The project is located almost in the middle of the island of Syros, on a plot with no view, nearly flat, adjacent to a main and busy road. The building was placed at the maximum distance from the road, allowing for dense olive tree planting between the road and the house, which acts as a filter and significantly reduces visual and noise pollution. The residence was constructed in two phases to meet the needs of a four-member family for permanent housing.
The initial design included the main building with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a guest WC, and an open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen in an “H” layout. This layout creates a sheltered courtyard on the southern side of the building. The central volume that connects the private spaces with the living areas is made of stone, as is the “Γ”-shaped wall that houses a separate storage space located a short distance from the house.
The growing need for space led to the addition of an extension, a rectangular stone volume with three bedrooms and a bathroom. This extension was connected to the original building via a narrow “neck” that functions as a passage to the new bedrooms and the basement (storage and playroom).
A key feature of the composition is the stone rectangular volumes and the stone backdrop on the northern side, which provides privacy to the designed courtyards and the parking area. The sheltered southern courtyard is shaded by a tensile membrane.
The exterior finishes are in a deep earthy red color, applied without guides, a technique that creates visual interest depending on how sunlight hits the surfaces. The stonework uses materials from the island of Tinos, aiming to integrate the building into the landscape as effectively as possible. The walls are built in a traditional dry-stone style, without visible mortar joints. The window frames are in olive green, clearly referencing the surrounding environment. The basement, due to its function, is simple and minimalist, with exposed concrete. The private areas feature wooden floors, while the communal spaces are tiled with granite.
The fact that the entire building is a single story allows for a direct connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, while also helping it blend more seamlessly into the landscape. To protect the olive grove, the use of “hard” landscaping materials was limited to the area immediately surrounding the building.