Residence in Kea

Adaptive reuse

The subterranean residence, situated on the western side of Kea, occupies the site of a compound of old stone warehouses once used for loading goods onto boats in the sheltered bay. Following its last conversion into a restaurant, the complex has been entirely redesigned to meet the needs of tranquil summer living, protected within the earth.

Context Integration

Access to the property is from the higher part of the plot, through a light ramp that leads into the ground, establishing the main circulation axis. A glass pivoting door opens into an interior garden with atmospheric lighting from the ceiling, replacing the old dark kitchens. At this point, movement branches off, leading on one side to an integrated living area with a kitchen, dining room, and living room that directly connects to the courtyard through large sliding openings. On the other side, it leads to two ensuite bedrooms behind a curved stone wall with narrow, linear windows and cupolas that illuminate the service spaces. The layout is completed with a guest house adjacent to the bedrooms, featuring a separate entrance and an impressive low horizontal opening that reveals the horizon view from the bed’s height.

Landscape Design & Materials

The extensive outdoor space, bordering the sea, features a large terrace with an irregular shape following the natural rock lines, discreetly divided into separate sections. The outdoor living area, adjacent to the interior living spaces, is shaded by two tensile canopies, while a tiered path leads directly to the small beach. The area in front of the bedrooms and the guest house is landscaped with low vegetation and side accesses from the interior, hidden behind the stone wall.

Throughout the building, the dominant material is the local natural stone from the original warehouse, giving the structure the appearance of dry-stone walls interspersed with interior and exterior spaces. The floors are finished with cement in a sand color, while the extensive earthen surfaces on the terrace and roof integrate the building into the arid island landscape. Dark shades are chosen for the interior, with partition walls and ceilings painted in modern gray, black metal details and frames, and fixed furniture made of black stone and walnut.

Furniture & Sustainability

The furnishings are minimal and lightweight, in the same dark tones as the building, except for the central sofa in the living room and the guest house, which are in vibrant orange. The building harmonizes with the landscape through its organic lines, planted roof, and natural materiality. Additionally, it is equipped with an energy management system to minimize its environmental footprint and a household desalination unit to utilize its seaside location without burdening the water reserves of the fragile island ecosystem.