On the southwestern coast of Mykonos, En Kyanó by Dimitris Sakellariou and Mihalis Seitanidis is shaped by the deep blue of the Aegean and a continuous relationship between architecture and landscape. Its name refers to the saturated colour of the sea and sky, which forms an ever-changing backdrop to the residence.

The architectural composition seeks continuity between interior and exterior through a sequence of interconnected spaces. Rather than revealing itself at once, the house is experienced gradually, through transitions between different levels, shaded and open areas, planted surfaces and mineral ground.

A two-level composition

The residence is organized across two levels with distinct degrees of openness and privacy. The upper level contains the principal living, dining and cooking areas, both indoors and outdoors, together with two primary bedrooms.

The lower level accommodates four cave-like suites, a gym and the necessary service areas, connected by a separate circulation corridor. This arrangement integrates the more private functions into the terrain while allowing communal life to occupy the more open upper level.

The resulting sequence establishes continuous transitions between above and below, inside and outside, covered and open-air spaces. Planting and hard surfaces further articulate the movement through the property, allowing the composition to be discovered in stages.

 

 

The pergola as common ground

An expansive but visually lightweight pergola extends in front of the principal living spaces, connecting the two building volumes along the length of the infinity pool.

This intervention transforms the courtyard into the central space of daily life. Protected from the intense Mykonian sun, it accommodates eating, relaxation and social gatherings while maintaining an uninterrupted relationship with the horizon.

The pool reinforces the longitudinal organization of the residence and extends the architecture towards the Aegean. At the same time, smaller private courtyards attached to the bedrooms provide more secluded outdoor spaces.

The project therefore balances two parallel conditions: a central area designed for communal life and a series of protected places for retreat.

Contemporary living and Cycladic references

The design brings a contemporary spatial language into dialogue with the architectural character of the island. Instead of reproducing vernacular forms directly, it draws on their principles through simple volumes, protected outdoor areas and a restrained material palette.

The interior design collaboration between Lambs and Lions, StudioMacBride and Annabell Kutucu develops the same approach through spaces intended to support both gathering and privacy.

Local craftspeople contributed to a series of bespoke elements, allowing traditional knowledge and contemporary construction to coexist within the project. The result is a form of restrained modernity grounded in the tactile character of the place.

 

 

Natural materials and the beauty of imperfection

Natural materials reinforce the relationship between the residence and its setting. Lime plaster is placed alongside the local stone of the building volumes, while timber and sandblasted travertine introduce further variations in texture.

The palette avoids polished uniformity. Its surfaces are intended to register light, use and time, supporting an approach based on modesty, material simplicity and an appreciation of imperfection.

Through the relationship between its two levels, the large shaded pergola and the sequence of shared and private outdoor spaces, En Kyanó places everyday life in continuous contact with the landscape. The architecture becomes a framework for experiencing the changing light of Mykonos and the expanse of the Aegean.

 

Originally published in MykonosVillas Vol.5, a special edition 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.

Located in Haras del Bosque, a residential development and nature reserve in southeastern Puebla, Mexico, AE House is shaped by the dense vegetation of its setting. The landscape guides the relationship between the residence and its surroundings, while creating a sense of shelter.

Facing the street, the house maintains a horizontal, sober and understated presence that protects the privacy of the interior. Once inside, the scale changes. A central corridor structures the project and directs movement toward a sequence of courtyards, voids, bridges and platforms.

 

 

Staggered Volumes on the Slope

The house is fragmented into staggered volumes that adapt to the topography and open toward the adjacent hill and the pine-oak forest. The arrangement establishes a direct relationship between architecture and views, gradually weakening the boundary between interior and exterior.

Changes in level become part of everyday movement through the house. The circulation repeatedly opens toward the forest and the terrain, allowing the landscape to remain present from different heights.

The continuity between walls and sloping roofs gives the composition a clear volumetric reading, reinterpreting the elemental silhouette of the house through a contemporary architectural language.

Natural Light Through the Section

Continuous skylights extend from wall to ceiling, bringing natural light deep into the interior and changing its atmosphere throughout the day. Even the most enclosed spaces maintain a connection with the outdoors through variations of light and shadow.

The house is therefore not organized around views alone. Light enters from above and between the volumes, allowing changing external conditions to remain perceptible within the more sheltered areas of the interior.

 

 

Weight and Lightness

The material organization is based on a contrast between weight and lightness. The ground floor forms a solid base of concrete, exposed masonry and cement finishes, while also functioning as a retaining structure against the slope.

Above it, the upper floor takes on a lighter character through a steel frame and an envelope of dark metal panels. The two levels are therefore differentiated both structurally and materially.

Circulation turns the slope into an active part of the house. Inhabiting AE House involves climbing, crossing and pausing at different heights, transforming movement into an opportunity to observe the landscape while remaining sheltered by the architecture.

Perched on the summit of a hill, Pride Rock Villa combines the simplicity of Mediterranean living with refined finishes and high construction precision. The residence commands a 270-degree panorama towards Kalo Livadi, Divounia and Kalafati, while the islet of Ktapodi and the island of Naxos gradually emerge on the distant horizon.

Modern architectural lines are combined with elements drawn from the local building tradition, establishing a close relationship with the natural landscape and the continuous presence of water. The design brings artisanal craftsmanship together with contemporary technologies, creating an environment defined by clarity, comfort and calm.

 

 

A 270-degree horizon

Four principles guided the design: the orientation of the building volumes towards the principal views, the careful consideration of the sun’s trajectory to maximize natural light, protection from the strong northern winds and a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The rocky topography was central to the architectural composition. Rather than being treated simply as a backdrop, the characteristics of the terrain determined the main axes of the building and its visual connections with the landscape. Outdoor seating areas were positioned in sheltered locations, allowing the panoramic views to remain accessible even when the prevailing winds are strong.

Two wings shaped by the landscape

The residence is divided into two wings, each associated with a triangular swimming pool. One is oriented towards Kalafati and the other towards Kalo Livadi, reinforcing the building’s response to the two principal directions of the site.

The first wing is white and cubical. Its ground floor contains an open-plan living area with direct access to the outdoor spaces, while the primary bedroom occupies the upper level and opens towards uninterrupted views of the sea.

The second wing is built in stone and partly embedded in the terrain beneath a planted roof. It contains three ensuite bedrooms, where cross ventilation and natural light are provided through a sunken rear courtyard. The contrast between the two wings allows the residence to alternate between a more exposed, elevated presence and a quieter integration into the hillside.

 

 

The rock as a spatial anchor

At the centre of the plot, an existing rock formation was preserved and incorporated into the architectural layout. An internal courtyard wraps around it, bringing a fragment of the original landscape directly into the everyday experience of the residence. From the top of the rock, the broader panorama of the Aegean is revealed.

This approach extends throughout the project: the natural features of the site are not concealed but used to define movement, views and spatial relationships. Architecture, water and terrain are brought together in a composition that combines the functional requirements of a summer residence with the distinctive character of its location.

Originally published in MykonosVillas Vol.5, a special edition by ek magazine.

Prefabricated Concrete as Architectural Identity

In Chave, Arouca, Portugal, G–5 Houses by Summary is conceived as a fully prefabricated reinforced-concrete residential complex. Modular panels form all major building elements, including façades, roofs and interior partitions, allowing construction to be streamlined while giving the development a clear architectural identity.

Rather than treating prefabrication only as a technical method, the project uses it as the basis for spatial organization, material expression and construction logic. The repetition and typification of components produce a building that is direct, legible and strongly defined by its system.

Five Dwellings, One Shared Order

The complex contains five dwellings: three two-storey units and two single-storey units. On the ground floor, the houses share a regular rectangular plan, with each unit benefiting from two free façades.

Above this base, three independent volumes are positioned irregularly across the broad roof slab. The spaces between them become outdoor terraces, accessed through an external staircase on the eastern side of the building. From there, the terraces open views toward the Serra da Freita.

 

 

Direct Access and Reduced Circulation

Each dwelling has its own street entrance, leading first to a sheltered exterior area. From this threshold, the main door opens directly into the living room, reducing circulation and eliminating the need for transitional spaces such as atriums.

The plan is organized with an emphasis on efficiency and direct use. The entrance sequence is brief, the living room becomes the distribution point, and the houses avoid unnecessary spatial hierarchy. This economy of movement reinforces the project’s broader logic of constructional clarity.

Modular Panels as Structure and Enclosure

Interior partitions are made from prefabricated concrete panels that function simultaneously as enclosure and structural bracing. This removes the need for additional masonry and makes concrete the dominant material both outside and inside the building.

The specific production process gives each panel one smooth face and one textured face. The design responds to this condition strategically: smooth surfaces are exposed wherever possible, while rough surfaces are concealed behind built-in elements, kitchen equipment or other fixed components.

 

 

Sunlight, Ventilation and Everyday Comfort

The east–west orientation of the dwellings supports natural cross-ventilation and sunlight. This allows the houses to maintain comfort without relying on mechanical cooling or ventilation systems.

Environmental performance is therefore approached through the simplest means: orientation, free façades, direct openings and the thermal mass of concrete. The result is a compact residential complex where construction system, spatial efficiency and passive comfort are closely aligned.

A Clear Constructional Logic

G–5 Houses demonstrates how prefabrication can produce more than speed and efficiency. Here, it gives shape to an entire architectural language, from the large-scale organization of the five dwellings to the tactile presence of concrete panels in the interiors.

Through its modular system, compact planning and terrace spaces overlooking the landscape, the project proposes a pragmatic but distinctive model of collective housing: rational in its construction, precise in its spatial organization and open to the surrounding territory.

Geometric Clarity and Landscape Integration

Located in Loulé, Portugal, PCG House by Visioarq Arquitectos is a residence that balances formal clarity, functional efficiency and a close relationship with the landscape. The design is structured through a refined volumetric composition, where distinct bodies are articulated with coherence and harmony.

The architectural language privileges pure and essential forms. Large glazed surfaces establish a direct dialogue between interior and exterior, allowing natural light to enter generously into the living areas and making the surrounding landscape part of everyday domestic life.

South-West Orientation and Natural Comfort

The social spaces are oriented to the south and west, playing a central role in the project’s strategy of openness. Generous windows frame the landscape while supporting natural cross-ventilation, an important factor for thermal comfort during the summer months.

Comfort and energy efficiency are therefore approached not only through technology, but through the careful calibration of orientation, siting and openings. The house uses its relationship with the sun, wind and topography as part of its environmental strategy.

 

 

Horizontality and Topography

The residence is anchored in a strong sense of horizontality. This gesture reduces the visual impact of the building on the terrain and strengthens its integration with the existing topography.

Each volume corresponds to a distinct function, yet the shared plasticity of the forms ensures unity and balance. Subtle projections and recesses in the façades create a changing interplay of light and shadow throughout the day, enriching both the spatial and sensory experience of the house.

Pool, Terraces and Outdoor Living

The relationship with the exterior is one of the defining principles of the project. To the south and west, an infinity pool extends toward the horizon, visually dissolving the boundary between architecture and landscape.

On the upper floor, the east-facing façade is set back from the ground floor, creating a sheltered terrace screened by a wall that ensures privacy from the adjacent street. To the west, shaded terraces with pergolas invite extended use of the outdoor living areas, reinforcing a way of inhabiting based on openness and proximity to nature.

 

 

Fluid Interiors and Everyday Flexibility

The interiors are fluid and interconnected, with seamless transitions toward the exterior spaces. This organization supports flexible use and reinforces the sense of continuity between the house, the terraces, the pool and the landscape.

The plan is shaped around everyday comfort, clear movement and the experience of natural light. Transparency does not function only as a formal device, but as a way of organizing domestic life around views, climate and exterior space.

Precision and Contextual Sensitivity

PCG House brings together geometric precision and contextual sensitivity. Its clarity of form, subtle integration into the landscape and capacity to provide environmental quality and comfort define a residence that is both visually controlled and deeply connected to the experience of living.

The project does not rely on excess. Instead, it uses proportion, orientation, light, shade and continuity with the outdoors to create a calm and efficient contemporary home.

A 1970s Apartment Reorganized for Contemporary Living

The project concerns the renovation of an 85 sq.m. apartment on the first floor of a 1970s residential building in Neapoli, Nikaia. The owner’s main request was to keep the intervention as limited as possible, while also creating sufficient storage space for everyday use.

The design is based on an open plan that unifies the living areas, reinforces a sense of through-space and allows natural light to spread throughout the apartment. Through a small number of precise moves, the apartment is reorganized in a way that significantly improves its daily use.

One Unified Living Area

The main intervention involved removing the partition walls that separated the living room and dining area from the corridor and kitchen. This allowed the previously divided spaces to merge into a more connected and functional layout, bringing natural light even into the corridor at the center of the plan.

The demolition revealed the main structural elements of the building, including the column at the center of the unified space and the beam that runs lengthwise through the apartment, from the entrance to the bedroom. Rather than concealing these elements, the design incorporates them into the new spatial organization.

 

 

A Bookcase as Spatial Filter

The apartment is organized into three distinct zones: the entrance and living areas; the transitional zone leading to the private rooms, including the bathroom, storage room and corridor; and the bedroom with the auxiliary room-office.

A bookcase placed beneath the beam plays a central role in the new layout. It operates as a dividing piece of furniture, separating the living areas from the private zone without fully closing them off. Its ribbed-glass back allows natural light to diffuse toward the corridor, while limiting direct visual contact and preserving privacy. The material also refers to the aesthetic character of the original 1970s apartment.

The Kitchen as a Place of Gathering

The kitchen is treated as an integral part of the open plan. It is directly connected to the dining and living areas and develops along the north-south axis, becoming a vital component of the unified living space.

A secondary island provides additional work surface while allowing the kitchen to function as a place of gathering. In this way, its role extends beyond functionality and becomes part of the apartment’s everyday social life.

 

 

Storage Through Limited Interventions

The new organization responds to the initial request for improved functionality and storage, without requiring extensive construction work. A built-in wardrobe is designed at the entrance, part of the bathroom is used to create a storage room, and the lower section of the bookcase provides additional storage.

These solutions improve everyday usability while preserving the openness and continuity of the apartment’s new living core.

Earthy Palette and 1970s References

The material and color palette is based on soft, earthy tones, combining the grey of the structural elements with warm off-white shades and natural wood. Stronger color accents appear in the kitchen and bedroom, where green dominates, and in the bathroom, where blue is introduced.

In the bedrooms, the existing flooring was preserved after maintenance, while large-format ceramic tiles were used in the unified living area, reinforcing the sense of continuity and spatial integration.

 

 

Furniture, Objects and Personal Identity

Some of the furniture was custom-designed for the apartment, while a Danish armchair from the owner’s collection, lighting fixtures, artworks and handmade decorative objects with curved forms contribute to the space’s personal identity.

Through the composition of geometric forms, natural materials and contemporary design lines, the renovation achieves a balanced coexistence between old and new. The apartment is redefined as a flexible and ergonomic living environment, with clear architectural identity and functional organization.

A Compact Cabin Between Forest and River

Located in Plain, Washington, on the edge of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Cabin by Wittman Estes was conceived as a small retreat for outdoor life. The client had owned the nearly half-acre property for years, using it as a base camp for adventures in the surrounding landscape. After a decade of camping on site, often with friends, he decided to build a cabin that would keep the focus on the forest and the river.

The project began as a weekend retreat, but its use changed during the design and construction process. As remote work became part of everyday life, the owner started spending more time on the property and eventually chose to live there full-time once the cabin was complete.

Living Small, Living Well

With a footprint of 746 sq ft, the one-bedroom cabin is deliberately modest. Its compactness reflects both site constraints and a desire for a simpler way of living, where everyday life is shaped less by possessions and more by experience.

The owner’s direct involvement in construction was central to the project. This reinforced the need for a clear and minimal design, built with durable materials and simple architectural moves. Concrete, steel, cedar and restrained interior finishes give the cabin a sense of permanence while allowing nature, light and artwork to remain the dominant presence.

 

 

Elevated Above the Floodplain

Because the cabin sits within the river’s floodplain, the main living level is raised 10 ft above the ground on six concrete columns. This resilient strategy protects the home from seasonal flooding while minimizing its footprint on the site.

The elevated volume also creates a covered ground-level space beneath the cabin. This area functions as sheltered parking and a working space where the owner can maintain his vintage Bronco, protected from rain and snow. In this way, the floodplain constraint becomes part of the daily use and character of the building.

Three Levels and One Large Window Wall

The cabin is organized across three levels. The ground level provides the covered parking and work area; the middle level contains the main living, dining and kitchen space, along with a full bathroom; and the top level includes the bedroom, office, half-bathroom and a loft opening onto a cantilevered steel deck.

A single window wall, 20 ft wide and 24 ft high, directs the main views toward the Wenatchee River while screening neighboring properties. In the bedroom, a view portal looks across the living room and toward the river beyond, creating a vertical connection through the compact interior.

 

 

Owner-Built Steel Elements

The cabin’s material character is closely connected to the owner’s skills. A lifelong metalworker, he fabricated several elements himself, including the raw steel kitchen countertops and backsplash, the hemlock and steel dining table, and the tube-steel guardrails with expanded metal mesh infill.

These elements give the interior a direct, handmade quality. They also reinforce the logic of the cabin as a durable structure shaped by personal labor, weather and long-term use.

A Minimal Interior for Nature, Light and Artwork

The main living space is organized beneath a fir-framed loft, with a wood-burning fireplace creating a compact center of warmth. The interior finishes remain deliberately simple, forming a quiet background for the surrounding landscape, the changing light and the owner’s artwork.

Sustainability is approached through compactness, durability and efficient systems. The cabin uses an air-source heat pump for heating and cooling, with the wood-burning stove serving as the primary heat source. Locally sourced cedar siding and soffits further connect the building to the material culture of the region.

 

 

A Weekend Cabin Turned Full-Time Home

What began as a one-bedroom weekend cabin has become an everyday residence. Its modest scale, elevated structure and durable material palette support a form of living that remains close to the river, the forest and the changing conditions of the Pacific Northwest.

Wenatchee River Cabin shows how small architecture can produce a larger relationship with the world outside. It is a home shaped by restraint, resilience and the quiet ambition to live with less, but more directly.

A House Built Around Emptiness

In Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, Kehai House by HW Studio is a small residence of 95 sq.m., designed by architect Rogelio Vallejo Bores as his own home. The project is described as “the architect’s house”: a house in which someone used to giving form to the dreams of others turns inward, asking how architecture can become coherent with a way of living.

The house was shaped by a limited budget, but also by a long personal path toward Zen, the Dharma and Japan. Its deepest idea is not the production of an object, but the creation of a void: a central emptiness capable of containing life, movement, silence and thought.

A Closed Box That Holds a Garden

From the outside, the house appears as a quiet, closed box in the urban landscape. Its almost hermetic presence does not reveal much of what takes place inside. Once the threshold is crossed, however, the apparent closure is understood differently: the box does not isolate, but protects.

At its center lies a stone garden. It is not touched directly, yet it defines the entire house. Like the stone gardens of Kyoto, its stones are not arranged to represent something, but to evoke a state of attention. On the bed of grey gravel, two wooden platforms float as places of pause: not simply floors, but surfaces for stopping, looking and being.

 

 

The Garden as Spatial Order

The garden is not decorative. It organizes the house. Around it, the domestic spaces are arranged like satellites orbiting stillness, each one maintaining a distinct role while remaining connected to the central void.

On one side, the kitchen and dining area unfold in a double-height space. Above them, a volume gathers the smoke from the fire, introducing both memory and practical resilience: the possibility that one day the city may not provide everything needed. On the other side, the living room becomes a space of contemplation, where large stones rest like islands in a quiet sea.

A House That Reconciles with Rain

There is no covered corridor between the living room and the dining area. To move from one to the other when it rains, one either gets wet or waits for the rain to pass. This decision gives the house its most radical everyday lesson: architecture here does not protect from the world, but reconciles the inhabitant with it.

The home does not attempt to neutralize weather, time or discomfort. Instead, it allows them to enter life gently, turning movement through the house into a conscious act.

 

 

Shōji, Light and Shadow

The shōji doors, made with rice paper, are not treated as an aesthetic reference alone. They operate as the real filter between interior and exterior. Light, passing through them, loses its hardness and becomes softer, slower and more atmospheric.

In this house, shadow is not simply the absence of light. It becomes light’s most delicate expression. Daylight does not enter abruptly; it settles, creating an interior defined by quiet transitions rather than visual excess.

Three Windows and an Interior Life

The program is austere. There are no unnecessary corridors and no grand gestures. The house is almost entirely without glass, opening only through three small windows toward what is considered truly worth seeing: a mountain, a neighboring pine and the tree planted at the center of the garden.

The bedroom is placed above, as a minimal and intimate space. A single circular window opens to the foliage of the central tree. It becomes an eye of the house, a point of contemplation rather than display.

 

 

Entering by Descending

The entrance does not rise; it descends. One enters by going down, as if bowing before something sacred. The staircase reaches the point where the stone offered structural stability, reducing unnecessary foundation costs, but the gesture is also spiritual.

To inhabit this house, one must leave a certain pride outside and enter with humility. Like passing through the torii of an invisible shrine, the act of entry becomes a quiet ritual.

Silence as Architecture

In Japanese thought, value is often found in the imperfect, the incomplete and the ephemeral. Kehai House follows this sensibility. It was not designed to impress, but to endure in silence.

Through limited means, careful spatial decisions and a central void that orders domestic life, the house becomes a meditation on how little architecture needs in order to become meaningful. It holds the light weight of an honest life.

 

 

In the peri-urban area of Limassol, the residence is organized through two shifted rectangular volumes, creating a cross-ventilated core for semi-outdoor living. This intermediate space works as a filter between interior and exterior, reinforcing the continuity of everyday life. On the upper floor, the private areas are protected by deep projections that integrate planting. This gesture contributes to passive solar protection, while softening the exposed concrete mass and establishing a more nuanced threshold between the building, natural light and the surrounding environment.

 

 

 

At MGO Protopapas I in Limassol, the office building’s façade develops through folded surfaces and parametrically designed vertical elements. Its dynamic form follows the movement of the road, turning the façade into a field of shifting geometries. On the southern side, the aluminium frames are recessed from the building line, while semi-outdoor terraces of varying sizes unfold in front of them. Together with the vertical fins, these terraces provide shade to the office interiors during the summer months, integrating environmental performance into the overall architectural expression.

 

 

04. Aegean Color Rooms | The Hive Architects

 

 

In Naousa, Paros, Aegean Color Rooms redesigns a small hospitality building through clear geometry and a renewed visual identity. The central design idea is the integration of perforated linear canopies, which filter natural light and frame views toward the sea. These structures offer shade and protection, while acting as transitional elements between the rooms and their outdoor spaces. The balconies become small private oases, where shading, color and water come together to create a calm hospitality experience.

 

 

05. Villa Ypsilon | Lassa Architects

ek Issue: 217 | May 2017

 

 

In the southern Peloponnese, Villa Ypsilon is set on a hillside olive grove and defined by its Y-shaped green roof, which functions as an extension of the garden. Circulation around and over the roof creates a continuous promenade, defining three ground-level courtyards with different uses. The roof was specifically oriented to shade the courtyards at selected times of the day. At the same time, a perforated wall protects the interior from the afternoon sun, while allowing cross-ventilation and natural cooling during the evening.

 

 

On a sloping site in Limassol, the House in Kefalokremmos follows the topography and is organized as a refuge in direct dialogue with the natural terrain and sea views. Its stepped layout allows interior and exterior spaces to flow smoothly into one another.

Carefully positioned stoas and semi-outdoor areas act as filters against sun and wind. Shading is therefore not limited to isolated construction elements; it becomes part of the spatial organization of the house, offering comfort, calmness and gradations of privacy.

 

At Ogarden, an existing office building is transformed into a mixed-use project combining office spaces and boutique short-stay apartments. The project’s defining new architectural feature is a system of vertical exterior louvers, made of white concrete with marble chips from Naxos and Tinos. These fixed louvers wrap the building as a second skin, providing shade and privacy. Their different angles create a wave-like effect on the façade, while light and shadow constantly transform the building’s appearance. Horizontal aluminium shading systems at ground level and on the planted roof complete the solar protection strategy.

 

 

 

In Maroussi, Terra Form House creates an architectural microclimate within the dense urban fabric. The residence redefines basic architectural elements, such as the roof, garden, threshold and windows, in order to form a protected inner and outer world. The traditional pitched roof is transformed into a two-sided perforated canopy, extending beyond the enclosed volume of the house and embracing the outdoor spaces. It provides shade and privacy, unifying the gardens and living areas under a single protective structure.

 

 

In Kalyviani, Chania, Corte Interna restores a complex of three stone buildings arranged around an internal courtyard. The intervention preserves the character of the existing ensemble, while introducing contemporary metal elements, natural materials and fluid forms that contrast with the solidity of stone. In the raised courtyard, sliding fabric awnings on tensile steel cables provide shade and create a gathering space. This simple construction is organically integrated into the whole, combining the atmosphere of a traditional material with the clarity of a contemporary addition.

A House Organized Around the Pool

In Caesarea, Israel, architect Raz Melamed has designed E30 – House in Caesarea as a family residence where the swimming pool becomes the spatial and visual center of the project. Rather than treating the pool as an addition to the house, the design reverses the usual hierarchy: the residence is organized around it, allowing the outdoor leisure space to define the rhythm of domestic life.

The project was commissioned by a couple in their 50s as a weekend retreat for hosting their children and grandchildren. Over time, the brief evolved into a full-time residence, with multiple bedroom suites, generous communal areas and a strong emphasis on the relationship between interior, garden and pool.

A Continuous Black Steel Beam

The defining architectural element of the house is an exposed black steel beam, 44 cm in height. Instead of being concealed, the beam is expressed as a continuous line that organizes the plan, divides levels and frames the main public spaces.

Inside, the beam extends as a bridge, connecting the staircase to the bedroom wing. In the double-height living area, it cuts horizontally across the glazed façade, preserving open views toward the sky while reinforcing the linear geometry of the house. Toward the garden, the same element continues outward, supporting a cantilevered pergola that shades the outdoor seating area without columns and keeps the view toward the pool unobstructed.

 

 

Street Façade and Filtered Privacy

The entrance façade is composed of white plaster surfaces, articulated with horizontal joints and vertical wooden slats. The contrast between the white volume and the dark wood gives the house a restrained but clearly defined street presence.

The wooden elements also have a functional role. They conceal the staircase from the outside while allowing natural ventilation, creating a façade that works simultaneously as screen, threshold and environmental device.

Double-Height Communal Space

The main public areas are arranged as a sequence of dining and living spaces beneath a double-height ceiling. The open plan is defined by the black steel beam above, the large glazed openings toward the garden and a restrained material palette of wood, black metal and neutral tones.

Lighting is treated in layers. Suspended linear fixtures respond to the height of the space, while recessed spotlights support everyday functionality. Together, they give scale and clarity to the large interior volume.

 

 

Kitchen as a Tall Wooden Plane

The kitchen is organized in a parallel layout, with a large island and white Corian worktops. Behind it, a tall wooden façade conceals storage and mechanical systems, rising to the full height of the double-height space.

This wooden plane intersects with the black steel beam, turning a functional wall into one of the central visual elements of the interior. The kitchen therefore operates not only as a place of preparation, but also as part of the architectural composition of the public zone.

Suites, Basement and Upper Floor

The ground-floor master suite opens directly toward the swimming pool and is finished with parquet flooring. Its bathroom combines travertine surfaces with black granite walls, black fittings and white Corian elements, continuing the project’s controlled palette of light surfaces, dark accents and natural stone.

Additional bedrooms and leisure spaces are located in the basement and on the upper floor. A home cinema and games room extend the family program, while floating black steel stairs and a glass-railed bridge connect the different levels, maintaining visual continuity across the interior.

 

 

Garden, Travertine and Outdoor Living

The outdoor areas include multiple seating zones, an open-air kitchen and a swimming pool clad in travertine, aligned flush with the garden level. The same travertine flooring continues from the interior to the exterior, strengthening the connection between the living spaces and the garden.

Landscaping remains minimal, allowing the pool, pergola and structural line of the house to dominate the site. The result is a residence where the architecture does not simply frame outdoor life, but is shaped by it.

A Private Landscape at the Center of the House

Located in Austin, Texas, Tarrytown Residence by Alterstudio Architecture introduces a contemporary architectural language into an otherwise traditional post-war neighborhood. The house is organized around a private landscape, positioned between a walled garden along the street and a central courtyard behind.

Rather than treating the exterior as a secondary condition, the project places the out-of-doors at the center of domestic life. The interior opens decisively toward the landscape, held under a continuous ceiling plane and enclosed with custom site-glazed window walls that reduce the visual weight of the frame.

Between Garden, Courtyard and Interior

The house is conceived as a sequence of spatial thresholds. Visitors enter beneath the meandering limb of an adjacent Live Oak tree, moving through a carefully choreographed progression of spaces.

Throughout the plan, the architects balance two apparently opposite intentions: defining distinct rooms while maintaining a strong sense of continuity. Glimpses of adjacent spaces, changing views and unexpected moments around each corner give the house a layered quality, where movement becomes part of the architectural experience.

 

 

Light from Above

At the center of the house, an unexpected monitor opens the interior to the sky. This gesture brings balanced daylight into the deepest part of the plan, while framing views toward the tree canopy above.

In a home otherwise organized around horizontal continuity, this vertical opening becomes a quiet spatial event. It gives the center of the house a sense of height, atmosphere and orientation, allowing natural light to work as one of the project’s primary materials.

Vertical Moments in a Horizontal House

Although the residence is largely horizontal in its organization, two spaces introduce vertical intensity: a two-story library and a similarly scaled screened porch. Together, they expand the section of the house and create moments of unexpected spatial depth.

A glass-floored bridge from an office loft provides access to the upper bookshelves and extends toward the screened porch as a Juliet balcony. This element combines circulation, structure and view, turning a functional connection into one of the house’s most distinctive architectural moments.

 

 

Abstract Volumes and Controlled Privacy

The residence is framed by two abstract volumes clad in long-format black brick and black-stained cedar. These volumes complete the composition while shielding the interior from the street and from potential future neighboring development.

In a relatively dense suburban context, the house creates a carefully protected enclave. Privacy is not achieved through withdrawal alone, but through the precise placement of walls, glazing, courtyards and opaque material surfaces.

Construction as Atmosphere

Construction and detail play a central role in the character of the house, yet the expression of detail is deliberately restrained. The architecture is conceived as a primed canvas for light and shadow, natural materials and the presence of the garden.

A custom site-glazed window system minimizes the presence of frames, while steel elements — including custom structural columns, fascia and trim, a glass floor and steel bridge, and a double-height screened porch — introduce precision and depth. These details work together with black brick, stained cedar, purpose-built cabinetry and custom furniture to create a controlled but tactile domestic environment.

 

 

Hidden Color and Material Depth

Behind the restrained exterior and disciplined detailing, the interior includes unexpected moments of color and texture. These appear behind doors, at the back of bookcases and in carefully selected surfaces, giving the house a private richness that reveals itself gradually.

Tarrytown Residence is therefore not only a house of enclosure and transparency. It is a home shaped through contrast: between public and private, shadow and light, horizontal continuity and vertical intensity, precision and delight.

A House in the Forested Landscape of Canela

Set within a residential condominium in Canela, in the mountainous region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, House in Canela by 0E1 Arquitetos explores the relationship between architecture, construction technique and landscape. Surrounded by native forests and rolling hills, the house occupies a 500 sq.m. sloping plot, where the terrain drops approximately 10 m from the entrance to the chosen building site and around 15 m across the entire lot.

This topographical condition became one of the main conceptual drivers of the project. Rather than treating the slope and vegetation as obstacles, the design uses them as the basis for the siting, access and construction strategy of the house.

A Compact Retreat for Flexible Use

The house was commissioned by a family with a strong interest in architecture, who actively participated in discussions and decisions throughout the process. Conceived as both a weekend retreat and a short-term rental, the project required a compact and self-sufficient program capable of comfortably accommodating up to two couples.

Within approximately 120 sq.m. of built area, the house needed to ensure independence between bedrooms while maintaining generous spatial quality. The result is a small but carefully worked residence, where every square meter is tied to a clear functional and atmospheric intention.

 

 

Site Analysis and Minimal Impact

Before the design process began, a multidisciplinary team of biologists and surveyors carried out a detailed site analysis. Vegetation was mapped, trees were catalogued and species were classified as native or exotic, allowing the architects to understand the forested terrain with precision.

The house was placed in the only existing clearing on the plot, minimizing tree removal and reducing the need for major earthworks. This decision preserves the surrounding ecosystem and turns the forest into an active component of the architectural experience.

A Square Plan with Pinwheel Organization

The house is organized on a square footprint measuring 10.8 x 10.8 m. Within this regular geometry, the spaces are arranged dynamically in a pinwheel-like configuration. The living room occupies the center of the plan and acts as the main organizational core.

From this central room, the service areas and private zones radiate outward. Two independent suites, a kitchen, service area, barbecue area and terraces are connected to the central living space, creating a clear balance between communal use and privacy.

 

 

Light Steel Frame as Construction Strategy

The choice of a light steel frame system responds directly to the constraints of the terrain and to the experimental character of the project. Lightweight and quick to assemble, the system eliminated the need for concrete mixers on site and reduced impact on soil and vegetation.

A leveling slab acts as the platform for the metal structure, helping reduce waste, maintain a clean construction site and ensure precise control over the building process. Beyond its technical role, the steel frame also informed the architectural language of the house, allowing generous spans, accurate closures and a clear volumetric relationship with the landscape.

Industrial Materials at Domestic Scale

Instead of covering the steel frame to imitate conventional masonry, the house embraces its industrial logic. The exterior walls and roof are clad with trapezoidal sandwich panels, a material usually associated with industrial buildings, here applied at the scale of a domestic retreat.

The panels provide thermal and acoustic performance, require low maintenance and visually unify the building. Their installation demanded specialized teams, ensuring construction precision and a controlled finish. Externally, the dark-toned cladding reduces visual impact, allowing the house to appear discreetly among the trees.

 

 

Skylight, Openings and Forest Views

The asymmetrical roof culminates in a skylight at its highest point, creating the only direct view of the sky from within the dense forest. This opening brings consistent daylight into the interior, enhances the perception of space and creates shifting patterns of light and shadow throughout the day.

Generous floor-to-ceiling windows, 2.4 m high, bring in natural light and ventilation while turning the surrounding forest into a continuous presence inside the house. Slightly recessed rather than flush with the façade, the windows create a sequence of planes and framed views that add depth to the envelope.

Access Through the Terrain

Access to the house is carefully integrated into the slope. A staircase of 64 steps winds through the site, avoiding trees and roots. Each step measures 1.20 x 0.30 m, with intermediate landings of 1.20 x 1.20 m.

The staircase was adjusted during construction in response to the terrain. Centrally supported steps create subtle cantilevers, and together with the landscaping, they give the impression of a light, almost floating path through the forest.

 

 

Interior Planes, Wood and Slate

Inside, the architecture is organized in two visual planes. Up to 2.40 m high, the walls remain white, continuing through doors and terrace openings. Above this level, Tauari wood panels follow the slope of the roof, while black metal trim marks the material transitions and reappears at the baseboards.

Slate flooring reinforces the material palette. Originally supplied in 0.40 x 0.40 m slabs, it was cut into 0.10 x 0.40 m pieces, creating a pattern reminiscent of parquet. Over time, the slate develops a greenish patina, allowing the effects of climate and humidity to become part of the house’s character.

Living Room, Kitchen and Autonomous Suites

The living room, elevated about 2 m above the ground, opens onto a terrace with a hidden staircase leading to the garden. A wood-burning stove brings warmth to the cooler mountain climate and becomes a focal point in the central space. From here, the surrounding landscape unfolds like a constantly changing painting.

The kitchen faces the access side and maintains a direct relationship with the staircase and rear barbecue area. Basalt countertops are combined with cabinets in alternating white and wood finishes, following the interior’s broader material logic.

The suites are conceived as autonomous units. In the main bedroom, a wooden slat headboard incorporates a functional niche, while the bathroom door is camouflaged within the same plane, reinforcing visual continuity. Floor-to-ceiling windows open the bathroom to the forest, offering generous views while preserving privacy.

 

 

A Laboratory for Residential Construction

Started in 2021 and completed in 2024, House in Canela functions as an architectural laboratory. Its 120 sq.m. built area corresponds to the condominium’s minimum permitted size, achieved without removing trees by reducing lateral setbacks.

The construction process followed an efficient schedule: approximately two months for foundations, two weeks for assembling the steel structure and additional months for closures and interior finishes. Through this process, the project demonstrates how contemporary construction systems and materials rarely used at residential scale can respond to strict site conditions.

The result is a compact retreat that combines technical rigor with architectural sensitivity, offering an immersive experience of living within the landscape.

A Residential Building of Curved Geometry in Athens

Located in the northern suburbs of Athens, Chiven by The Hive Architects is a residential building that balances architectural precision with the fluidity of form. Through clean geometries and curved surfaces that appear shaped by wind and light, the project develops as a dynamic composition of volumes, avoiding static expression and encouraging the continuous movement of the gaze.

The building, with a total area of 770 sq.m., is expected to be completed in 2028. Its architectural language is defined by strong horizontal lines and soft, curved envelopes that wrap around the interior spaces, shaping both the façade and the experience of inhabitation.

Horizontal Layers and Curved Envelopes

The main architectural gesture is expressed through successive horizontal layers and curved edges that soften the building’s volume. These curves are not treated as formal decoration, but as spatial devices: they guide movement, frame views and produce a changing play of light and shadow across the façades.

As the sun moves throughout the day, the building’s surfaces respond through reflections, shadows and shifts in depth. The result is a residential composition that changes gradually over time, giving the building a sense of movement despite its compact urban presence.

 

Interior and Exterior in Continuity

Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between interior and exterior space. Transparent railings reduce the sense of boundary, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the building and reinforcing the visual continuity between living areas, balconies and the surrounding environment.

Large balconies extend the apartments outward, offering generous outdoor living areas. The building is organized as a vertical sequence of private and semi-open spaces, where each level maintains its autonomy while contributing to the overall continuity of the composition.

Water, Light and Bioclimatic Character

Elevated pools and water elements operate as mirrors of the sky, enhancing a sense of lightness, calm and suspension. Water becomes a key compositional element, contributing to the atmosphere of the project and reinforcing its bioclimatic character.

The interplay between water, light and curved surfaces gives the building a softer presence. Instead of relying on mass and opacity, the project works through reflections, filtered light and the modulation of outdoor thresholds.

 

 

Earthy Materiality and Planted Terraces

The material palette remains discreet, based on earthy tones where textured surfaces meet smoother finishes. This controlled material language supports the building’s formal clarity, while giving depth and warmth to its curved geometry.

Attention to detail is expressed in the curved endings of the slabs, the continuity of the horizontal lines and the integration of planting. Greenery softens the geometry and introduces the idea of elevated gardens across the upper levels, bringing natural elements into the vertical development of the building.

A Roof Terrace as an Elevated Place of Retreat

The composition develops vertically through successive levels that ensure privacy while maintaining visual continuity. At the top, the building is crowned by a generous roof terrace, conceived as an elevated place for relaxation.

Openings filter the light and create focused visual escapes, transforming the roof into a protected outdoor space. In this way, the building extends the idea of residence beyond the apartment itself, proposing a layered experience of domestic life.

 

 

Contemporary Urban Living

Chiven reconsiders contemporary residential architecture through a balance of simplicity, technology and natural elements. The project does not seek to impose itself on its surroundings, but to enter into dialogue with them through form, light, water and planting.

The result is a residential proposal where architecture becomes both sensory and functional: a building shaped by movement, material restraint and the search for a more fluid way of living in the city.

A Wooden Façade in a Densely Wooded Setting

Built from scratch in a densely wooded area of São Paulo, MLL Residence by Dado Castello Branco Arquitetura is introduced through a wooden façade that immediately reveals the project’s organic character. The house is conceived in close relation to the landscape, where architecture, vegetation and everyday family life are brought into a continuous domestic experience.

The residence does not stand apart from its surroundings. It is framed by trees, shaded paths and generous timber elements, allowing the built volume to settle softly within the garden while maintaining a clear architectural presence.

Landscape as an Extension of Domestic Life

A defining feature of the project is the way the landscaped pathways, designed by Isabel Duprat, appear to flow naturally into the interiors. This continuity creates a direct connection between the residence and the neighboring property, which belongs to the resident’s brother.

The gesture reflects an important aspect of the family’s daily life: the tradition of gathering for shared meals. Landscape is therefore not treated as a decorative frame, but as an active part of the house, supporting movement, encounter and everyday rituals.

A House Organized Around Family Connection

The relationship between the two neighboring properties gives the project a specific social dimension. The pathways do more than organize circulation through the garden; they reinforce the bond between two houses and the family members who inhabit them.

A wide canopy shelters the walkway toward the second house, creating a protected passage through the vegetation. This architectural element turns movement between the two homes into a daily experience of proximity, shade and continuity.

Tropical Greenery and the Social Area

In the social area, a striking wall of Monstera deliciosa forms a lush green backdrop. Native to Central America and widely loved in Brazil, the plant introduces depth, texture and drama into the interior atmosphere.

This living surface reinforces the project’s broader intention: to allow vegetation to participate directly in the spatial experience of the house. Greenery is not kept outside the architecture, but becomes part of how the residence is perceived, used and inhabited.

Generous Openings, Wooden Eaves and Spatial Amplitude

The residence is defined by expansive openings, generous wooden eaves and a ceiling height of 3.50 m, all of which enhance the feeling of spaciousness. These elements allow the house to feel both sheltered and open, protected from the climate while remaining connected to the surrounding vegetation.

Through material warmth, landscape continuity and an emphasis on family gathering, MLL Residence forms a calm and generous living environment. The project turns the house into a place where architecture and nature support a shared way of life.

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.

A Courtyard House Shaped by Urban Constraints

In Baghdad, Shatt Al-Arab House by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is conceived from the limitations of its site. Located at street level on one of the city’s busiest avenues, the plot is defined by the geometry of the surrounding urban fabric and by the need to create privacy, openness and domestic calm within a dense metropolitan condition.

The brief called for a residence that would bring together a daytime living area, two nighttime rooms and a space for physical exercise. Given the limited size of the plot, the most immediate strategy would have been to build vertically, freeing part of the site for a garden. Instead, the architects chose to occupy the entire plot with an extensive single-storey volume.

A Horizontal Strategy for a Compact Plot

The decision to work horizontally allows the house to establish a different relationship with the exterior. Rather than concentrating the program in a compact vertical form, the project expands across the site and connects with outdoor space in two distinct ways.

The first is a perimeter garden, which acts as a filter between the house, the avenue and the surrounding streets. The second is a central circular courtyard, which becomes the main open space of the residence and the organizing element of the entire plan.

The Circular Courtyard as the Center of the House

The central courtyard gathers the more public and open areas of the house around it. In one direction, it creates a sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces that begins and ends in the perimeter garden, allowing the interior to extend visually and physically across the full depth of the plot.

This spatial sequence is defined by four glass boundaries that can be fully retracted along the side walls. When opened, they create a hybrid condition between interior and exterior, transforming the house into a continuous open space that stretches from one end of the plot to the other.

Perimeter Garden, Privacy and Retractable Boundaries

The perimeter garden plays a dual role. It protects the house from the intensity of the surrounding urban context, while also allowing each space to remain connected to greenery and natural light. As a boundary, it is not a hard separation, but a planted threshold that mediates between domestic life and the city.

The retractable glass enclosures reinforce this sense of permeability. They allow the living areas to change character according to use, climate and time of day, expanding the domestic interior into the garden and courtyard whenever needed.

Night Rooms, Service Cores and Spatial Clarity

In the opposite direction from the main open sequence, the two primary nighttime rooms are positioned with a more controlled relationship to the exterior. These rooms open only toward the perimeter, ensuring privacy while maintaining contact with the garden.

At the four corners of the house, enclosed cores concentrate the service areas. This clear distribution frees the central and perimeter spaces, giving the plan a precise organization in which open, private and service zones are carefully balanced.

A Rooftop Oasis Above the City

The roof completes the spatial composition of the house. Accessed by an internal staircase, it is conceived as an elevated oasis defined by a series of boundaries. On the outer edge, the vegetation of the garden provides privacy from the city.

On the inner edge, a sheet of water crowns the circular courtyard below. One side of this water element becomes deeper, allowing it to be used for bathing. The roof therefore extends the logic of the house vertically, creating a final outdoor space where vegetation, water and enclosure form a protected domestic landscape above the street.

 

Urban Housing Around Open-Air Courtyards

Located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Southeast Portland, Brookland Apartments by Hacker proposes a residential model shaped around light, air, greenery and everyday contact with the outdoors. The 166-unit, five-storey building reintroduces natural connections within a dense urban setting, using a sequence of open-air courtyards to bring planted outdoor space directly into the life of the apartments.

A Residential Framework for Well-Being and Community

The project is conceived as a framework for well-being and community. Rather than treating circulation as a purely functional requirement, the building organizes movement around exterior walkways, planted thresholds and shared outdoor spaces. These courtyards operate as collective “front yards,” lined with seating, planters and vine-covered pathways, while also extending outward to form terraces along the building perimeter.

 

Bright Interiors and Shared Amenities

Inside, the apartments are designed with restraint and clarity. The residential mix includes micro studios, studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, supported by communal amenities such as a ground-floor lounge, coworking space, fitness center, sauna and rooftop commons. Simple, bright interiors, calm colors and natural textures create a measured contrast with the warmth of Western red cedar and the dense planting of the courtyards.

Natural Light, Fresh Air and Dual Orientation

A key aspect of the design is the relationship between private units and shared outdoor space. Each apartment is planned to maximize access to natural light and fresh air, with openings toward the internal courtyards as well as views toward the surrounding neighborhood. This dual orientation reinforces the connection between domestic life, collective space and the wider urban context.

 

Open-Air Circulation and Western Red Cedar

The 127,500-square-foot building uses its open-air circulation to encourage informal encounters between residents. Walkways and stairs line the courtyards, creating moments of contact and visibility across the building. Western red cedar surfaces wrap the outdoor voids, adding visual warmth on Portland’s cloudy days and offering a tactile, natural counterpoint to the building’s scale. Vine-covered trellises provide shade and texture along common paths, while planting softens the experience of moving through the complex.

Terraces, Rooftop Commons and Urban Well-Being

On the upper levels, the courtyards open toward terraces, expanding the sense of connection to the neighborhood. The rooftop commons further extends this social and environmental agenda, offering residents sunlight, views and shared outdoor space within the city. Mechanized parking stackers improve parking efficiency, allowing more of the site to be dedicated to housing and shared amenities.

 

Nature, Community and Density as One Strategy

Through its combination of compact living, generous communal areas and carefully integrated greenery, Brookland Apartments explores how urban residential architecture can support everyday well-being. The project turns circulation, courtyards and terraces into active spatial elements, creating a housing environment where nature, community and density are not treated as opposing conditions, but as parts of the same architectural strategy.

 

 

Architectural gestures

Located in a quiet neighborhood of Palaio Faliro, this small-scale 1950s house is reapproached through a series of restrained and precise architectural gestures. The project seeks to preserve the domestic identity and spatial memory of the existing shell while adapting it to the demands of contemporary everyday living.

 

Spatial Organization

The original layout of the residence is largely maintained, with selective interventions enhancing functionality and spatial flow. The central design gesture is the reconfiguration of the kitchen, which transforms from an isolated, enclosed room into an open core of daily life. Its extension toward the entrance reinforces the continuity of the interior, while its relationship with the living area is organized through the framing of the existing opening, allowing visual connection without fully dissolving the separation between functions.

 

 

Reintegration of Existing Elements

Rather than disconnecting the house from its past, the intervention seeks to creatively incorporate traces and elements of its previous life. The decorative plaster ceiling moldings are preserved as carriers of memory, while the original kitchen sink is restored and repurposed within the bathroom, acquiring a new function in a different spatial context. The residence thus becomes a field of continuity, where old and new coexist without resorting to nostalgic imitation.

 

 

Material Palette

The material palette follows a calm and tactile logic, shaped by natural textures, earthy tones and clear geometries. Wood acts as the primary element of warmth and continuity throughout the interior, while the stainless-steel kitchen countertop introduces a subtle contemporary tension within the otherwise restrained composition. In the bathroom, the relationship between refinement and rawness is reinforced through materials that reference exposed concrete and rougher flooring surfaces, intensifying the tactile experience of the space.

The project approaches the idea of an “urban holiday house”: an intimate domestic environment where simplicity, material honesty and spatial clarity coexist with a subtle sense of nostalgia. Without attempting to replicate the past, the design seeks to carry its traces into the present, allowing the house to evolve while preserving its distinct character.

 

House of Curves

The residence is a 240m² interior shaped by softness, light and material continuity. Conceived as a calm domestic environment, the project unfolds through fluid transitions and a muted palette, creating a home that changes subtly throughout the day.

 

Design Philosophy

The client, co-owner of a leading fashion brand, wanted the residence to reflect her lifestyle and memories of Mediterranean journeys. References to nature, gentle landscapes and Southern European architecture informed an interior defined by flowing lines, restrained tones and carefully selected natural materials.

Curves become the central design language of the project, appearing in architectural elements, built-in furniture, window niches, countertops and finishing details. More than an aesthetic gesture, these rounded forms diffuse light, soften spatial perception and create an atmosphere of quiet continuity.

 

 

Spatial organization

Achieving this sense of openness required a substantial reorganization of the house, including the reconstruction of the staircase, the opening of the living area and the elimination of sharp corners. At the center of the composition stands a sculptural staircase, designed as a fluid volume rising through the interior. Its asymmetrical form, rounded solid-wood treads and winding balustrade emphasize the precision of the craftsmanship, while connecting adjacent areas such as the study and play zone.

The main living area combines a spacious lounge with an open kitchen and concealed storage. A fireplace is integrated into a long multifunctional unit that also operates as seating, while rounded shelves, subtle ceiling moldings, warm wood tones and crisp white surfaces reinforce the project’s soft minimal character.

 

 

Material Palette

The bathrooms are conceived as private relaxation zones, inspired by spa interiors and Mediterranean serenity. Monolithic bathing areas, recessed alcoves, freestanding bathtubs and walk-in showers are framed by soft geometries and handmade glazed tiles, whose irregular surfaces create delicate variations of light and shadow.

Rounded countertops with integrated basins, hidden shelving, minimalist linear drains and concealed fixtures strengthen the clarity of the design while preserving everyday functionality. Wood, linen, stone and microcement form a tactile material palette, unified by shades of white and grey.

The project stands out through its formal consistency and quiet boldness. Rather than imposing itself, the interior builds character through precision, calm and continuity, creating a home that invites return.

 

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.

 

Dissolving into the landscape

Located within a residential development on the outskirts of São Paulo, the project was conceived as a residence where architecture, landscape and everyday life operate as a unified spatial experience. It responds to a site bordered by a golf course and an artificial lagoon, establishing a careful dialogue between built form and the surrounding environment.

Rather than emphasizing monumentality, the design strategy seeks to fragment and soften the scale of the residence. The house develops primarily across a single horizontal plane, while secondary technical spaces and recreational functions are discreetly concealed within a lower level. This organizational approach allows the architecture to remain visually grounded within the landscape, reinforcing a sense of continuity with the terrain rather than imposing itself upon it.

 

Spatial Organization

The residence is structured around a central planted courtyard filled with native Atlantic Forest vegetation, transforming nature into an active spatial nucleus rather than a peripheral backdrop. This internal garden mediates circulation, light and visual continuity throughout the house, while simultaneously reinforcing the atmosphere of retreat and privacy that defines the domestic experience.

The program includes four bedrooms, expansive living areas and entertainment spaces organized around carefully framed views toward the surrounding landscape. The spatial composition privileges openness and fluidity, allowing interior and exterior environments to overlap continuously.

A generous covered gallery occupies the most privileged edge of the plot, overlooking both the lagoon and the golf course. In response to the Brazilian climate and its strong culture of outdoor living, this semi-exterior space becomes the social heart of the residence. Inclined concrete partitions regulate western sunlight, reducing heat gain during the afternoon while preserving visual openness and airflow.

 

 

Material Palette 

Material restraint and geometric clarity define the architectural language of the project. Concrete surfaces, controlled proportions and elongated horizontal lines establish a calm and cohesive architectural identity, while the interplay between solid partitions and open voids generates constantly shifting conditions of light and shadow.

The elevated swimming pool extends directly from the main living level, visually merging with the adjacent lagoon through reflective continuity. Its infinity edge creates a cascading effect toward the lower ground, transforming the pool into both an infrastructural and sculptural element within the composition.

The bedrooms, positioned toward the front garden, establish a quieter domestic zone where vegetation operates simultaneously as privacy filter and environmental mediator. Large openings reinforce the inhabitants’ connection with nature while maintaining controlled intimacy from the street frontage.

 

 

Construction

An essential dimension of the project was the collaborative relationship established between architect, clients and construction team. Specifically, the successful realization of the house depended largely on the owners’ commitment to preserving the integrity of the architectural vision throughout the construction process.

Despite geographical distance, the coordination between the architectural office and the construction company remained continuous and highly collaborative. This ongoing exchange enabled the project to maintain coherence from concept to execution, resulting in a residence where the built outcome closely reflects the precision and atmosphere of the original design intent.

 

Interconnected space

The project consists of two interconnected interventions: the restoration of a 1920s Cretan stone residence and the addition of a contemporary vertical extension, together forming a unified family home. Originally built as part of the refugee housing settlements of the early twentieth century, the existing structure represents a characteristic example of vernacular domestic architecture, now reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural language that allows the building to regain visibility and presence within the urban fabric.

 

Restoration Strategy

Rather than concealing the traces of the original dwelling, the intervention embraces the existing stone shell as a bearer of memory and spatial identity. Elements of the historic residence are preserved and incorporated into the new architectural composition, particularly within the lower level where the shared living functions are organized. Century-old details remain visible throughout the interior, contributing to an atmosphere that balances familiarity, permanence and subtle nostalgia.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The new extension is constructed through a lightweight metallic structural system combined with a timber roof and an additional loft level. The design approach seeks to establish a coherent architectural dialogue between the permanence of the original masonry structure and the lighter contemporary intervention. Clean geometric volumes, semi-transparent surfaces, generous ceiling heights and a restrained material palette contribute to an environment defined by spatial clarity and continuity.

 

 

Spatial Organization

Within the upper levels, where the private sleeping quarters are located, the architectural composition explores variations in height and section to introduce spatial complexity and moments of openness. The shifting interior volumes generate a sense of lightness and optimism, reinforcing the experiential quality of everyday domestic life. The result is a residence where restoration and contemporary addition coexist without hierarchy, producing a unified architectural narrative grounded equally in memory and transformation.

Levitating mass

The house is located in a quiet rural area, with one floor above ground and another dug into the earth. Featuring imposing black pigmented concrete, the design is centered around three main masses, creating a balance between open spaces and solid structures. The transparent central volume serves as the heart of the building, while the surrounding landscape plays an integral role in shaping the living experience.

 

Design Philosophy

The lower floor contains a large, excavated courtyard, which acts as a central gathering space. The central mass, over 5m high, offers clear views of the entire site. On either side, two long, parallel masses extend across the lot, reinforcing its length and creating a balanced composition. These masses penetrate the central structure, giving the appearance of floating concrete beams that stretch outward, enhanced by differences in the roof heights.

A floating bridge made of reflective stainless steel connects the entrance of the house across the courtyard, offering a clear view of the interior spaces. The path leads through a shallow reflecting pool, revealing the private areas of the house that are not visible from the street. This bridge also creates a visual link between the two long masses that extend through the structure.

 

 

Functional Organization

The upper floor includes the main living spaces, with a large living room, kitchen, dining area, and family rooms. The master suite features a walk-in closet, bathroom with a shower inside a reflecting pool, and a bedroom with views of the garden. A staircase made of dark natural stone leads to the lower level, where the wellness and leisure spaces are located, enhancing the flow between the levels.

The lower floor accommodates an indoor pool, gym, spa, cinema room, and a hospitality area, including a bar and wine room. Additional spaces for supporting functions, such as a laundry room and staff quarters, are also located here.

On the opposite side of the house, a large, landscaped garden includes a soccer field, pool, outdoor kitchen, and living areas, designed to support various social and recreational activities.

 

 

Material Palette

The house features clean, modern lines with black concrete facades, fiber-c cladding, and large glass openings. Dark natural stone flooring is complemented by blackened brass details. The design emphasizes an illusion of levitation, where the contrast between solid concrete and floating masses is achieved through roof disconnection and transparent elements.

 

Timeless contemporary living

Located in the heart of Kolonaki, the 115m² apartment renovation reinterprets classical interior architecture through a contemporary spatial narrative. Rather than imposing contrast, the proposal establishes continuity between inherited decorative elements and modern living conditions, preserving ornamental ceiling moldings, wall paneling and symmetrical proportions while introducing a calmer, more minimal architectural vocabulary. The intervention approaches the apartment as a layered spatial composition where historical references and contemporary clarity coexist in balance.

 

Design Philosophy

The project positions itself within a contemporary neo-classical framework, where proportion, material permanence and spatial coherence become the primary design tools. Existing architectural details are neither concealed nor replicated nostalgically; instead, they are carefully reframed within a restrained interior atmosphere that prioritizes rhythm, tactility and long-term relevance over temporary stylistic gestures.

Dark timber wainscoting introduces depth and visual grounding throughout the residence, while curved travertine surfaces soften transitions between spaces and generate sculptural movement within the plan. Herringbone wood flooring reinforces the apartment’s refined domestic character, establishing continuity across the different living zones. Minimal kitchen surfaces and integrated detailing maintain spatial calmness, allowing materials and proportions to define the architectural experience. Artworks and sculptural objects are positioned as integral spatial components rather than decorative additions, contributing to the composition of each room.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The organization of the apartment is defined by flexibility and controlled permeability. Folding partitions composed of metal frames and fluted glass operate as transitional thresholds between the living room, dining area and kitchen. These movable boundaries enable the interior to alternate between openness and privacy without interrupting the continuity of natural light or visual connection.

The spatial arrangement avoids rigid separations, instead supporting changing patterns of everyday habitation through adaptable configurations. Circulation unfolds organically through layered thresholds and framed visual axes, while the interplay between transparency and opacity creates a dynamic relationship between collective and private functions within the residence.

 

 

Material Palette

Materiality functions as the central architectural language of the project. Travertine surfaces, dark wood textures and muted tonal palettes establish a tactile environment rooted in permanence and restraint. The bathroom spaces continue this material dialogue through vertically articulated stone textures and contrasting dark timber cabinetry, maintaining consistency across the apartment’s interior identity.

Furniture selections further reinforce the sculptural quality of the spaces, introducing rounded geometries and soft forms that balance the architectural rigidity of the classical envelope. Lighting is integrated discreetly throughout the project, emphasizing texture, curvature and depth while preserving the calm atmospheric quality of the interiors.

Through a careful negotiation between preservation and reinterpretation, the project proposes a residential environment where contemporary domesticity unfolds within the enduring framework of Athenian neo-classical architecture.

 

Varying context

Located in Ílhavo, Portugal, the project unfolds as a single-storey residence that seeks to reconcile the programmatic requirements with the specific characteristics of the site. The plot is situated within an area that currently remains undeveloped along its periphery, though it is expected to undergo significant residential growth in the near future. Within this transitional context, the residence attempts to establish from the outset a clear relationship between private living and the surrounding landscape.

 

Functional Organization

The decision to resolve the entire program on a single level transforms the outdoor space into an integral component of the architectural composition. The remaining green areas are not treated as residual space, but rather as active elements of everyday habitation and the overall spatial organization of the house.

The arrangement of the volumes gradually defines the spatial hierarchy of the residence. As movement progresses deeper into the site, the spaces acquire an increasing sense of privacy and seclusion. Architecture employs the positioning and geometry of the volumes as tools for organizing daily life, creating a clear transition from the more public to the more protected functions.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The architectural proposal is structured around two distinct volumes, differentiated both formally and functionally in response to the specific content of the program. These volumes are strategically positioned on the site in order to maximize solar exposure, establish controlled relationships with the surroundings and frame the outdoor spaces.

At the same time, the openings and incisions of the façades allow for controlled natural light while reinforcing the continuity between interior and exterior space. In this way, the residence develops a constant visual and functional extension toward the landscape, integrating greenery into the spatial experience of the interior.

 

 

Material Palette

The form and materiality of the project draw reference from the region’s traditional constructions, reinterpreting familiar architectural elements through a contemporary compositional language. Clean volumes, inclined surfaces and a restrained material palette compose an architecture that engages with the local building tradition without resorting to mimicry.

The use of zinc surfaces, natural timber and bright neutral materials throughout the interior reinforces the understated character of the residence, while simultaneously introducing durability and timelessness to the composition. Light is treated as a primary architectural tool, shaping interiors defined by calm atmospheres and subtle variations of illumination throughout the day.

The result is a residence articulated with clarity and economy of means, transforming the relationship between built and unbuilt space into the central core of the architectural experience.

 

Domestic prototype

In the wake of the global realignment brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Riverhouse emerged as a deeply personal exploration of domesticity. Situated within a protected river corridor in rural Rhode Island, the project reflects broader cultural shifts toward slower living, environmental consciousness and closer engagement with nature. Designed as both family residence and experimental retreat, the house reconsiders how architecture can support evolving modes of living, working and gathering.

Originally occupying the site was a deteriorating summer structure that had hosted a series of informal architecture camps since 2014. These gatherings brought together architects, collaborators and families in an environment centered around dialogue, collective reflection and shared living. Over time, the fragile building became increasingly unsustainable, prompting the architects to envision a new dwelling capable of preserving the spirit of the site while responding to contemporary environmental and spatial demands.

 

Domestic Prototype

The new residence occupies the footprint of the original structure while introducing a compact yet highly articulated architectural form. Elevated to comply with floodplain regulations, the house balances technical rigor with an atmosphere of informality and warmth. Conceived according to Passive House principles, the project incorporates triple-glazed openings, heavily insulated wall assemblies and rooftop photovoltaic systems with battery storage, allowing the building to operate entirely on electricity while minimizing year-round energy consumption.

Rather than emphasizing technological performance as an end in itself, the project integrates environmental systems seamlessly within the architectural language. The design maximizes natural ventilation and daylight through strategically positioned apertures, while outdoor rooms, terraces and roof gardens extend domestic life into the surrounding landscape. The architecture negotiates openness and enclosure through a sequence of carefully calibrated spatial conditions that reinforce the connection between interior and exterior environments.

The distinctive geometry of the house emerged through an iterative process of physical model-making. A folded blue metal roof descends asymmetrically across the facades, producing a diagonal ridgeline that creates dynamic sectional relationships throughout the interior. This manipulation of volume allows for double-height spaces, mezzanine rooms and carved outdoor courtyards that bring light deep into the plan while framing views toward the river and surrounding forest.

 

 

Material Palette

Material selection played a central role in shaping the identity of the project. Thermally modified ash wood cladding, unfinished plywood surfaces and handmade Lebanese tiles introduce tactile richness while maintaining a restrained material palette. Vibrant window frames punctuate the muted exterior composition, echoing the changing colors of the surrounding vegetation throughout the seasons.

Inside, the house is organized around a spacious communal living area designed for both everyday inhabitation and collective gathering. Storage systems are embedded within the architectural envelope to maintain spatial clarity, while each room is dimensioned with precision to maximize efficiency without sacrificing comfort. The spatial organization privileges adaptability and fluidity, allowing domestic routines, work and social activities to coexist seamlessly.

The project evolved through an extended process of collaboration involving architects, designers, artists and craftspeople. These interventions blur the boundaries between architecture, interiors and objects, reinforcing the house’s role as a continuously evolving environment shaped through collective authorship.

Construction itself became part of the project’s narrative. Built incrementally within a modest budget, the project relied heavily on the involvement of friends, collaborators and local builders. The process unfolded gradually, with many contributors living alongside the project as it took shape, reinforcing the architects’ broader understanding of architecture as a social and participatory act.

 

 

Design Philosophy

Beyond its role as a private residence, the project operates as an ongoing platform for exchange, experimentation and dialogue. Continuing the legacy of the original architecture camps, the project supports gatherings that foster conversation around architecture, ecology and collective living. A second phase currently underway introduces a pavilion, swimming pool and gardens intended to accommodate future communal events and workshops.

In this sense, Riverhouse belongs to a lineage of architect-designed experimental houses that function simultaneously as homes and spatial manifestos. Yet unlike historical precedents centered on formal autonomy, this project responds directly to contemporary concerns surrounding climate adaptation, evolving family structures and the redefinition of domestic space in an increasingly uncertain world.

The result is a residence that resists the notion of retreat as isolation. Instead, the project proposes an architecture rooted in openness, resilience and environmental sensitivity – a carefully inhabited structure that remains unfinished in the most productive sense: continuously adapting, evolving and engaging with the people and landscape that surround it.

 

 

Refined Materiality

This generational home was designed as a gathering place for an international client’s extended family. A longtime appreciator of modern design, the owner was looking to carefully craft a biophilic living space for his wife and young twins, as well as a home to entertain and host visiting friends and family.

 

Design Philosophy

The private site is situated on a flag lot, surrounded by open space with mature perimeter trees and vegetation. The 455m² structure consists of two forms layered perpendicularly. On the ground level, a kitchen, dining, and family room flow naturally into outdoor living spaces, centered around a passively cooled double-height living room that pulls cold air from lower levels to the warmer second story via strategically placed windows. A covered patio at the rear of the house and trellis at the front foster a sense of openness; the surrounding scenery is framed thoughtfully by architecture, becoming almost transparent.

The L-shaped structure nestles a protected, private courtyard and pool between the house and hillside, which directly connects to the guest suite. The suite is thoughtfully designed as a space for the client’s visiting parents. Supported by the lower level on one end and the hillside on the other, the private second floor is balanced gracefully atop its lower counterpart. The primary suite lightly floats above a grove of mature oaks, overlooking distant views of the San Francisco Bay to the north. On the opposite end, the twins’ rooms mirror each other as to “not to favor one over the other”, equally divided by a shared study nook.

 

 

Functional Organization

A double height stone clad fireplace connects the first and second floors, and wood slats splash patterns of daylight onto a rich material palette. A subterranean level houses the office, guest room, and nanny suite, complimented by lightwells that welcome natural light into each space. The office connects via an outdoor staircase to the covered patio -a primary outdoor gathering space for friends and family, with a fireplace and moveable wood slatted screens allowing flexibility to control exposure to southern sunlight.

 

 

Material Palette

The home’s materiality is subtle and refined, allowing natural textures to create visual contrast. The exterior is clad with bush-hammered travertine and reclaimed Ulin wood siding. A simple, warm interior palette of white oak paneling, black laminate, and white marble with brass accents allows the surrounding landscape to add color and light. Understated, comfortable furnishings accented with the daughter’s hand sketches create a warm, open, materially rich space deeply and intimately connected to the site and its occupants.

 

Reference point

The project’s design considers both the current state of the area and its future development. In this direction, a distinctive, contemporary architectural language is created with the aim of establishing a point of reference in the growing district of Voula.

 

Design Philosophy

The main idea is to create a double shell that envelops the building, providing the necessary privacy for users. The irregular shape of the plot and the narrow frontage on the adjacent streets, with large sides located at the plot boundaries, determine a need for private spaces while preserving a sense of continuity with the uncovered neighboring areas. The shell is traversed by a sparse perforation, contributing to the natural lighting of the interior of the building while ensuring the necessary privacy where needed. The perforations are clad with robust semi-transparent glass elements that create interesting reflections inside. The curved slabs, with their slight rotation, give the impression of a not-so-compact volume, offering intriguing shadows and different visual perspectives from the balconies.

Bioclimatic Strategy

In pursuit of sustainable development, local climate features were incorporated into the design. Water surfaces and green areas play a central role in creating a microclimate for residents and the neighborhood. On the ground floor, the designed shallow pond, with irregular islands and a swimming tank, is part of the approach. This composition, combined with the planting of gardens with interesting varieties of tall trees, creates a harmonized natural climate of coolness and tranquility at the entrance level, which extends to the surrounding neighborhood.

 

 

Custom Elements

On the balconies, green spaces are created, adding to the aesthetic quality of the exterior arrangement, and contributing to bioclimatic design. The perforated pergola on the roof level, acting as a filter, serves as an additional architectural element that creates ideal conditions for shading and ventilation, enhancing the aesthetic and functional character of the space.

 

Displaced volumes

The project αφορά a residence on a narrow, elongated plot, where the architectural composition is structured through two distinct rectangular volumes in displacement, developing linearly along the length of the site.

 

Design Philosophy

The residence is formed through the interplay between a solid, elevated volume and a more transparent ground floor. Their relative displacement generates a permeable nucleus of semi-outdoor living, functioning as an intermediate threshold between interior and exterior. This space establishes a direct visual and functional continuity with the main living areas. The linear development of the composition responds to the geometry of the plot, reinforcing clarity in spatial organization and continuity in the living experience.

 

 

Material Palette

Exposed concrete constitutes the dominant material of the composition, expressed with a clear, monolithic character that conveys a sense of mass and permanence. Along the eastern boundary of the plot, a rough stone wall with discreet openings defines the outdoor living zone, while simultaneously integrating elements of outdoor cooking and gathering. The juxtaposition of materials (concrete and stone) establishes a balance between the artificial and the natural, strengthening the building’s relationship with its landscape.

At ground level, the main living spaces are directly connected to the landscaped environment and the water element. Sliding glass panels, fully concealed within specially designed wall recesses, allow for the complete unification of interior and exterior spaces, dissolving their boundaries and creating a continuous spatial condition of habitation.

 

 

Lighting Strategy

The upper floor accommodates the private areas of the residence, protected by deep overhangs that incorporate planting and contribute to passive solar shading. Light is treated as a primary compositional tool: at the termination of the building, a long horizontal opening operates as a “ribbon” of light, relieving the mass of the concrete while selectively framing views toward the surrounding landscape.

A curved cut within part of this opening, positioned above the children’s bedrooms, introduces a softer geometric gesture, mitigating the strictness of the primary volumes. Through this intervention, the composition acquires a more expressive quality, where rigid geometry engages in dialogue with a more fluid formal articulation.

Inclined tower

The project is located along the coastline of Limassol, 9 km east of the city center. Rising to a height of 50m, it consists of luxury apartments offering a 180° sea view. The construction of the building required the study and supervision of specialized consultants and contractors due to its large cantilevers, which gradually shift and extend away from the building’s core on the ground floor.

 

Design Philosophy

Each floor is displaced by 1.5m to maximize the orientation and create expansive, both covered and uncovered, south-facing verandas with views of the sea. This displacement results in the building sloping at an angle of over 20°, presenting unique technical challenges regarding the structure, vertical circulation, mechanical and electrical systems, and security. At the same time, it defines the building’s key feature, transforming it into an iconic landmark.

 

 

Urban Integration

The building leans toward the road and the urban landscape. On this elevation, behind the parametric perforated sloped GRC shell, the mechanical spaces are located, functioning as a vertical buffer zone between the public and private realms.

Water Element

In the horizontal dimension of the building, at ground level and spanning 50m in length, a water element connects the interior to the surrounding environment, reaching the shore. The elongated swimming pool, entirely clad in green marble, accentuates the north-south axis that links the urban landscape with the natural one, guiding the user from the public to the private space. The pool also serves as an area for leisure, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

The design, along with the selection of natural materials, plantings, and water elements, creates a sense of balance and a deep connection to the earth, both inside and out.

 

Set within a valley at the foot of a wooded hillside, the house is embedded in a landscape often veiled in shadow, protected by both slope and vegetation. The project emerges from this chiaroscuro condition, proposing the restoration of the original structure alongside the addition of a suspended extension – an intervention defined by lightness, openness and a renewed relationship with the surrounding environment.

 

Restoration Strategy

The existing building, a construction of notable character, has been carefully restored through a process of subtraction rather than transformation. Interior partitions and superfluous finishes were removed, allowing the spatial continuity to re-emerge while revealing the integrity of the original timber framework. Plaster coatings were stripped away, exposing the tactile qualities of stone and embedded flint, while existing shutters were cleaned and reinstated.

This approach reestablishes the house’s primary material expression and reinforces its anchoring within the Vexin landscape. The architecture does not impose a new identity but instead clarifies and amplifies what was already present, allowing the structure to reconnect with its historical and material context.

 

 

Design Philosophy

In contrast to the grounded, mineral presence of the original volume, the extension adopts a distinctly lighter architectural language. Positioned perpendicular to the existing structure, it extends beyond the shaded footprint to capture optimal sunlight. Elevated three meters above the natural terrain, the new volume engages directly with the slope and surrounding vegetation, establishing a dynamic spatial dialogue between ground and canopy.

A slender footbridge, constructed in wood and clad in polished stainless steel, connects the two volumes, framing views toward the forest while reflecting the sky. This transitional element reinforces the experiential sequence between old and new, shadow and light, enclosure and openness.

 

 

Material Palette & Structure

The extension is anchored by foundations of exposed aggregate concrete incorporating flint, establishing continuity with local construction methods and materials. Above this base rises a triangulated pine structure, articulated through a fine and rhythmic framework that defines the project’s light and elevated silhouette.

This structural system, both precise and expressive, supports an architecture that balances stability and suspension. The interplay between the restored mass and the lightweight addition generates a cohesive composition that explores contrasts – between heaviness and lightness, opacity and transparency, shadow and illumination.

Between anchoring and elevation, the project articulates a nuanced architectural response to its environment, proposing a dwelling that is both embedded in its context and open to transformation over time.

 

Continuous dialogue

Set within a site of remarkable natural beauty and surrounded by a golf course, the residence is conceived as an architectural composition that seeks to integrate seamlessly with its landscape. Through a careful articulation of volumetry and material expression, the project balances an extensive program with a sense of spatial clarity and harmony. The L-shaped plan is positioned at a slightly elevated level relative to the street, allowing unobstructed panoramic views across the otherwise flat terrain. This gesture establishes a gradual spatial transition while encouraging a continuous dialogue between interior and exterior environments.

 

Design Philosophy

The formal language of the residence is defined by the interplay of strong horizontal lines and a series of nuanced geometric transformations. Corners are beveled, curved, or inclined, generating a dynamic architectural composition that combines precision with expressive fluidity. The material palette reinforces this relationship with the surrounding landscape, employing light and earthy tones that enhance visual continuity. Wood elements, applied in panels and ceilings, are paired with a metal structure, while exposed light concrete introduces a subtle contrast against the warmer textures of the ground floor. A large, slatted panel on the upper level further accentuates the sense of lightness, contributing to the layered articulation of the façade.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The architectural composition unfolds through a clear organizational strategy that divides the residence into two primary volumes. A longitudinal wing accommodates the private program, including three suites, a physiotherapy space, and a home office, while a transversal volume concentrates the social and service areas, such as the kitchen, dining space, and auxiliary functions. Upon entry, gently inclined and curved walls guide movement toward the main living area, establishing a fluid spatial sequence that connects directly with the leisure zones. The integration of amenities, including sauna, spa, gym, and children’s area, is enhanced by retractable glass panels, allowing for flexibility and continuity. This entire leisure front is illuminated by zenithal natural light, ensuring both privacy and spatial clarity.

 

 

Lighting Design & Materials

Large, glazed surfaces establish a constant visual connection with the surrounding landscape, framing views and reinforcing the contemplative character of the residence. Architectural elements such as pergolas and inclined planes modulate light and shadow across the façades, introducing temporal variation throughout the day. On the upper floor, the master suite and additional bedrooms are arranged along the axes of the L-shaped plan, complemented by workspaces that benefit from the tranquility of the setting. A metal slat screen filters natural light while preserving privacy, and a continuous metallic eave outlines the volume with refined subtlety. Internally, the design language mirrors the exterior, combining warm tones, natural light, curated artworks, and selected furniture pieces into a cohesive and elegant spatial experience.

 

Spatial symphony

Tucked within the dense urban fabric of Limassol, the project is conceived as a refined retreat that explores the expressive potential of materiality, light and spatial continuity. The interior unfolds as a carefully curated composition, where tactile surfaces, layered lighting and bespoke details generate an atmosphere that is both intimate and elevated. Each element contributes to a narrative of lived elegance, where design operates not only as a visual language but as an experiential medium.

 

Spatial Organization

The living area develops as a fluid, open-plan environment, where spatial boundaries dissolve in favor of continuity and visual cohesion. A backlit library wall acts as a central architectural gesture, emitting a soft, ambient glow reminiscent of sunset light, while simultaneously functioning as a display system for curated objects and books. This illuminated surface anchors the space, introducing a gallery-like quality to the domestic setting.

Furniture elements are positioned to enhance both comfort and contrast, with a saddle leather grey sofa paired with a vivid red armchair. Full-height glazing extends the interior toward the exterior balcony, establishing a direct visual connection with a vibrant courtyard mural and reinforcing the dialogue between interior and exterior expression.

Material Palette

The kitchen is conceived as the operational core of the residence, balancing everyday functionality with social interaction. Wood cabinetry introduces warmth, while grey stone countertops and integrated appliances articulate a contemporary aesthetic. The central island operates as both workspace and gathering point, seamlessly connecting kitchen, dining and living areas.

In the dining space, a sculptural rose gold chandelier defines the atmosphere, casting diffused light across the black dining table. Upholstered seating and layered table settings introduce a sense of refined informality, while sheer curtains modulate daylight, producing a calm and intimate environment.

 

 

Lighting Design

The bedroom is approached as a sensorial environment, where texture and material layering define spatial identity. Denim-textured wall coverings establish a soft, woven backdrop, framing a sculptural bed upholstered in green textile. Complementary green marble surfaces and leather-wrapped details introduce a nuanced material dialogue, balancing tactility with precision.

Lighting plays a critical role in shaping the atmosphere, with brass-detailed track systems highlighting artworks and surfaces, while a chandelier composed of golden leaf elements introduces a focal, almost scenographic quality. The resulting composition reinforces a sense of intimacy, transforming the bedroom into a contemplative and immersive space.

Overall, the interior design achieves a cohesive synthesis of function, craftsmanship and narrative, aligning seamlessly with the architectural framework of the residence while articulating a distinct and layered domestic experience.

 

Material coherence

Located in São Paulo, the project is conceived with materiality as the central axis of the design and spatial integration as the guiding principle of its architectural organization. The residence articulates a refined architectural language shaped by precision in detailing and a nuanced understanding of contemporary domestic life.

 

Material Palette

Concrete defines the structural and formal expression of the composition, lending the house a distinct urban character. In contrast, freijó wood veneer millwork unfolds continuously throughout the interiors, establishing a cohesive spatial narrative that connects diverse programmatic elements, from the home theater to the guest bedroom. Doors clad in natural banana leaf fibers introduce a layer of texture and tactility, reinforcing the project’s engagement with the expressive potential of materials. The resulting palette establishes a balanced dialogue between rustic references and a contemporary architectural language.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The spatial organization is structured through calibrated degrees of openness and enclosure, enabling a fluid and coherent reading of the house. The kitchen and dining area share a unified visual and material field, allowing for complete integration, while auxiliary functions, such as the wine cellar and support pantry, are accommodated in more contained spatial conditions. Circulation unfolds seamlessly, enhancing the continuity of movement and reinforcing the experiential quality of everyday living.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The relationship between architecture and nature plays a central role in the project’s conception. The gourmet area is organized around an existing tree, which is incorporated as an active spatial element within the design. The garden extends into the interior, operating as a natural continuation of the architectural framework and dissolving the boundary between inside and outside.

On the third floor, dedicated entirely to the couple, the primary suite establishes a direct connection with the exterior through expansive openings. The bathroom, enveloped by vegetation, extends outward to a terrace with a hot tub, amplifying the sensory experience of inhabitation. An adjacent office space is integrated into this level, connected through a custom-designed bookcase that combines storage, library and functional support, maintaining the overall spatial and material coherence.

 

Introverted courtyard

The house is located in a suburban area of Nicosia and was designed to establish a strong connection between indoor and outdoor living, drawing references from the urban Cypriot houses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

Spatial Organization

This contemporary approach reinterprets the courtyard as the living core of the residence. The main spaces – living room, dining area, kitchen and two bedrooms – are arranged in an L-shaped layout around a central courtyard. At the heart of the composition, an elongated water element, the pool, acts as a natural extension of the living space.

The presence of water enhances the dialogue between inside and outside, while also contributing significantly to the formation of a favorable microclimate, providing natural cooling during the summer months. The courtyard thus becomes an intermediate space of everyday life, where the boundaries between private and open-air environments are softened.

 

 

Material Palette

The architectural proposal follows a strict minimalist logic, emphasizing geometric clarity and the elimination of any superfluous elements. The volumes are defined by clean lines, while the composition is structured around the balance between solid and void.

Exposed concrete is the dominant material, selected for both its structural properties and its restrained aesthetic. This unified materiality ensures coherence and durability, while the clean surfaces act as a canvas for the interplay of natural light and shifting shadows throughout the day.

 

 

Bioclimatic Strategy

The design carefully utilizes orientation and cross-ventilation to ensure optimal airflow and natural lighting. At the same time, the introverted organization of the residence guarantees a high level of privacy, in contrast to the surrounding urban context.

The result is a residence that engages with local architectural heritage, translating it into a contemporary language. Through the synthesis of space, material and climate, the project responds to current needs for quality of life, flexibility and a meaningful connection with the natural environment.

 

Radical material reuse

Trace is a transformative deep retrofit residential project located on Drummond Street in Euston, London, designed by Bureau de Change for HGG London. The scheme reinterprets a four-storey brick building from the 1980s, extending it with two additional levels and accommodating five contemporary, light-filled apartments, while preserving and repurposing the majority of the existing structure.

 

Circular Economy Principles

At the core of the project lies a rigorous commitment to circular economy principles. Rather than opting for demolition and reconstruction, the design retains the original foundations, primary structure and defining architectural elements, including the characteristic archway, thus conserving the embodied carbon of the site. A key innovation is the development of a site-specific glass reinforced concrete (GRC) composite for the façade, incorporating materials harvested directly from the existing building.

The original mid-brown bricks are crushed and reused as visible aggregate, forming a new textured cladding that reconstitutes the building envelope. This process generates a materially expressive façade that both preserves and reinterprets the building’s history, allowing traces of the past to remain legible within a contemporary architectural language.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The architectural language draws from the layered historical context of Drummond Street and Tolmer’s Square, referencing Georgian urban typologies, the legacy of Euston Station, and successive phases of 20th-century redevelopment. The façade composition is informed by Georgian proportions, rustication, and articulated arches, reinterpreted through a contemporary construction system.

Organized within a rational grid, the openings reinterpret traditional segmental arches, enabling larger window apertures that enhance daylight penetration, cross-ventilation, and spatial quality. The inclusion of winter gardens at the rear further extends the living spaces, establishing a dynamic relationship between interior and exterior environments.

 

 

Layout & Urban Integration

The completed development comprises three two-bedroom apartments across the lower levels and two one-bedroom units on the newly added upper floors, each offering skyline views and access to outdoor terraces. The internal layouts are structured around double-aspect living spaces arranged in a stepped configuration, subtly organizing kitchen, dining, and living areas without rigid partitioning.

Aligned with the ambitions of the Euston Area Plan, the project promotes sustainable urban intensification while enhancing the character of the surrounding area. By demonstrating how existing structures can be elevated through adaptive reuse and material innovation, Trace positions itself as a model for low-carbon residential development within the contemporary city.

 

Consolidating functions

The Exeter Road Pavilion is an adaptive reuse of a modest Victorian garden outbuilding in northwest London, reimagined as a hybrid domestic and social space for an art collector and amateur DJ. Conceived as both a storage environment and a setting for leisure, the project consolidates diverse functions – archiving, display, gathering, and recreation – within a unified architectural gesture that extends from interior to landscape.

 

Design Philosophy

At the core of the proposal lies a continuous cabinet, operating as a contemporary cabinet of curiosities. Beginning within the refurbished structure and extending outward into the garden, this linear element accommodates an array of uses: art storage and display, shelving for books and vinyl records, a DJ station, a television, and personal artifacts. As it moves outdoors, it integrates recreational functions, including a ping-pong table, weights, and garden games, maintaining spatial continuity across interior and exterior domains.

Encased in a perforated stainless-steel screen, the cabinet oscillates between transparency and opacity. Its surface reflects and filters light, producing shifting visual conditions throughout the day. This duality allows the cabinet to simultaneously reveal and conceal its contents, reinforcing its role as both container and spatial mediator.

 

 

Structural Logic

The cabinet operates not only as storage but also as a structural system, supporting the canopy that extends over the outdoor space. The relationship between these elements introduces a deliberate tension, inspired by the precarious compositions of Fischli & Weiss. Rather than adhering to conventional structural logic, the design removes an expected column, redistributing forces through a counterbalancing system.

This equilibrium is achieved through a precisely milled marble mass embedded within a galvanized steel I-beam, paired with a tension rod anchored to a concealed concrete block below ground. The resulting configuration establishes a legible yet unconventional structural narrative, where balance is perceived as dynamic and contingent rather than fixed.

 

 

Materials & Sustainability

The canopy itself is composed of layered materials – marble, steel, and polycarbonate – articulated in a clear tectonic hierarchy. Stainless steel cladding on the cabinet mirrors the surrounding vegetation, while translucent roofing elements diffuse light into the space below. This material palette oscillates between raw and refined, grounding the project in both industrial precision and environmental responsiveness.

Through reflection, translucency, and spatial extension, the pavilion dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior. It becomes an instrument for observing seasonal and daily changes, where light, vegetation, and built form interact continuously. The project ultimately establishes a condition in which structure, storage, and landscape remain in constant and perceptible dialogue.

 

Core of everyday life

In the heart of the settlement of Pollonia in Milos, a polygonal plot is transformed into a complex spatial organism, where the notion of the courtyard is reinterpreted as the core of everyday life. The proposal reconstructs the atmosphere of the Cycladic village through a contemporary architectural language, creating an environment that balances between privacy and collectivity.

 

Design Philosophy

The plan unfolds along the perimeter of the plot, with independent rooms arranged as volumes tracing its boundary. Within, a network of courtyards and pathways is formed, composing a sequence of open and semi-open spaces. The visitor is invited to navigate this system, discovering hidden corners and inner gardens, and choosing between moments of seclusion or social interaction.

The architectural experience is structured as a succession of spatial transitions, where movement becomes a key tool for understanding the project. The routes are non-linear, gradually revealing the whole and reinforcing the sense of a village at a micro scale.

 

 

Materiality & Architectural Language

The volumes develop across two levels, forming a clear dual material expression. A grounded base of exposed stone anchors the composition, while the white upper level appears to hover lightly above it, separated by a subtle shadow gap. This contrast enhances the plasticity of the composition and articulates the relationship between heaviness and lightness.

The architectural language of projections, corners, and openings generates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, constantly shifting throughout the day. Light operates as an active design element, revealing material textures and intensifying spatial perception.

Finally, a third layer of materiality is introduced through metal elements. Pergolas and vertical corten features define the boundaries of the gardens, filter light, and create intermediate zones of privacy.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The six suites, featuring double-height interiors, are conceived as minimal and luminous spaces of accommodation. The architecture avoids unnecessary decoration, allowing the contrasts between materials and light to shape the atmosphere.

The courtyard, as a fundamental element of Cycladic typology, re-emerges as a place of gathering and social interaction. Sheltered from the wind, it functions as an inner garden where guests form a temporary community. Through this gesture, the architecture establishes the conditions for shared experiences, conversation, and exchange.

The project constitutes a contemporary interpretation of the traditional settlement, where respect for place is combined with the creation of new modes of inhabitation. It is an environment that balances individuality and collectivity, offering a refuge of simplicity and authenticity within the landscape of Milos.

 

Spatial mediator

Set within the tall perimeter walls of a disused factory, the project unfolds as a carefully orchestrated intervention that redefines the relationship between domestic life, industrial memory, and landscape. Rather than demolishing the existing structure, the proposal preserves its masonry enclosure, transforming constraints into spatial opportunities. Hidden behind a modest entrance, the residence reveals itself gradually, structured around a central open-air garden that becomes the core of the architectural composition.

 

Renovation Strategy

Facing a public square in Lendinara, the project presents a restrained and almost opaque exterior. A tall wall, marked by an irregular profile, recalls the layered history of industrial constructions in the area. The only visible opening – a small iron door – conceals the spatial richness beyond. Once inside, the perception shifts dramatically, revealing a lush, enclosed garden defined by high walls and climbing vegetation.

Located in a context where traces of past industrial activity coexist with residential fabric and green spaces, the project engages directly with its surroundings. The proximity to the public park and the historic garden of Ca’ Dolfin-Marchiori informs the architectural strategy, introducing landscape as an essential component of the dwelling experience.

 

 

Landscape Design

At the heart of the project lies the garden, conceived as an open-air room that organizes the entire domestic program. Created through the partial demolition of the factory roof and the repositioning of the new volume, this green courtyard introduces light, air, and visual continuity into an otherwise introverted structure.

The house develops as a compact, two-level volume inserted within the preserved perimeter walls. Its spatial configuration establishes a continuous dialogue with the garden, most notably through a double-height living space that opens fully onto it via a large, glazed façade. Framed by a timber lattice structure, this transparent surface mediates between interior and exterior, reinforcing the vertical rhythm of the composition and extending into the roof geometry.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The project is defined by a deliberate interplay between openness and enclosure, visibility and concealment. From the street, the house remains entirely hidden, while internally it unfolds through carefully framed views toward greenery. This sequence of spatial transitions constructs a controlled yet dynamic experience of movement and perception.

Materially and structurally, the intervention balances timber, steel, and glass within the existing masonry framework. The new construction echoes the industrial profile of the former building, while introducing a refined architectural language that emphasizes lightness and spatial continuity.

Guided by the notion of landscape as an architectural device, the design moves beyond nostalgic references to industrial heritage. Instead, it repositions the garden as a fundamental condition of contemporary dwelling – not as a decorative element, but as a necessary spatial and environmental mediator that defines the identity of the house.

Horizontal form

Located in Agios Tychonas, Cyprus, this private residence is conceived as a clear architectural composition of horizontal and vertical volumes that respond to the natural slope of the site. The building rests on an exposed concrete structural frame that establishes a solid base, while the white-rendered upper level introduces a sense of visual lightness. Continuous south-facing glazing and wooden louvers reinforce the relationship between interior space and landscape, creating transparency and warmth. The overall composition emphasizes horizontality, directing views toward the horizon and the infinity pool, which operates as a spatial extension of the interior living areas. The project’s architectural identity balances the raw texture of concrete with warm wooden surfaces and glass, establishing a contemporary dialogue with the surrounding natural environment.

 

Spatial Organization

The functional layout is structured around an open-plan ground floor where living, dining and kitchen spaces unfold seamlessly toward the outdoor terrace and swimming pool. This arrangement strengthens the connection between interior and exterior while extending everyday living into the garden.

The upper level accommodates the private areas of the house. Bedrooms and bathrooms are organized along a linear circulation corridor and are complemented by perimeter balconies that enhance privacy while encouraging cross-ventilation. The clarity of the plan establishes strong visual axes that guide the gaze toward the surrounding landscape, while allowing flexibility of use and a comfortable everyday spatial experience.

Bioclimatic Strategy

Environmental considerations are integrated into the project from the earliest stages of design. The building’s orientation and form respond directly to the climatic characteristics of the site, enabling passive regulation of temperature and daylight.

Carefully positioned overhangs and cantilevered elements, combined with adjustable wooden louvers, mitigate solar exposure during the summer months while allowing the lower winter sun to penetrate the interior spaces. Large openings facilitate natural cross-ventilation and passive cooling, while the exposed concrete structure operates as thermal mass, storing and gradually releasing heat to maintain stable indoor conditions.

 

 

Materials & Landscape Design

The architectural expression of the residence emerges from the dialogue between its material palette and the surrounding landscape. Concrete, wood, glass and white render are employed with restraint, establishing a balanced composition that reflects both modernist clarity and sensitivity to place.

Strategic planting around the perimeter contributes to the improvement of the microclimate, while the presence of the pool and landscaped surfaces enhances evaporative cooling. The overall form of the building adapts to the topography of the site, minimizing environmental impact while shaping a calm and open living environment.

Through this approach, the residence functions as a contemporary retreat where interior and exterior spaces merge seamlessly. Each volume, opening and material choice contributes to a spatial experience that prioritizes sustainability, clarity and a strong relationship with the natural landscape.

 

Domestic landscape

The redesign of this compact urban apartment emerged through close and meaningful collaboration with its users, aiming to create an environment that responds to contemporary needs for living, working, and everyday flexibility. The project is grounded in the idea that spatial quality is not determined by size, but by clarity of organization, the flow of natural light, and the conscious integration of functions.

 

Spatial Organization

The original layout was reconsidered through a process of spatial reprogramming, with the primary strategy focusing on the creation of a unified open-plan environment. The selective removal of walls allowed new visual connections and spatial relationships to emerge, enhancing both the penetration of natural light and the continuity of movement throughout the apartment.

A key element of the composition is the custom-designed opening between the entrance and the dining area. This architectural gesture functions simultaneously as a light filter, a transitional threshold, and a spatial organizer, introducing clarity to the spatial sequence while reinforcing the perception of depth within the interior.

Material Palette

The material identity of the project is defined through a restrained yet expressive palette of natural materials. Wood and marble are combined in specially designed built-in constructions that accommodate storage, work surfaces, and everyday functions.

Furniture is approached as an architectural component rather than as independent objects. In this way, it becomes organically integrated into the spatial composition, reinforcing the sense of coherence and visual clarity within the interior. These integrated solutions enable the efficient use of space without visually overwhelming the environment.

 

 

Custom Elements

Particular emphasis was placed on flexibility and multifunctionality. Office furniture, storage units, and adaptable surfaces are carefully integrated so that the space can easily transform to accommodate different scenarios of use – from working from home to everyday living and social gatherings.

The final result is a bright and balanced domestic environment, where the clarity of the design, the consistency of the material palette, and the careful detailing transform a small apartment into a flexible and contemporary living landscape. Through targeted architectural interventions, the project demonstrates how compact living can be reimagined as a refined and cohesive spatial experience.

 

Inhabited shadow

Located next to the Sotogrande golf course, this house was designed to dwell inside the shadow, in-between the ground plane and the flat roof that hovers above. This generous cantilever not only provides shelter from the intense sun of Cadiz but also offers protection against the heavy rainfall arriving from the nearby Grazalema mountain range, the region with the highest precipitation in the Iberian Peninsula.

 

Design Philosophy

The design establishes four distinct architectural boundaries that define the spatial experience of the house. Below, the ground plane receives the imprint of the shadow. Above, the roof slab is designed with a water surface, functioning both as an aesthetic and a bioclimatic element. Peripherally, a continuous floor-to-ceiling glass façade allows for efficient climate control within the interior while maintaining unobstructed views and seamless movement towards the landscape. Finally, the inner core features a wooden volume that ensures the necessary privacy for the rooms while introducing warmth throughout the space.

 

 

Functional Layout

Access to the house is from the upper street, a strategic point that offers a privileged view of the landscape and the water surface on the roof -an unexpected feature that provides thermal and acoustic insulation. The water layer absorbs heat during the day and gradually releases it at night, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling.

The roof and ground planes are subtly displaced to create a covered entrance leading to the main access, parallel to an infinity pool that extends towards the golf course. Internally, the program is organized around a central circulation core, which also incorporates skylights that bring natural light into the central spaces and guide movement towards the rooftop water surface.

 

 

Materials & Furniture

One of the primary design requirements was the use of materials that compose a warm color palette. As a result, the entire ground surface -both indoors and outdoors is clad in large-format off-white ceramic slabs, harmonizing with the wooden finishes of the core and the free-standing walls that define different interior areas. The furniture is dominated by natural wood and textured white fabrics, while linear warm white lighting highlights the overall composition.

Throughout the day, sunlight washes across textured surfaces and natural materials, accentuating depth and shadow while reinforcing the continuity between interior and exterior spaces. During the evening, a carefully composed artificial lighting scheme takes over through discreet, indirect fixtures integrated into ceilings, walls and architectural details. Warm, low-intensity lighting highlights key spatial elements and circulation paths while maintaining a soft ambient glow that preserves the serene character of the residence, allowing the architecture and material palette to remain the focal point of the spatial experience.

The design aims to minimize the building’s footprint on the environment, creating a living experience within the shaded zone defined between the two primary planes. Through a simple architectural gesture, the house orchestrates an experience with a strong identity and a timeless character.

 

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.

 

Geometric elements

Built amidst fields of wheat, the house is defined by the geometric treatment of three natural elements: Earth, water, and light. The composition becomes a sequence of different impressions throughout the day, and the poetics of space creates a detachment from the environment, as a layout raised above the landscape.

 

Design Philosophy

At once, a home, and imagery: the former attribute is experienced practically, and the latter becomes the source of ideas. One layout and one clear line, diagonally traced upon a simple volume, define the building. It is an elongated volume of bare concrete, placed in-between the ground and the sky. Its elegant character is described in simple lines, uniting and dividing.

The floor-to-ceiling opening maintains proportions which allow an unobstructed sky view. The building volume is subtracted from the soil, creating a seamless flow of open air space beneath – a gesture further accentuated with the water axis, perpendicular to the building.

 

 

Façade Morphology

The shell is introverted, with only a few incisions on its surface, and the dominant bare concrete is complemented with a screen of perforated, folded bronze shades. Contact with the outside remains at the disposition of the inhabitant. Each idea requires a practical application. The living experience is entirely introverted, with the materiality of concrete enforcing this impression. The bold gesture at the entrance -an oversized prism which absorbs a disproportionate part of the whole- acts as a bridge to the interior, with its geometry and size underlining the distance between public and private.

 

 

Materials & Sustainability

Incisions are few, and precise: one opening at the kitchen looks downwards; one light well at the end of the corridor accentuates a sculpture in space, and marks arrival. At the entrance prism, a vertical aperture is juxtaposed to the incision of the kitchen; as a result, each afternoon, a strip of light crosses through. Those elements are brought into a marked contrast with the other two faces of the volume, where the wall is expressed as absence.

The shading device is also a mechanism, a filter in an environmental approach. The ample height of the spaces alludes to vernacular architecture, where the large air volume stabilizes interior temperature. The thermal mass of the walls adds to this effect. The tectonic shell of the project wraps this interior in an austere line, without any superficial gestures.

 

Targeted interventions

Athena Residence is the renovation of a 1960s apartment in central Athens, conceived as a small-scale hospitality project within the dense urban fabric of Kolonaki.

 

Adaptive Reuse

Located in Kolonaki and completed in 2024, the project responds to the evolving reality of contemporary Athens, where domestic interiors are increasingly required to accommodate hybrid modes of inhabitation – daily life alongside short-term stays. Working within the constraints of an existing building and a tightly defined budget, the project adopts a strategy of light yet decisive intervention. Rather than pursuing formal transformation, the design prioritizes reuse, spatial clarity and long-term performance.

The original timber flooring was carefully retained and restored, grounding the apartment in its material past. New bespoke joinery elements in timber and brass organize the kitchen, storage and wardrobes as fixed architectural components rather than loose furnishings, reinforcing a sense of permanence and cohesion. Subtle reconfigurations of the layout enhance circulation, daylight penetration and spatial flexibility, allowing the apartment to adapt to shifting patterns of occupation without altering its structural logic.

 

 

Sustainability Approach

Operational energy formed a central pillar of the project’s sustainable agenda. In a city where much of the residential stock remains energetically inefficient, the renovation focused on substantially reducing operational demand instead of relying on superficial upgrades. High-performance glazing, low-energy lighting, photovoltaic provision and the replacement of the existing gas heating system with an air-source heat pump collectively led to a reduction of more than 65% in operational energy consumption. The apartment’s energy classification was upgraded from Z to B+, marking a significant environmental improvement within the existing shell.

 

 

Design Philosophy

Athena Residence reflects a broader architectural attitude emerging in Athens, one that values continuity, responsibility and careful engagement with the existing built fabric. Rather than extracting value through spectacle, the project demonstrates how targeted, precise interventions can enhance comfort, environmental performance and longevity. In doing so, it proposes an alternative model of small-scale hospitality: one embedded in the city’s everyday life, respectful of its material history and oriented toward durable, long-term use.

 

The courtyard as an extension

This project concerns the renovation of an apartment located in a 1970s residential building in Palaio Psychiko. The residence unfolds across two levels, ground floor and basement, and features an open-air courtyard at the rear, conceived as a natural extension of the domestic space.

 

Renovation Strategy

A fundamental architectural intention was to respect the morphology and materiality of the existing shell. No alterations were made to the exterior façades, apart from careful maintenance and the subtle enhancement of the original materials, preserving the building’s character within its urban context. The interior layout is structured around principles of clarity, fluid circulation and functional simplicity, prioritizing comfort and adaptability in everyday living.

 

 

Material Palette

The aesthetic direction follows a minimal approach, articulated through an earthy color palette, wood-effect surfaces and nuanced variations of texture across walls and built-in furnishings. Warm lighting reinforces a sense of calm, while concealed lighting elements and refined finishes in the bathrooms cultivate an atmosphere of relaxation and intimacy.

 

 

Courtyard Design

The uncovered rear space is transformed into a sheltered courtyard, where the preservation of the existing stone surfaces and the integration of built-in seating with planters strengthen the dialogue between interior and exterior. A generous opening in the living area visually and functionally unifies these two realms, culminating in a residence defined by quiet quality and a timeless architectural character.

 

In-between zone

The residence is located in the region of Argolis, in Ermioni, on an amphitheatrical site offering views to the sea to the north and the mountainous terrain to the east. The design field itself dictated from the outset the manner in which the building would develop, shaping an architectural gesture that mediates between the road and the open landscape.

 

Spatial Organization

The building is organized to clearly define its boundaries toward the road and neighboring properties, ensuring privacy while remaining open and extroverted toward the surrounding vistas. The residence turns decisively toward the sea and the mountain, with the distinctive curve at its southwestern edge symbolically and spatially expressing this movement, while simultaneously marking the sequence of entry.

Interior spaces are arranged to secure direct visual connections with the environment. The ground floor accommodates the living areas, a guest room, and auxiliary functions serving the outdoor spaces, while the upper level hosts the bedrooms, maintaining both privacy and unobstructed views.

 

 

Design Philosophy

In front of the residence, a swimming pool extends along the façade, its geometry following that of the building and reinforcing the coherence of the composition. The water element operates as an intermediate threshold between the built structure and the natural terrain, visually amplifying the relationship with the horizon and intensifying the dialogue with the sea.

The overall configuration of the outdoor areas underscores the continuity between interior and exterior, transforming movement through the house into a sequence of experiences shaped by light, shadow, and framed views.

 

 

Material Palette

The selection of materials – stone, wood, and earthy tones – strengthens the connection to place and anchors the building within the landscape of Argolis. The architectural approach remains restrained and austere, employing clear geometries that allow the user to experience directly the relationship with nature – the sea, the mountain, and the land.

Through human scale and natural materials, the project proposes a contemporary understanding of luxury: simple, essential, and deeply intertwined with the environment and the lived experience of the landscape.

 

Civic framework

In the early 2000s, ‘Paspoel,’ a neighbourhood in Tongeren, Belgium, was seen as a poorly designed and poorly maintained social housing area lacking a distinct identity. Residents felt isolated within their apartments, surrounded by an underutilized, park-like landscape that was unsafe. The development included 192 homes spread across three monolithic blocks that were nearing the end of their lifespan. Faced with the decision to demolish or renovate, the Flemish Ministry of Housing opted for demolition, aligning with our client’s goal to significantly enhance social equity and living conditions.

 

Site Challenges

Because the site held archaeological significance, development was restricted to the foundations of existing buildings and the adjacent basement parking. Despite these limitations, the proposal envisioned an pioneering reimagining: a collection of urban villas, terraces, and a revitalized public realm that would serve as a new civic framework for the community.

The design integrates residents’ natural movement across the site – from the northeast to the southwest – within a ‘grid-like’ spatial layout. This creates a series of interconnected ‘outdoor rooms’ that frame daily journeys and spontaneous interactions amongst neighbors. These outdoor spaces encourage community bonding, stewardship, and healthy living through areas designated for gathering, playing, and growing.

 

 

Functional Organization

The ground floors, framed by buildings ranging from three to eight stories, offer ample opportunities for social interaction. Terraces with front doors navigate the sloping terrain, while wide ‘galleries’ allow neighbors to connect while overlooking gardens. The broad entrances of the urban villas extend over public spaces, providing shelter, pathways, and seating. New community rooms at ground level serve as venues for meetings and local events. Landscaped areas cater to all ages, featuring basketball courts, formal play zones, community gardens, and sheltered lawns for informal recreation. Trees line key pathways, serving as shelters and defining three communal areas. A pedestrian street at the heart of the project, lively with front-door activity, supports outdoor pop-up events.

 

 

Construction Strategy

A crucial aspect of the project was ensuring residents could remain on site throughout the transformation. Due to limited buildable space, a complex phased construction plan was implemented over ten years. The basement parking permitted initial phases to be built between the old structures, facilitating a gradual process of demolition, construction, and resident relocation.

The “Caring Neighborhoods” initiative launched alongside construction fostered cooperation among residents, volunteers, associations, and professionals. Emphasizing livability and community involvement, this program brought services closer to residents.

 

Clear details

The primary intention of the project was to create a residence that offers protection without sacrificing a sense of openness -an environment in which spaces are revealed gradually, guiding the experience from the urban frontage toward a luminous inner world.

 

Design Philosophy

The architectural composition is organized through horizontal volumes that slide past one another, forming shaded seating areas and carefully calibrated openings. These elements express the project’s central idea: a dialogue between transparency and privacy. Toward the street, the building adopts a more introverted stance, allowing only selective views outward. Near the garden, however, the architecture becomes almost diaphanous, as large sliding surfaces open entire façades, integrating the exterior into the everyday life of the interior spaces. Materiality follows the same logic: clean horizontal lines, textured plaster finishes, and solid surfaces convey stability, while expansive glazing introduces lightness and permeability.

 

 

Spatial Organization

Within the interior prevails a strong sense of continuity. The ground floor functions as a unified social field where the living area, kitchen, and dining space flow seamlessly into one another. The dining area, conceived as a double-height space, forms the spatial core of the house. A large skylight above allows natural light to penetrate deep into the interior, creating an ever-changing atmosphere that accompanies the rhythm of the day. This luminous void acts as a vertical connector, giving the home the character of an internal “courtyard” that links the different levels.

The upper floor accommodates the private functions. The master bedroom is positioned on the most protected side of the plot and is complemented by generous auxiliary spaces. The remaining bedrooms are designed as flexible units, offering independence to family members, while the attic functions as a workspace.

 

 

Material Palette

The interior material palette remains calm and earthy: warm tones, soft textures, and refined detailing create an atmosphere of balance and serenity – an architecture grounded in restraint and light.