Three independent residences step along two terraces in Lefkes, preserving dry-stone walls and mature olive trees while gradually framing the Parian landscape.

 

The residence in Lefkes by KP Office is formed by a complex of three independent houses known as Pezoules House. It occupies a narrow, steeply sloping site in one of the most traditional settlements of Paros.

The project takes its name from its position across two agricultural terraces, or pezoules. Opposite the site, some of the island’s best-preserved terraced fields extend across the hillside. These longstanding structures have shaped both the cultivation and the architectural character of the Cycladic landscape.

 

Buildings arranged along the slope

The narrow proportions and pronounced gradient of the site determined the articulated arrangement of the building volumes. Rather than creating a single compact mass, the design distributes the programme across a sequence of interconnected structures.

The composition follows the two existing terraces. As a result, the buildings remain close to the ground and adapt to the changing levels instead of imposing a uniform platform on the site.

Openings appear gradually as visitors move through the complex. Some provide broad panoramic views, while others frame isolated parts of the surrounding hills. The landscape is therefore revealed as a sequence rather than as a continuous image.

The main project collaborator was Studio265, whose work with KP Office contributed to the architectural and constructional development of the complex.

 

Three independent residences

Each of the three houses develops across two or three levels. Their ground floors contain the principal living and dining areas, together with semi-outdoor sitting spaces integrated into the main volumes.

The bedrooms have private bathrooms and occupy more protected positions. Their distribution establishes a clear distinction between communal and private life without disconnecting them from the landscape.

The stepped organization also gives each house a degree of autonomy. Individual terraces, pools and outdoor rooms are separated from one another, although all three residences remain part of the same architectural composition.

The published ground-floor plan and longitudinal section clarify this relationship. The plan shows the houses extending along the narrow site, while the section explains their gradual descent through the two terraces.

 

Framed views and semi-outdoor rooms

Covered seating areas are incorporated within the principal volumes rather than added as independent structures. They form deep thresholds between enclosed rooms, swimming pools and the surrounding terrain.

These intermediate spaces protect everyday outdoor activity from direct sunlight. At the same time, they preserve visual continuity with the hills and the distant horizon.

The arrangement of openings reinforces this controlled relationship. Windows and passages do not simply provide a view from every point. Instead, they direct attention towards selected elements of the landscape and make orientation part of the movement through the house.

 

Stone from the site

Rendered masonry defines the enclosed residential volumes. In contrast, exposed stone is used for retaining walls, boundaries and other external architectural elements.

The stone was recovered exclusively during the excavation of the site. Its reuse strengthens the material relationship between the new construction and the surrounding terrain.

Existing dry-stone walls were preserved and structurally reinforced. Where sections had collapsed, they were rebuilt with local stone, maintaining the continuity of the agricultural terraces.

The masonry therefore serves several roles. It retains the sloping ground, organizes circulation and outdoor rooms, and connects the new complex with the longstanding constructional logic of the Parian landscape.

 

Building around existing olive trees

The outdoor spaces were designed with the aim of limiting intervention in the natural terrain. Building volumes and circulation routes were positioned around mature olive trees that already occupied the site.

The landscape design by Outside Landscape Architecture extends this approach. Gardens contain olive and cypress trees, vines, herbs, aromatic shrubs and flowering plants associated with the Mediterranean ecosystem.

Rainwater-storage tanks contribute to the irrigation of the planted areas. The intervention therefore relies on specific landscape and water-management measures rather than treating planting as an applied decorative layer.

 

Local techniques and contemporary elements

The houses combine references to traditional Cycladic construction with contemporary building components. Small openings and walls up to 60cm thick create substantial, protected envelopes.

Many elements were custom-made by experienced local craftspeople. In parallel, exposed-concrete ceilings, thermally insulated frames and stainless-steel fittings introduce a more contemporary constructional language.

The project does not reproduce a historic building type. Instead, it draws on the environmental and material logic of local architecture and adapts it to current residential needs.

The result is a sequence of houses embedded in the terraces, where stone walls, framed views and intermediate outdoor rooms establish a measured relationship with the landscape.

 

The project was first published in print in ParosVillas Vol.4, a special edition by ek Architectural Publications.

At Somanou, in Koufonissia, two single-level vacation homes by GFRA Architecture unfold across a landscape with uninterrupted views of the Aegean and a nearby traditional Cycladic settlement. The principal design strategy was to organize the programme in close contact with the landscape without altering the natural topography of the site. Instead of concentrating the functions within large continuous forms, the complex is broken down into smaller volumes. Protected courtyards and semi-outdoor spaces emerge between them, bringing the scale and intimacy of a Cycladic neighbourhood into a contemporary residential setting.

 

 

A small settlement within the landscape

Access is provided from the eastern side of the property, where a shared parking area serves both residences. From there, two separate paths lead to the houses, reinforcing their functional independence from the outset.

Each residence is entered through a low, discreet volume that acts as a distribution corridor between the principal and auxiliary spaces. The open-plan living, dining and kitchen area occupies the main façade and projects slightly beyond the other volumes, establishing its central role within the composition.

The primary bedrooms are also positioned towards the front, taking advantage of the views across the Aegean. Between the principal volumes, a private courtyard is created for each residence, forming a protected centre of calm and privacy.

Additional bedrooms are placed towards the rear, where their more secluded position is reinforced by independent access to small sheltered courtyards. The spatial organization therefore alternates between open views and protected outdoor rooms rather than treating the landscape as a single uninterrupted panorama.

Courtyards between the volumes

The fragmentation of the complex allows the spaces between the buildings to become as important as the interiors themselves. Courtyards, pathways and shaded thresholds regulate movement through the project, while the transition between shared and private areas takes place gradually.

The arrangement draws on the spatial logic of Cycladic settlements without directly reproducing their forms. The experience is based on a sequence of separate volumes, narrow passages and protected places where the architecture offers shelter from the sun and wind.

 

 

Shared and private outdoor life

The principal outdoor areas are positioned along the front of the residences, facing the sea. Each house is provided with a pool, a hydrotherapy area and generous outdoor sitting spaces.

At the same time, a shared area with an outdoor dining table and bbq creates a place for gathering between the otherwise independent residences. The project balances these communal uses with a series of more secluded courtyards and sitting areas associated with individual rooms.

Outdoor life is therefore organized through different degrees of privacy. Open areas directed towards the Aegean coexist with enclosed courtyards, shaded patios and protected spaces between the volumes.

Materials rooted in the Cyclades

The landscape design follows the same principle of restrained integration. Mediterranean species are introduced through limited interventions that enrich the existing vegetation, while local rocks are retained as active elements of the composition.

The façades are finished in light earthy tones drawn from the natural palette of the Cyclades. Wood, stone, marble and cane establish a tactile material language that links the new architecture with the island landscape.

Rather than relying on the conventional white image of Cycladic architecture, the project uses colour, texture and natural materials to establish a quieter relationship with the terrain. Stone walls and planted areas extend the buildings into the site, while cane pergolas filter the strong sunlight and create changing patterns of shadow.

At Somanou, the two vacation homes and the converted structure form a small architectural ensemble in which buildings and outdoor spaces are closely interwoven. Through the fragmentation of the programme, the creation of protected courtyards and the restrained use of natural materials, the project interprets the scale of a Cycladic settlement while maintaining the independence of each residence.

 

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

Somanou by GFRA Architecture is featured on the cover.