Perforated screen

The project concerns the architectural planning and interior design of a boutique hotel unit located on the island of Tinos. The individual unit consists of a 50m² ground floor, incorporating a vestibule, and a 27m² attic level. In parallel, a general masterplan was developed as a proposal for the arrangement of 13 accommodation units across a 15-acre plot.

 

Design Philosophy

The design concept draws direct inspiration from the traditional dovecotes of Tinos, emphasizing their architectural, historical, and cultural significance. The project is grounded in an in-depth study of the dovecotes’ structural logic, morphology, and original function. The proportions, volume, and overall massing of the hotel unit reinterpret those of a typical dovecote, translating vernacular principles into a contemporary hospitality context.

The morphology of the building shell itself evokes the image of a dovecote. The entrance is defined by a “clostra element” – a perforated architectural screen that introduces a strong geometric expression. This feature references the traditional dovecote façade, originally designed as the birds’ point of entry. In contrast, the remaining surfaces are predominantly solid, creating a deliberate tension between openness and enclosure.

 

 

Context Integration

The units are carefully positioned in dialogue with the natural environment, responding to both orientation and topography. The complex is embedded within the landscape, facing the sea approximately 200m away, on the southern part of the island. A key guiding principle was the morphology of the island terrain, particularly its characteristic dry-stone walls, which informed both the spatial layout and the landscape design.

Beyond referencing dovecote architecture, the project aims to reconnect visitors with the land through an agritourism-oriented approach. Cultivation and engagement with the landscape are integral to the experience. Water also plays a central role in the design, reflecting the historical placement of dovecotes near springs or running water. Private pools are integrated into the site, following the logic of the dry-stone walls and unfolding organically across the terrain.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The total interior area of each unit is 77m². Entry is mediated by a vestibule positioned between the “clostra screen” and the glazed façade, ensuring a gradual transition and enhanced privacy. Shading is user-controlled, allowing flexibility in light and openness. The interior is organized as an open-plan space, where curved lines and natural materials foster a nest-like atmosphere that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. On the ground floor, the living area forms the spatial core, flowing into the dining space and kitchen. A circular staircase leads to the attic level, which accommodates the bedroom, an open shower, and a WC.

The side walls feature rough-textured finishes, recesses, and openings that reinterpret the original functional cavities of dovecotes – spaces once intended to host birds. Integrated planting within the interior further reinforces the connection to the earth and natural cycles.

Finally, the accommodation units are conceived as sanctuaries, acting as spaces of retreat and introspection. They encourage seclusion, serenity, and a sense of isolation from everyday life, offering guests a distinctive spatial experience that promotes relaxation and reconnection with both nature and self.

 

Experiential display

The showroom is located in a shopping center dedicated to building supplies and materials, within the city’s vibrant commercial area. The project aim is to create a carefully curated space in which the client’s products are showcased.

 

Design Philosophy

A key inspiration that guided the architectural design was the paintings of Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, particularly Black Square (1915) and Suprematist Composition (1916). The minimal albeit lively colors, shapes and patterns of Malevich’s works became the conceptual starting point for the functional organization as well as the materials used within the space. Pieces of yellow, red and green were overlaid onto the initial plan, eventually constructing a series of interconnected rooms of varying scales and a fluid circulation area.

 

Spatial Organization

The space is comprised of five primary zones: the entrance, the brand history room, the product display, a meeting room and an interactive space. An impressively lit stage is immediately visible from the entrance, featuring several objects such as a traditional wooden chair as well as an orthogonal aperture sheltered by a green metal canopy. A red cantilevered countertop visually connects the opening to a multi-use work area.

The hallway is partially illuminated by a strip of low, floor-level windows and acts as a circulation space that simultaneously accommodates a number of installations which introduce the brand’s daily paint and construction materials. On the other side of the hallway, a brightly painted yellow window provides an uninterrupted view into the lounge room. Venturing further into the main exhibition area, visitors encounter a tall white curtain, hung from a circular track and playfully painted in vivid colors that displays the company’s products in the most “untypical” way possible.

 

Experiential design

The interactive area includes an array of paintbrushes dipped in different types of paint and fixed to the wall, acting as an additional exhibition display. Visitors are encouraged to try the products themselves on the blank, white canvases present within the space, promoting the company’s product placement regarding the durability and effect of the paints. The design draws inspiration from the local culture as well as the distinctive style of the Russian painter and transforms a conventional product showroom into a truly imaginative experience.

Active core

Located in the outskirts of the ‘Potos’ settlement in Thasos Island, the project’s aim is to create an active, central “core” around which all spaces are organized.

 

Spatial Organization

A central atrium, filled with water, becomes the focal point of the complex, hosting all outdoor activities. It serves as a pivotal element in the design process acting as a void that contrasts the solid, consecutive volumes. The “empty” core allows ample natural light as well as cross-ventilation to enter the interior, while at the same time serving as an outdoor circulation space.

 

Architectural Morphology

Four minimal and elegant volumes are seamlessly integrated with the existing context. They are comprised of a restaurant and four housing units, spanning in two levels, with an array of semi-private gardens on the ground floor. A series of strategically positioned openings foster a dynamic relationship between the interior and exterior, blurring the boundaries between the two.

 

Material Selection

The materials follow the traditional Greek island aesthetic: the walls are clad in local stone and white plaster, while the interior floors are covered in light grey tiles. Wood is used as an accent element in window frames as well as furniture. Finally, pergolas made of timber and wicker provide ample shade to the outdoor spaces.