The stone fabric of an old, architecturally simple house dating from 1870, and the owners’ wish to feel nature every day, laid the foundations for the design of a home that brings in the sound of rain, the first rays of the sun and the full moon of August.
The building elements are stone, metal and glass: materials from different eras, which the architectural team has placed in spaces that likewise express different eras. Stone pointed with red earth mortar is found only in the old house, which now serves as the home’s reception area. Glass is used for the contemporary walls that gather the sun in the bedrooms and separate the bathrooms, while metal bridges link the old with the new.
And since nature was the aim, the dining area was placed in the middle of the garden, in a courtyard that is gradually opened up over the course of the summer by means of five glass panels, from May through June, July and August to September.
Because of the small size of the plot, circulation between the buildings develops in both horizontal and vertical arrangements, with a timber walkway and three metal staircases. The plants were chosen from Cretan flora. The carob tree in the dining area, for example, shades the table during the summer months, while an aromatic garden on the first floor releases essential oils into the bedrooms for a light sleep. In this way the owners’ goal was achieved. A home Inside the city that makes you feel you are Out in nature.
Architects: insite architect lab
Edited by: Manos Lianopoulos
