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.

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.

A high perimeter wall embraces a carved rectangular volume, creating a protected courtyard where light, vegetation and controlled views establish a condition of permeable introversion.

Domus Maya is located in the southeastern suburbs of Nicosia, on a typical plot within a recently developed neighbourhood. The two sides of the site present contrasting conditions. To the south, scattered residential buildings form an irregular urban frontage. To the north, open agricultural land extends towards the horizon and the trapezoidal profile of Aronas hill.

The proposal by Studio Kyriakos Miltiadou responds to this contrast through two principal compositional elements: a clearly defined rectangular prism and a tall wall that surrounds and embraces it.

 

A solid volume shaped by subtraction

The main volume has a footprint of 12 by 10 metres. Rather than remaining an intact rectangular block, it is carved along its horizontal and vertical axes.

The subtraction of parts from the original mass creates an internal void, which rises through two storeys in selected areas. The rooms and circulation spaces are organized around this opening.

The residence develops over two levels. The ground floor contains the principal shared spaces: the living room, kitchen, dining area and a small guest room. The bedrooms, bathrooms and supporting functions occupy the upper floor.

The central void acts as a three-dimensional canvas within the house. It brings light, air and vegetation into the interior while framing the horizontal line of the distant landscape. At the same time, it mediates between the family’s private life and its more social spaces.

 

A wall against the suburban landscape

The second defining element is a 3.5m-high wall positioned three metres behind the public road. Extending across the full width of the plot, it forms a firm boundary between the residence and the fragmented suburban surroundings.

Its continuous surface gives the street elevation an intentionally restrained character. Three narrow vertical openings interrupt the wall and permit carefully controlled views towards and from the interior.

The house therefore does not become completely isolated from the neighbourhood. Instead, the openings produce a selective permeability, allowing light, movement and partial visual contact to pass through an otherwise protective boundary.

A vivid yellow entrance door marks the point of access. Its colour contrasts with the white rendered surfaces and transforms the act of entering into a clearly legible moment within the composition.

 

An internal square around an olive tree

Behind the perimeter wall lies a central “square”: a protected courtyard that receives visitors before they enter the main house.

A transplanted olive tree stands at its centre. Surrounded by a circular exposed-concrete element, it becomes the principal point of orientation within the courtyard and introduces a mature natural presence into the precise geometric composition.

The courtyard opens towards the social life of the residence. It is not conceived as an isolated garden but as a shared outdoor room connected with the entrance, living spaces and semi-outdoor areas.

The white surfaces reflect the intense Mediterranean light, while the shadows of the planting animate the otherwise monolithic walls throughout the day.

 

Continuity between inside and outside

Exposed-concrete seating surfaces extend through the internal and external spaces. By crossing the boundaries of the envelope, they weaken the distinction between room, courtyard and garden.

These continuous elements also create informal places for sitting and social encounter. Their position allows everyday activities to spread beyond the conventional arrangement of enclosed rooms.

Where the perimeter wall meets the rectangular prism, smaller semi-outdoor spaces emerge. A network of stainless-steel cables supports climbing plants and introduces a lighter, permeable layer alongside the solid architectural surfaces.

Thyme, jasmine, lavender and bougainvillea occupy the enclosed gardens. Over time, the vegetation is intended to extend across the walls and wire structures, gradually softening the monolithic character of the residence.

 

Permeable introversion

The wall and the prism ultimately operate as a single architectural gesture. The first establishes protection and distance from the irregular urban setting. The second is opened and carved to accommodate light, landscape and vegetation.

Their interaction produces a series of deliberate contradictions: enclosure and openness, public and private life, the natural and the artificial, exposure and protection.

Domus Maya does not resolve these oppositions by choosing one condition over the other. Instead, it uses the courtyard, narrow openings and semi-outdoor thresholds to maintain a balance between them.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 288 | July–August 2024, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Fallen Tower by Kipseli Architects is a vacation home in Messinian Mani. Its design reinterprets the region’s fortified stone towers, which traditionally developed vertically as structures of defence and isolation.

Instead of reproducing this familiar form, the project turns it on its side. The tower becomes an elongated horizontal volume that organizes everyday life and strengthens the residence’s relationship with the landscape.

 

 

A tower laid across the site

The principal volume contains the living room, kitchen and dining area in a continuous linear sequence. The entrance is positioned at one end of this shared space. From there, movement through the house culminates in a semi-outdoor area that frames the sea.

This extended route gives the building a clear internal direction. At the same time, it transforms the traditional tower from an enclosed vertical structure into an open framework for collective life.

The horizontal form retains a sense of monumentality. However, its meaning changes. Rather than asserting separation from the landscape, the volume stretches across the site and establishes a direct connection between the interior, the courtyard and the distant horizon.

 

 

Private spaces as separate fragments

Bedrooms, bathrooms and storage areas project from the principal spine as smaller spatial fragments. Their divergent arrangement loosens the strict geometry of the main volume and creates a more varied relationship with the terrain.

The gaps between these private wings shape a protected outdoor core. This west-facing internal courtyard acts as a shared open-air room, enclosed by the residence but visually connected with the wider landscape.

The ground- and first-floor plans published with the original presentation clarify this organization. The long communal spine defines one side of the composition, while the smaller volumes unfold around the courtyard and respond independently to the site.

 

 

Continuity between inside and outside

The photographic sequence reveals a composition of stone surfaces, lighter rendered volumes and dark metal pergolas. The main stone element gives the residence a substantial presence, while the projecting wings and sheltered outdoor spaces divide its overall mass.

Large openings connect the living areas with the terraces, pool and sea view. Inside, the linear kitchen reinforces the direction of the main volume. Meanwhile, the living room opens simultaneously towards the water and the semi-outdoor space at its far end.

The bedrooms maintain a more contained character. Nevertheless, carefully placed openings preserve their relationship with the landscape and allow natural light to enter the private areas.

Through this shift from verticality to horizontality, the regional tower is redefined as a structure of connection. It no longer separates its occupants from their surroundings. Instead, it brings together shared and private spaces around an open sequence of movement, landscape and outdoor life.

 

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

Located on a rocky hillside in Corfu, the summer residence was designed by Tony Wynbourne, Georgios Apostolopoulos and Makis Gisdakis. Organized along an east–west axis, the house opens towards uninterrupted 180-degree views of the sea and the surrounding landscape.

The architectural composition follows the terrain and incorporates existing natural elements into the experience of the house. A preserved olive tree occupies a central position, while exposed rock remains visible within the lower level. Local stone and large glazed openings establish a balance between solidity and openness.

 

 

Following the natural terrain

The residence is distributed across a ground floor, lower ground floor and mezzanine. This arrangement allows the building to respond to the changing levels of the hillside while maintaining a close relationship with the exterior.

On the ground floor, the plan is divided into two main zones. The principal bedroom occupies the western side, while the kitchen, living room and dining area are placed to the east. Large openings connect these spaces with the terraces and frame the view towards the sea.

The lower ground floor contains four additional bedrooms with private bathrooms and a small kitchenette. At the rear, the natural rock is incorporated into a quiet, cave-like retreat. Rather than concealing the terrain, the design brings its rough material character directly into the interior.

The repeated orientation towards the view creates a common spatial direction throughout the house. At the same time, the distribution across three levels allows the different sleeping and living areas to retain a degree of independence.

Two pools at different levels

Two swimming pools are integrated into separate parts of the hillside. On the upper level, a heated pool extends directly from the principal bedroom. Set beside the natural rock, it forms a more private water surface within the landscape.

The main pool occupies a lower terrace. Its long, calm surface aligns visually with the distant horizon, strengthening the connection between the residence and the sea.

The different position and scale of the two pools give each one a distinct role. The upper pool belongs to the more private part of the house, while the lower pool forms part of the shared outdoor spaces.

 

 

Local stone and restrained interiors

The exterior is clad in locally sourced stone, shaped by hand by local craftspeople. Its irregular surface connects the architecture with the rocky hillside and recalls the material character of Corfu’s traditional buildings.

Large windows and carefully resolved details introduce a contemporary contrast to the weight and texture of the stone. The relationship between solid walls and glazed openings also allows the landscape to remain visible throughout the interior.

Inside, the design is deliberately understated. Neutral materials, minimal lines and discreet joinery create a quiet setting for the views. The interiors do not compete with the surrounding landscape. Instead, they direct attention towards the sea, the natural rock and the changing daylight.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 298 | June 2025, the monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

A low-rise composition of fragmented volumes and atriums is arranged around mature olive trees on Corfu’s western coast.

Casa Ruina is a 477m² residence in Kortiraki, on the western coast of Corfu. Designed by Thetacon, it develops as a low, fragmented composition among mature olive trees. The existing vegetation, the sloping terrain and the presence of a ruin informed a design that combines contemporary spatial organization with references to Corfiot building traditions.

 

 

Architecture among the olive trees

The height of the residence is deliberately restrained, allowing the vertical presence of the olive trees to remain dominant. Instead of forming a single compact volume, the building is divided according to use. This strategy preserves the largest trees and introduces a series of open spaces between the enclosed rooms.

The main residence occupies a single level despite the changing topography. Its entrance is approached through a landscaped atrium, which acts as the first threshold between the olive grove and the interior. The kitchen is placed on one side and the living and dining areas on the other. Meanwhile, the principal bedrooms are arranged at the far end.

Atriums as spatial structure

Atriums connect the separate volumes and establish a gradual transition from shared to private areas. They also create visual links across the residence, extending sightlines from one room to another and towards the surrounding landscape. As a result, the fragmented plan retains a sense of continuity and openness.

The steeper part of the site accommodates a subterranean guesthouse. Internal vertical circulation leads to the additional bedrooms and utility spaces below. This arrangement uses the natural slope without increasing the apparent height of the main composition.

At a lower level, a linear swimming pool follows the direction of the terrain. Its elongated form reinforces the continuity between the architecture, the descending landscape and the distant sea.

 

 

Materials with local references

The material palette supports the project’s integration into its setting. Light-toned stone provides the dominant earthy surface, while timber pergolas with wicker elements filter the sunlight. Corfiot brick adds a further local reference.

Together, these materials create a restrained balance between contemporary construction and the island’s architectural identity.

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.

Mediterranean aura

In the Zografou area, the project unfolds as a dining establishment, drawing inspiration from the lively realm of street food that seamlessly integrates exterior spaces into the interior.

 

Designing for the street food culture

Diverging from conventional norms, the architectural design delved into the concept of street food within Greek data and Mediterranean cultures. Recognizing that in Greece, the idea of street food often aligns with small island courtyards offering culinary delights to guests, they chose to center their concept on a space embodying Mediterranean culture through materials and the subtle lines found in Greek villages.

 

Design philosophy

The strategic use of vibrant colors decodes the essence of street food, enabling the creation of a unified space with vivid hues and elegant lines. The resultant dining establishment precisely introduces a fresh perspective, an image for street food grounded in Mediterranean data, marking a new and innovative approach.

 

Materials and color palette

The façade of the store is characterized by a bright pink color, while the kitchen is clad in wood and thatch and extends vertically up to the equally characteristic green roof. The food counter takes on a rocky texture and is arranged in the centre of the composition. In the bathroom, matte green and glossy orange tiles are combined with details in shades of pink and a natural sculptural sink.