The renovation opens a compartmentalized 1970s residence to daylight and transforms part of its interior into a generous semi-outdoor living space.

 

Heraklion Summer House is the renovation of a two-storey residence built during the 1970s in a suburb of Heraklion, Crete. Designed by iLi Studio, the intervention seeks to give the existing urban house a stronger vacation-home character by reorganizing its interior and reinforcing its relationship with outdoor life.

The project is conceived in two phases. The first, completed in 2025, concerns the renovation of the upper residential level. A later phase proposes the addition of a new volume on the roof terrace.

Opening the existing plan

Before the renovation, internal walls divided the residence into a sequence of separate spaces, including an entrance hall and an enclosed kitchen. This organization limited visual continuity and prevented natural light from reaching the full depth of the floor plan.

The intervention removes these partitions and combines the kitchen, dining room and living area within a continuous shared space. Instead of being distributed among separate rooms, the main domestic activities now unfold within an open plan.

The new organization improves circulation and establishes longer views through the interior. It also allows daylight to enter from different sides and move across the residence throughout the day.

 

A continuous living environment

The open-plan arrangement does not eliminate all spatial definition. The different uses remain legible through furniture, fixed elements and changes in orientation rather than through enclosing walls.

The kitchen forms part of the shared living environment, while the dining and sitting areas maintain direct visual contact with one another. Movement through the house consequently becomes more fluid, and the interior is perceived as a continuous sequence rather than a collection of individual rooms.

This reorganization uses the existing building as a framework for a different form of everyday life. The renovation does not depend on increasing the enclosed floor area. Instead, it redistributes the available space and gives greater importance to shared use, light and visual connection.

 

Giving up interior area for outdoor life

The project’s principal intervention is the creation of a new semi-outdoor space in front of the living room. The existing balcony was too narrow to function as a substantial extension of the house. iLi Studio therefore chose to reduce the enclosed interior and convert part of it into a deeper, more usable covered terrace.

Although the gesture decreases the internal floor area, it expands the range of ways in which the residence can be inhabited. The new space can accommodate everyday activities outdoors while remaining protected from direct exposure.

A large opening connects the living room with this covered area. When opened, it strengthens both the visual continuity and the functional relationship between the two zones. The living room and terrace can therefore operate independently or as a single extended environment.

 

From an urban house to a summer residence

The semi-outdoor space changes the balance of the residence. Outdoor life is no longer confined to a conventional balcony attached to the façade. Instead, the covered terrace becomes a principal room of the house and a threshold between interior and exterior.

This approach gives the existing suburban building a more pronounced seasonal character without treating it as a new construction. The holiday-home quality emerges from the organization of everyday activities around light, openness and outdoor occupation.

Through a limited number of targeted changes, Heraklion Summer House demonstrates how an existing residential shell can accommodate a different way of living. The removal of partitions brings daylight deeper into the plan, while the new semi-outdoor space establishes a more direct relationship with the Cretan climate.

On a steep, rocky 4,070 m² plot overlooking Kalathas beach in Crete, the vacation house by iN2 Architects is conceived as a partially embedded residence closely integrated into the terrain. Designed for ten people, the house combines generous shared spaces with clearly separated areas of privacy.

The building occupies one of two natural plateaus on the slope, where the incline is gentler. Its long, single-level plan follows both the geometry of the site and the view towards the sea. Meanwhile, the existing vegetation was preserved wherever possible, including a prominent tamarisk tree at the entrance.

Rather than reshaping the landscape around the house, the design uses the existing features of the site to organize access, movement and orientation.

 

 

Entering through the rock

The approach begins at an existing cut in the mountain. From there, a narrow opening leads into a long, uncovered passage designed as a light well.

This route delays the first full encounter with the sea. At its end, the entrance hall divides the residence into two principal zones: communal living spaces to the east and bedrooms to the west.

From this central point, the view suddenly opens towards the islet of Kalathas. Folding glazing further dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, turning arrival into a gradual transition from rock and enclosure towards light and horizon.

A linear plan facing the sea

The eastern side contains the living room, dining area and kitchen within one continuous space. A 14 m sliding glass façade opens the entire communal zone towards the terrace and the panoramic view.

As a result, the living area becomes the social heart of the residence. Its open plan supports shared life, while the uninterrupted relationship with the exterior gives the sea a constant presence.

The western wing contains five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Their arrangement follows a rhythmic sequence of solid and open elements. Vertical screens provide privacy while allowing daylight to enter and framing controlled views towards the landscape.

The single-level organization also provides clear circulation and full accessibility. Underground spaces accommodate the necessary auxiliary functions, keeping the principal floor focused on daily life and the relationship with the sea.

 

 

Concrete as structure and background

Exposed concrete is the main material and expressive element of the house. Its natural colour is close to that of the rocky terrain, reducing the visual contrast between building and mountain.

Inside, the same material creates a neutral backdrop for the artworks of Netherlands-based artist Daniella Rubinovitz. The house therefore operates simultaneously as a domestic setting and as a restrained environment for displaying art.

Polished cement flooring continues the muted material language. Timber and metal elements add warmth and contrast, while the direct expression of the construction maintains the overall clarity of the interior.

Material continuity also strengthens the relationship between the building and the site. Rock fragments removed during excavation were returned to the surrounding landscape, reducing the distinction between the constructed and existing ground.

 

 

Light, shade and the open horizon

Large openings bring diffuse daylight deep into the residence. At the same time, a pergola covered with wicker filters the intense sun and extends the living areas outdoors.

The architecture is therefore shaped by a series of contrasts: the narrow entrance and the open horizon, the heavy concrete structure and the filtered light, the communal living area and the more protected bedrooms.

These relationships allow the house to remain visually restrained despite its size. The planted roof, linear form and earthy material palette reduce its presence on the slope, while the main façade opens almost completely towards the sea.

The house is conceived as a quiet architectural framework for the landscape and the art it contains. Through its embedded form, carefully staged entrance and long open façade, the residence brings the changing light, rocky terrain and horizon into everyday life.

 

The project was first published in print in Maison de Campagne 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

Keras Cliff House by Tzagkarakis + Associates is located outside Agia Galini in Rethymno, southern Crete. The residence occupies a natural plateau between a steep cliff and the surrounding mountains, with uninterrupted views across the southern Cretan Sea towards the uninhabited Paximadia islets.

Its composition draws on the “horns of consecration,” a recurring symbol of Minoan Crete. Rather than reproducing the motif as ornament, the architects use its geometry as a formal tool. Two curved wings follow the morphology of the site and open the house towards the sea.

 

 

A protected entrance and a sudden view

The entrance is positioned on the northern side of the residence. A floating concrete slab extends above a low wall, forming a sheltered threshold and introducing the project’s underlying geometric reference.

A continuous wall of local stone defines the northern boundary. Narrow vertical openings interrupt its otherwise solid surface, providing privacy while allowing controlled glimpses of the landscape.

This enclosed approach delays the principal view. Once inside, the stone wall gives way to a large opening towards the sea and Paximadia. The transition from the protected entrance to the open southern elevation establishes a gradual sequence of concealment and revelation.

Two curved residential wings

The house is divided into two main volumes. The western wing contains the interior living areas, which connect directly with the covered terraces and outdoor spaces. Wide openings allow the kitchen, dining room and sitting areas to operate as part of a continuous zone facing the sea.

The eastern wing accommodates four en-suite bedrooms arranged along an elongated corridor. At its far end, a small lounge frames a focused view of the Paximadia islets and provides a quieter destination away from the shared spaces.

Where the two wings meet, a central skylight introduces daylight from above. The space beneath it recalls the internal courtyard of traditional Cretan houses and acts as an orientation point from which the different parts of the residence become visible.

The ground-floor plan and cross-section published with the project clarify how the curved geometry follows the contours of the plateau. They also show the close relationship between the interior rooms, covered outdoor areas and changing levels of the landscape.

 

 

Stone, concrete and timber

The material palette responds to the raw character of southern Crete. Load-bearing walls of local stone form substantial boundaries, while exposed reinforced concrete extends across both enclosed and outdoor areas.

Concrete slabs continue beyond the glazed façades to create deep overhangs, pergolas and planted recesses. These elements provide shade and reinforce the visual continuity between the interior and the terraces.

Timber introduces a warmer and more precisely crafted layer. Custom sliding shutters protect the bedrooms and filter sunlight through their horizontal openings. The repeated use of stone, concrete and wood across interior and exterior surfaces gives the house a consistent material identity.

Nearly all construction work was undertaken by local craftspeople and crews. Their contribution is particularly visible in the stonework, the board-marked concrete and the purpose-made timber elements.

 

The project was first published in print in Maison de Campagne 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

At Minos Palace Resort in Crete, spatial flow, controlled sensory transitions and a close relationship with nature shape an environment dedicated to personalised wellbeing.

 

 

Νao Longevity Hub is located at Minos Palace Resort in Agios Nikolaos, Crete. Designed by Stones & Walls, the project explores how interior design can contribute to a broader approach to wellbeing and longevity.

Movement through space, contact with the natural landscape, lighting, materiality and atmosphere are treated as interconnected elements. The interior does not simply provide a setting for treatments and assessments. Instead, it becomes an active part of the visitor’s gradual transition towards a calmer rhythm.

Flow as a spatial principle

The name Nao derives from the ancient Greek verb nao, meaning “to flow,” and recalls the principle of panta rhei: everything flows. This concept informs the organization of the interior and the continuous passage from one functional zone to another.

The visitor’s experience begins before arrival through a personalised assessment, which establishes the basis of the programme that follows. Once inside Nao, the succession of spaces, the relationship with the landscape and the gradual reduction of sensory stimuli create a process of decompression.

The entire programme is not revealed from a single point. Instead, it unfolds through an ordered sequence of thresholds. Variations in light, enclosure, texture and atmosphere mark the transition from one activity to the next.

Circulation therefore becomes more than a functional link between rooms. It forms part of the overall wellness experience and prepares visitors for a different perception of time.

 

Nature and sensory restraint

The design responds to the understanding that the physical environment can affect both mental and bodily states. Natural light, tactile surfaces and visual contact with the exterior contribute to a measured and progressively quieter spatial experience.

Rather than separating the different functions through abrupt boundaries, Stones & Walls establish continuity through a shared material and atmospheric language. Spaces for assessment, movement, treatment and relaxation maintain distinct identities while remaining part of the same route.

The natural landscape serves as more than a framed view. Its colours, rhythms and sense of openness inform the restrained character of the interior. In this way, the project introduces contact with nature without relying on literal decorative representations.

Five interconnected pillars

The spatial design operates alongside a personalised methodology structured around five principal pillars: Nutrition, Sleep, Movement, Self-Mastery, and Connection & Purpose.

Diagnostic tools and individual programmes establish a personal route for each visitor. The interior supports this process through spaces with different degrees of activity, privacy and sensory intensity.

More active or technologically supported functions are balanced by quieter environments dedicated to rest and contemplation. The transitions among them are designed to feel gradual, preserving the principle of continuous flow.

Architecture and methodology therefore have complementary roles. Assessment defines the individual programme, while the physical environment gives this programme a clear sequence and atmosphere.

 

A changing understanding of luxury

Nao reflects a broader shift in contemporary hospitality and wellness design. Luxury is no longer expressed only through material refinement or visual abundance. It is increasingly associated with time, privacy, personalised attention and the quality of the surrounding environment.

Within this context, the project brings together interior design, science and nature as parts of a single experience. The objective is not simply to create a visually controlled setting, but to establish an environment that supports a more balanced everyday rhythm.

The architectural contribution lies in translating the abstract concept of flow into a spatial experience. Arrival, evaluation, movement, treatment and rest become successive stages of a continuous route.

 

The project was first presented in print in ek magazine 302 | November 2025, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Against the rugged coastline of southern Crete, Archway Enclosure by Entopos Architects transforms an existing structure into a summer residence with direct access to the sea. The intervention preserves the original footprint of the building while reorganizing the relationship between interior, exterior and landscape.

The 1,800 m² plot remains largely undeveloped, with the historic fortress of Frangokastello forming the principal point of reference in the wider surroundings. This setting informs an architecture shaped by enclosure and exposure: the residence turns selectively towards the sea while drawing on the defensive character of the local built landscape.

Arches between interior and landscape

Within the existing footprint, the former living and kitchen areas were reorganized to create two independent rooms with uninterrupted views towards the open sea.

The transition between inside and outside is articulated through a sequence of arches that become the defining element of the façades. Rather than functioning as an applied motif, the arch regulates movement and frames successive views of the landscape.

This approach is particularly evident where sheltered spaces open towards the coast. The geometry of the openings creates a gradual transition from the more protected interior to the exposed seaside setting.

 

 

References to fortress architecture

The northern side of the residence is deliberately more introverted. Small openings recall the narrow loopholes of defensive structures, while the inclined wall surfaces draw on the Venetian scarpo, the sloping base characteristic of fortifications.

These elements establish a clear contrast between the two principal orientations of the house. To the north, the architecture becomes heavier and more enclosed; towards the south and the sea, it opens through arches, shaded areas and framed views.

A perforated suspended pergola completes the southern façade, filtering the strong sunlight while preserving the visual relationship with the coast.

Auxiliary structures as part of the composition

Existing structures on either side of the main building were incorporated into the overall design.

To the west, a 15 m² space was converted into an independent guest unit with a private bathroom. Two new walls with arched openings increase privacy while creating a gradual connection with the surrounding landscape.

To the east, former sheds associated with an improvised grilling area were transformed into storage and an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue. A waterproof pergola extends over an adjoining shaded sitting area, bringing the different functions together.

The outdoor living space continues along the northern boundary. Here, another arch framed by perforated brick directs the view towards the sea, repeating the project’s principal architectural device at the scale of the landscape.

 

 

Water, planting and the existing terrain

Landscape design forms an integral part of the intervention. At the eastern edge of the property, an existing well was preserved and incorporated into a new water zone containing a swimming pool and hydromassage area.

Low stone walls, rising no higher than 45 cm, follow curved lines through the site and discreetly define more private areas without creating rigid boundaries.

Planting is organized in different heights to strengthen the sense of seclusion and enrich the existing vegetation. Islands of endemic Cretan aromatic plants and herbs further connect the residence with the local landscape.

The material palette responds to the demanding coastal conditions. Marble and local stone are used for the floors, while durable timber forms the frames and pergolas. Together with the arches, stone walls and layered planting, these materials create a residence that draws from the character of the place without directly reproducing traditional forms.

 

Originally published in Maison de Campagne 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

A Holiday Residence in the Landscape of Apokoronas

In Kokkino Chorio, in the Apokoronas area of Crete, this holiday residence is set on a gently sloping plot with expansive views toward Souda Bay, the city of Chania, the Thodorou islands and, in the distance, the Spatha peninsula. To the south, the landscape opens toward the Apokoronas plain and the White Mountains, while to the north it looks toward the Akrotiri peninsula and the Cretan Sea.

Designed for a large family, the house is positioned relatively centrally within the site, set back from the main road to the east and kept at generous distances from neighboring plots. This placement conceals much of its volume from the street, allowing the residence to reveal itself gradually as one moves through the plot.

Three Volumes Across Three Levels

The residence is organized as three volumes distributed across three levels: a basement, a ground floor partially embedded in the natural terrain, and an upper floor. The central volume contains the main living areas, while the northern and southern volumes accommodate the more private parts of the program.

Rather than appearing as a single large object, the house is broken down into a sequence of volumes, courtyards and terraces. This strategy allows a residence designed to accommodate up to 16 people to remain closely connected to the topography and landscape, reducing its visual impact despite its considerable size.

Arrival Across Water and a Double-Height Living Space

Visitors enter from the upper level, crossing a bridge over an artificial lake located to the east of the residence. At the ground-floor level, this water element becomes a waterfall, shaping a more private entrance courtyard accessed by car.

Inside the central volume, the upper level includes a lounge with a bar and billiards area overlooking the main living room below. This double-height space connects the two levels visually, while a staircase oriented toward the eastern courtyard and waterfall reinforces the relationship between interior movement and the presence of water.

Bedrooms, Living Areas and Panoramic Views

On the upper floor, two corridors to the north and south lead to four bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, while also accommodating a WC and laundry room. On the ground floor, the main living room, dining area and kitchen are arranged around the central volume, with corresponding corridors leading to four additional en-suite bedrooms.

The living and dining areas open toward the western courtyard with the swimming pool and panoramic views in all directions. Through an internal courtyard, the kitchen maintains visual relationships with both the pool and the rear courtyard with the waterfall, reinforcing the continuous dialogue between interior and exterior life.

Courtyards, Pool and Outdoor Living

Between the volumes, two courtyards structure the outdoor experience. The northern courtyard includes an outdoor dining area and kitchen with barbecue, while the southern courtyard features a water element connected to the pool. This water overflows into a lightwell, creating a waterfall within a rock garden at basement level.

The immediate outdoor spaces are organized as extensions of daily life: a large courtyard leading to the pool in front of the central volume, a seating area with an outdoor fireplace to the north, and a sunbathing area with loungers to the south. The house is therefore conceived around the Cretan continuity between inside and outside, where domestic life moves fluidly through shaded, open and water-cooled spaces.

Stone, Concrete and Framed Horizons

The building is constructed from reinforced concrete and stone masonry. Taller walls framing the roofs are clad in local stone, and through their form and position they alternately connect or separate the different spaces of the house.

The northern and southern volumes are identical in size and shape, yet their openings differ according to orientation and view. Each frames a distinct landscape condition: the open sea in one direction and the White Mountains in the other. Architecture becomes a device for selecting, measuring and intensifying the surrounding horizon.

A Large Family Residence with Reduced Visual Impact

Although the residence spans a considerable area, its partial integration into the terrain, alignment with the natural contours, distribution across three levels and separation from the ground through the prominent waterfall all help reduce its scale within the landscape.

The house is barely visible from the main road and only gradually appears as one approaches within the site. Beyond the building itself, interventions are limited to the immediate outdoor areas, allowing the Cretan landscape to embrace the courtyards rather than be overwritten by them.

Living with the Cretan Landscape

Each position within the residence offers a different relationship to the landscape: the White Mountains, olive groves and villages of Apokoronas; sunsets behind the Thodorou islands; the city of Chania; Souda Bay; the Akrotiri peninsula; and the open sea. At the same time, there is no visual contact with the main road to the east, preserving the sense of retreat.

The house creates a gradient of privacy, from the bedrooms to the playrooms in the attic and basement, while supporting a way of living in which indoor and outdoor life can merge for most of the year. In this sense, the residence is less a detached object than an inhabited sequence of views, courtyards, water and stone: a Cretan setting for family life shaped by the idea of carpe diem.

Multiple Traces

A residence and three undercut guesthouses were created on a hill with a strong slope and frequent strong winds, in Plakias in southern Rethymno, The main residence intended for the owners, was designed on the highest point of the plot. The three guesthouses were placed at the lower levels of the study area, with access from the road below.

 

Design philosophy and integration into the landscape

The main request was the orientation of the buildings in such a way that all areas have a direct view to Ammoudi Βay to the south-east and the sea to the south-southwest. The complete integration into the rocky mountain landscape and the creation of a sustainable building exterior, sheltered from the winds of the Cretan mountains, were also some of the main goals. The whole complex follows the same design philosophy and serves the same purposes. Fencing was avoided and additional plantings were kept to a minimum, allowing the local plants to “embrace” our intervention. The materials chosen are the local stone of the area and the mortar – wood in the same shades.

 

Excavations and composition of indoor-outdoor spaces

Μultiple axes were created following the contour lines of the site. Repeated at different levels, they created buildings, diazoms, pools, pergolas and retaining walls, simultaneously creating exterior and interior spaces, with different views and levels of privacy. The use of indoor and semi-enclosed atriums and gardens intensified the separation of zones with different levels of privacy.

 

Functional organization of the main house

The main house consists of two levels. Access is via stairs from the parking area to the east of the building. On this level, the living spaces are separated from the main bedroom and the auxiliary areas by two patios. From there, a staircase leads to the lower level of the house, where two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small living room are located. The outer spaces of the upper level are divided by a garden, into the courtyard areas of the master bedroom and the common areas. In them is located the swimming pool, the outdoor kitchen with dining and living areas. The spaces of the lower level, due to the external access to the courtyard spaces of the upper level, become autonomous. The design of the walls, combined with the slopes of the plot, make access to visitors and animals impossible, while the users are fully protected from the wind.

The three undercut guesthouses consist of living/day areas, and bedrooms with bathroom. There were designed autonomous pools and outdoor spaces as well. Also, they are placed at different heights ensuring unobstructed views and privacy.

 

Underground houses

The three underground guesthouses consist of living areas, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Externally, self-contained swimming pools and relaxation areas were designed. Also, they were placed at different altitudes, ensuring unobstructed views and privacy.