Two equal residences on the sloping landscape of Bouros, Karystos, combine autonomous living with a shared architectural identity, using orientation, deep openings and an intermediate void to frame the Aegean horizon.

Seametry Villas in Bouros, Karystos by MRV Architects comprises two equivalent residences conceived as independent volumes within a unified composition. The design responds to the sloping terrain, open horizon and particular conditions of the site, balancing the autonomy of each house with the coherence of the ensemble.

Rather than dividing a single building into two units, the project establishes two clearly defined volumes of equal scale, proportion and functional value. Their relationship is shaped through distance, orientation and a shared ground that integrates the architecture with the topography.

 

Two equal and autonomous volumes

The two residences are conceived as equivalent rather than primary and secondary elements.

Each retains its independence and privacy, while their proportions and architectural language establish a clear relationship between them. The space separating the buildings is therefore not treated as residual.

Instead, the intermediate void becomes a deliberately designed part of the composition: a threshold, passage and arrival zone that simultaneously distinguishes and connects the two houses.

This arrangement gives the project a sense of balance without relying on strict symmetry. The identity of the ensemble emerges from the relationship between the two autonomous volumes and the space that remains between them.

 

Oriented towards the sea

Both residences turn towards the open horizon and the sea.

Deeply recessed openings create shaded frames that protect the interiors from the intensity of Mediterranean light while directing views towards the landscape. The openings therefore perform both environmental and spatial roles, controlling sunlight while reinforcing the orientation of everyday life towards the exterior.

The architecture remains deliberately restrained. Simple geometries and controlled proportions allow the relationship with the terrain, daylight and distant horizon to become more prominent than individual formal gestures.

The depth of the openings also creates a gradual transition between enclosed rooms and the exterior, avoiding an abrupt boundary between the two.

 

 

A shared base follows the terrain

The common base of the composition responds to the natural slope of the site.

Rather than establishing a level platform independent from the existing topography, the different levels follow the terrain and allow the two buildings to settle into the incline. The architectural organization therefore develops together with the section of the site rather than against it.

This relationship reduces the visual autonomy of the individual volumes and reinforces their reading as parts of a single ensemble.

At the same time, the positioning of the houses maintains the openness of the site. Horizon, wind and natural light remain active components of the experience rather than elements viewed from behind a continuous architectural boundary.

 

Privacy within a common identity

The project is ultimately defined by the balance between independence and proximity.

The two residences share the same architectural principles without becoming a single building. The intermediate space provides separation and orientation, while the shared base and consistent geometry establish continuity.

MRV Architects use a limited number of spatial operations—two autonomous volumes, a designed void, deep openings and a terrain-responsive base—to create a contemporary form of coastal living in which privacy and collective identity coexist.

The architecture remains measured in relation to its setting, directing the experience of the houses towards the sea, natural light and open horizon.

An 1893 house in Lisbon’s former industrial district of Marvila is renovated and extended through a sequence of large spatial cuts, raw interior finishes and an ultramarine-blue lime plaster that unifies old and new.

Blue House in Lisbon by extrastudio is the first of three residences developed by the practice under the title casas poveras. Conceived during a period of uncertainty, the series explores an architecture reduced to essential means without compromising spatial generosity. In Blue House, this approach produces a 251m² residence where the existing building, new extension and materials are brought together without concealing their irregularities or traces of construction.

The house stands in Marvila, an area of Lisbon shaped by successive transformations from agricultural land to an industrial district and, more recently, to a concentration of studios and cultural spaces. Rather than erase the modest character of the original house, extrastudio treats it as a record of everyday occupation and uses its existing fabric as the basis for the intervention.

 

Preserving the 1893 house

The project renovates and extends a single-storey residence dating from 1893 while retaining its existing structure.

Architectural elements removed from the original façades were restored and reincorporated into the new elevations. Existing and added surfaces receive the same finish, avoiding a conventional visual distinction between restoration and extension.

The different periods remain legible instead through changes in silhouette and material texture. The intervention consequently preserves the old building without treating it as an untouchable historical object. Its imperfections become part of the character of the new house.

 

Two large spatial cuts

Two principal operations define the new spatial organization.

Towards the street, a cut extending across the full width of the building creates a double-height courtyard. This void provides shade and greater privacy for the bedrooms while establishing an intermediate space between the domestic interior and the street.

On the opposite side, a triple-height interior volume opens towards the garden and reveals the full vertical dimension of the extension. The two voids establish contrasting conditions: a protected courtyard facing the city and a large interior volume directed towards the more private garden.

The rear façade is further interrupted by a vertical strip of light. Generated by a planning constraint that cuts diagonally across one corner of the building, the opening was incorporated into the architectural composition rather than concealed. For a short period towards the end of the day, sunlight penetrates through the narrow cut and moves across the interior.

 

Garage and living space as one environment

The clients introduced an unusual requirement into the domestic programme: the garage had to form part of the living area.

Cars and motorbikes could therefore be worked on without separating this activity from everyday family life. Rather than concealing the garage behind a secondary enclosure, the design accommodates it within the generous, loft-like spatial character requested for the house.

This combination challenges the conventional separation between technical and domestic areas. The scale of the main interior allows different activities to coexist within one continuous environment, turning the garage into part of the inhabited space rather than an ancillary room.

 

Materials decided on site

Once the basic architectural concept had been established, decisions concerning colour, finishes and textures were intentionally left open during the design process.

Many were resolved directly on site in collaboration with the craftsmen and clients. Construction therefore became part of the design process, with individual techniques, tests and material decisions remaining visible in the completed building.

The method gives the residence a deliberately tactile character. Surfaces do not attempt to achieve a standardized level of finish; differences in texture and workmanship are retained as evidence of how the house was made.

 

Aluminium and unfinished grey plaster

The entire ground floor is covered with aluminium sheeting, manually brushed by one of the craftsmen.

The resulting surface is soft and luminous, contrasting with the rougher treatment of the walls. Internally, these are left largely unfinished and covered only with a grey plaster scratch coat discovered during construction.

The economical finish creates continuity between different elements of the interior while introducing a material reference to Marvila’s industrial past. Rather than adding another decorative layer, the grey surface retains the direct character of the construction beneath it.

 

Ultramarine blue as a continuous layer

The defining exterior colour originates from the existing building.

Ultramarine blue is applied as a pigmented lime plaster over the complete volume, visually bringing together the original house and its extension. Because of the instability of the pigment, each façade had to be completed in a single day without visible seams or subsequent repairs.

The method makes variation inherent to the finished surface. Colour becomes both a unifying element and a record of the construction process.

Rather than emphasizing the difference between old and new, the blue creates a more ambiguous reading of the building. Its silhouette and textures reveal the intervention, while the continuous finish gives the house the appearance of a single object.

 

Construction as part of the architecture

Blue House is shaped by the coexistence of preservation, extension and decisions made during construction.

The original structure remains present, while large spatial cuts redefine its relationship with street, garden and natural light. Aluminium, unfinished grey plaster and pigmented lime render create contrasting surfaces whose character depends as much on workmanship as on specification.

Through this approach, extrastudio avoids a strict separation between historical fabric and contemporary intervention. Old and new are brought together by colour and construction while remaining distinguishable through form, texture and the accumulated traces of the existing building.

Architecture in the in-between

The “Polikatikia” is located on the island of Karpathos and consists of six family residences. The project approaches dwelling within the island landscape not as a strictly typological exercise, but as a complex field where morphology, topography and the everyday experience of the Mediterranean climate collectively shape a unified architectural system.

 

Landscape Integration

The arrangement of the six residences is organized through a series of overlapping volumes that shift and subtly rotate, disrupting the strict orthogonality of the conventional apartment building. The composition evokes an initially solid mass that gradually appears to fragment, separate and split into distinct spatial elements.

These geometric displacements operate not only as formal gestures but also as environmental mechanisms, generating intermediate voids, shaded areas, natural light penetration, outdoor extensions and visual openings toward the landscape. The staircase is positioned precisely within the “in-between” void created by the displacement of the volumes, transforming this transitional space into the primary vertical connective tissue of the complex.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The architecture seeks to reinforce the relationship between interior and exterior space, following the principles of Mediterranean living. Large openings and the horizontal development of the primary volumes allow the living spaces to extend outward toward the landscape, creating a sense of spatial continuity with light, air and views toward the sea.

The transitional outdoor areas function as intermediate climatic zones, providing shade, protection from strong winds and different spatial qualities throughout the day. Through this compositional approach, the residence is not perceived as an isolated object, but rather as part of a continuous experience of place and climate.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The internal organization of each apartment is structured around three distinct functional zones. At the center lies the “service core” containing the auxiliary and wet areas, naturally illuminated and ventilated through light wells, enhancing both comfort and environmental performance.

The living spaces, including the living room, dining area and kitchen, are arranged toward the north, directly oriented toward the sea views and surrounding landscape. In contrast, the bedrooms are positioned on the southern side, protected from strong winds while benefiting from natural light.

The overall composition seeks to translate the particularities of island dwelling into a contemporary architectural language, where building, climate and landscape operate as interconnected components of a unified spatial experience.

 

Urban shelter

Located along one of Mashhad’s main boulevards, the project emerged as an architectural pause within the density and disorder of the city, seeking to reintroduce calmness, intimacy and balance into a fragmented urban landscape. The residence is conceived not merely as a five-storey building, but as a vertical garden and contemplative retreat. It negotiates movement and stillness, presence and seclusion, urban exposure and domestic introspection. An architecture that breathes with the city while offering refuge from it.

 

Context Integration

Situated at minimal distance from a major boulevard, the project confronts the intensity of traffic, noise and visual clutter that define this urban edge. The surrounding fabric is composed primarily of low-rise, aging houses of limited architectural value; The project was the first contemporary intervention on the street and therefore assumed a dual role: to act as a prototype for future development while remaining a respectful neighbor.

Within this modest green setting, a single Afra tree stood as the only trace of nature in the lane. Opposite the site, views open toward a row of auto-repair workshops and disordered rooftops, conditions that demanded careful mediation rather than confrontation. The project thus positions itself as a composed urban façade toward the boulevard, while cultivating an inward-looking domestic sanctuary for its residents.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The building’s spatial logic is structured around the interplay of light, greenery and privacy. Two primary volumes organize the program: a southern box accommodating private spaces and oriented toward optimal sunlight, and a northern box containing public functions in closer dialogue with the street. A continuous architectural envelope unifies these volumes into a coherent mass, negotiating between exposure and retreat.

As the first structure along the alley, the building establishes its own height datum in relation to pedestrian scale and anticipated neighboring constructions – an act of measured restraint rather than assertion. The presence of the existing Afra tree inspired the creation of a terrace that vertically extends this fragment of greenery across upper levels, enabling residents to cultivate their own planted thresholds over time.

By rotating the northern public volume toward this terrace, the design transforms the outdoor space into a central spatial nucleus rather than a secondary amenity. Anticipating future urban densification, the project avoids dependence on distant views, instead generating internalized qualities through layered sections, filtered light and spatial depth.

 

 

Material Palette

A permeable brick screen wraps the entire building, forming a porous membrane between dwelling and city. Behind it, a narrow green patio runs along the façade, introducing vegetation and diffused daylight into the interior while softening the harsh outlook toward the workshops across the street. This brick layer performs as a climatic and visual filter, moderating light, temperature and privacy, operating less as ornament and more as a responsive skin.

The building’s fluid appearance emerges from a disciplined modular system, lending the mass a subtle dynamism: grounded among its older neighbors, yet gently inclining toward the boulevard as if acknowledging the city’s rhythm. Inside, the layout privileges flexibility and calibrated ambiguity. Rooms adapt to evolving domestic routines; furniture becomes a spatial mediator, and light itself operates as a subtle partition. The kitchen and living areas maintain partial opacity, extending the façade’s conceptual dialogue of “seeing” and “being seen” into the interior realm.