Concept, Design, Building Permit

Design for a family residence of four, in a large plot with free space for a future second house, as a collaborator of Dolihos Meletitiki. The concept, which was chosen in a restricted invitation to tender contest between three architectural firms, consists of a brave step back from the road for the building, leaving a spacious area in front for a possible future extension. In synthetic terms, a vast exposed concrete «Π» folds around the building, engulfing it's various volumes: the extruding volume of public use and the caved in volume of privates. Volumes’ and openings’ ratios, the void versus mass analogy and the materials’ textures were key issues that lead the design. Under this scope, apart from exposed concrete, marble and plaster were chosen as skins to the two volumes, while their roughness is juxtaposed to the softness that dominates most of the surrounding landscape. Its subtlety however doesn't lack complexity. Special care was given to create various spaces that fill all needs making use of the time of day or and the season, following the spirit of traditional Mediterranean architecture, where architectural and energy design are one. As an example, the barbeque and outdoors dining area are placed on plot where there is shadow after noon, while the pool which surrounds the house from the south offers dew to the house, assisting it energetically to cool down during the hot Greek summer. The inside has been designed with criteria such as the abundance of natural light and air quality, comfortable living and timeless design.

Client: Dolihos Meletitiki, blueprints and sketches from personal archive, 3d from here