Sharifi-Ha House, designed by Tehran-based firm Next Office, comprises three pods on turntables to respond to changing seasons and functions. German turntable manufacturer, Bumat, modeled the technology after its industry-leading platforms for theater sets and car exhibitions.

The architecture firm explained, “The sensational, spatial qualities of the interiors, as well as the formal configuration of its exterior, directly respond to the displacement of turning boxes that lead the building volume to become open or closed, obtaining introverted or extroverted character.”

Each pod has a different function: breakfast room on the first level, guest room on the second, and a home office on the third. The floors are then divided into “front and back” with a void in the center, ensuring natural light floods the house, even when the front rooms are turned closed. Bridges and internal balconies line the central void to create views between rooms and floors.

The ground level has a 10 foot setback for a shallow, glass-bottomed pool, which floods the basement with natural light. The two basement levels include a gym, pool, and sauna. The firm described, “Public activities all happen on the first and second floors, and the family’s private life takes place on the third and fourth floors,” where bedrooms and bathrooms are arranged around a living room.

The project title, “Sharifi-Ha House,” translates to “Sharif’s family,” named after the clients. Alireza Taghaboni, CEO of Next Office, explained, “This kind of naming is used for old Iranian mansions which had summer rooms and winter rooms. As we thought our project as the modern version of these, we named the house this way.”