In a protected natural reserve in Paros, the redesign of eight obsolete vacation rental studios into a pair of upmarket houses, required a wise architectural approach and renegotiation, in many scales.

In its volumetric disposition, the design combines composition and proportioning of cubic volumes, repetition and standardization of openings, ample outdoor spaces and environmentally friendly materials; what is accomplished is a formal plasticity and architectural unity that respects the Cycladic vernacular, adapts to the landscape and confronts the requirements of contemporary vacation housing.

Each building is reinstated as a composition of cubic volumes upon a marked socle-platform, negotiating its harmonious integration into the landscape.

At a height of 3m from the base, a wooden pergola with cantilevered beams designates shaded, comfortable, and protected lounging, sunbathing, showering and food preparation areas, for all-day outdoor living.

Private spaces are distributed on the ground level, oriented towards the south, benefitting from the sea view and seamless outdoor access to the socle.

In-between the bedrooms, a central, glass-enclosed space contains the living room, as an extension of the outdoor area and the pergola, allowing the landscape to be present in a dynamic, changing way.

Living spaces -the lounge, dining area and kitchen- as well as an independent guestroom, are placed on the first level, enjoying panoramic views, both from inside as well as from the spacious balconies.

A protected, open-air lounge with barbecue is created between the living spaces and the guestroom, above the glass-enclosed ground floor living room.

The local vegetation in the unbuilt part of the property is enhanced, to increase the feel and quality of the Cycladic natural landscape.

Buerger Katsota Architects

The post Houses A2 in Paros was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The house is integrated in a rocky, steep property overlooking the South Euboean Gulf. The existing stone building and its surrounding walls stand as fossils, inside the natural landscape.

The stone part of the house is reconstructed in accordance with its initial structure, preserving the wooden roofs and mortar joinery, to highlight the sculptural terrain.

Existing openings are modified to comply with the new use of spaces. The introvert stone volume and its small openings mark the existing building as the most private space, including bedrooms and bathrooms.

A new, white volume, lands on the terrain as a foreign body, superimposed on the old stone building, balancing at the steepest part of the property in an act of levitation. Inside are housed all everyday activities, with the lounge, dining area and kitchen inside an integrated space that is internally defined with three large openings.

The latter, rigidly places, frame the sea and the mountain, focusing upon the village that ends in the most active site in the vicinity: the harbor.

Access to the house, and the connection between the old and the new building, is done through a metal and glass prism functioning as a buffer zone, intended to keep the connection between both buildings almost invisible.

The landscape remained untouched to the largest possible extent; the only interventions involve low stone retaining walls, suggesting internal circulation routes that constitute a system of movement on the site, in order to maintain the existing topography.

Gkotsis Serafimidou Architects

George Messaritakis

The post House in Marmari was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The design aims to integrate the building into the local natural landscape and to incorporate its elements into the body of architecture. The main building volume is broken into smaller ones, differing in size and height according to their use; they are oriented to the south in a way that creates intermediate courtyards and allows uninterrupted natural light in all the interior spaces. This choice is grounded on the fact that life in Greece, especially during the summer months, is bound to the outdoors and to the courtyard space, which is one of the most distinguishing features of Cycladic vernacular architecture.

Access to the house begins from street level through a vertical flight of steps following the topography; all living spaces are on the same level with slight variations in height, creating viewing platforms or subdued, protected areas.

The living room is sunken to merge with the level of the swimming pool, creating two higher courtyards on its sides; one is sheltered under a pergola, creating stable shading conditions, and the other is planted with an olive tree, resulting in different lighting ambiences during the day. The outdoor bathroom is placed at a lower level for privacy, while intermediate landscaped strips act as a visual barrier.

The openings are placed in a way that frames different views and allows abundant light and ventilation with changing shadows, according to the time of the day.

The roofs are planted, both for integration into the landscape and for reducing the energy footprint of the building.

alias architects

alias architects

The post Hill Cubes was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.