The nest
The property is in Ayios Yannis, at Kostos village in Paros. It benefits from a southeastern orientation on its long side, with a view of the sea and the gulf of Naxos.
Landscape Integration
The building, touching upon the hillside, adapts to the terrain contours following the ground morphology, and becomes almost encaved on its west side. Angular walls allude to the dry-stone retaining walls which are ubiquitous in the Cyclades, forming a shell that maintains a beneficial microclimate under any weather conditions.
The house features the double character of an architecture that is at once integrated into the landscape geometries and a wall that generates living spaces; it is expressed in a façade delineating the levels and organizes living and viewing areas. The design does not follow the typical white volume clustering, but instead defines a series of patios, walkways, enclosed courtyards, descents and connecting stairs behind a white wall.
Spatial Organization
Special attention was given to the “fifth” façade, which involves the roofs, while the design is dominated by repetition and standardization of the openings. The west side, at the highest point of the property, accommodates a descending entrance that leads to the heart of the compound. An elongated hallway connects the rooms of the main building, opening framed views to cape Kefalos in Paros and the neighboring island of Naxos, through selected openings on the southeastern façade.
Circulation Routes
The descent through the interior to the wide outdoor terrace of the living quarters is a gradual transition to the framed landmarks of the Aegean, from within the building to the panorama from the terrace: Naoussa, Naxos town, cape Antikefalon, the western side of Naxos, Kastraki, Iraklia and Ios unfold before the eyes of the onlooker. The courtyards, paved in mosaics, are created next to the living spaces, and follow the natural inclination of the terrain.
The enclosed yard on the west side is immediately connected to the living room, which, together with the kitchen and the two bedrooms, enjoys a sea view; a lower level accommodates a subterranean guest house. The architectural expression results from the use of natural elements, fills in voids redefining necessities, images and living spaces; it acts as a complement, embracing the surface of the landscape tightly, taking root, becoming an integral part of the surroundings.