village outside the city of Nur, the Wicker House by Shaygan Gostar Architectural Group combines vernacular architecture with contemporary design in an A-frame that's also a model for future housing. In the face of climate change and growing development, the area has seen a shift in its local housing design—the Wicker House, with its familiar aesthetics and future-forward technologies, provides an example of one way forward.

That path includes a combination of local materials and modern building techniques in a structure that simultaneously conforms to local architecture while resetting its traditional boundaries.

Beneath its straw wrapping, the Wicker House is like any other A-frame-layers of wood, insulation, and sheet metal make up a triangular body. Keeping forms simple, designers then inserted a cube volume at the front of the A-frame to create an entrance with a small deck. The interior takes after contemporary A-frames too, with cozy wood-paneling, excellent views, and even a pint-sized wood stove in one corner.

Although more of an outpost and housing study than a lux retreat or full time residence, the Wicker House demonstrates how vernacular architecture can be combined with the styles of today to create housing prepared for the future.

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