vaulted palm canopy shields dry stone guesthouse cluster in southeastern iran

"Nedarag Guesthouse is a non-profit, community-based architectural project located in Kahnanikash, a Sunni-Baluch village in southeastern Baluchestan, . Designed and constructed by NextOffice in close collaboration with local residents, the project introduces a small-scale guesthouse intended to support community-led tourism while reinforcing local building knowledge and social structures. The complex comprises three residential units containing five guest rooms, alongside a compact service block, all organized around a shaded central ."

"The courtyard operates as the spatial and social core of the project. In addition to providing circulation and passive cooling, it accommodates a range of daily and seasonal activities, including informal gatherings, children's play, and traditional social practices such as women's Chelim (hookah gatherings) and men's Dikki. This shared open space allows the guesthouse to function simultaneously as visitor accommodation and as a communal setting integrated into village life."

Nedarag Guesthouse sits on donated land in Kahnanikash near fields, the village council building, and a local host's home. The complex contains three residential units with five guest rooms and a compact service block arranged around a shaded semi-open courtyard. The courtyard serves as circulation, passive cooling, and a venue for daily and seasonal activities including informal gatherings, children's play, women's Chelim, and men's Dikki. A multilayered, umbrella-like roof reinterprets the regional Kapar typology using handmade timber trusses to promote airflow and reduce heat gain. Construction uses dry-stacked stone walls, palm fibers, earthen finishes, and a double-layered roof and wall system for thermal performance.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine