NATURALLY MODERN
This “submerged” house is fully integrated into the sloping land. Its roof is an extension of the slope. The traditional stonewalls, typical of the cycladic landscape and referred to as “xerolithia”, shape the walls and boundaries between the house and the outdoors. Modern style floor-to-ceiling sliding windows offer maximum openness and direct views toward the Aegean blue.
Our client requested a 60s feel. Next to the bright modern pavilion-style living room, the planted roof terraces of the rest of the house form an extension of the landscape and blend with the garden terraces. Long horizontal stonewalls contribute to the overall design, giving shape and order to the sloping landscape while merging with the walls that form the building.
This interplay, between indoors and outdoors, is the key characteristic of the design.
The aim was to create a contemporary look to the school’s yard that was built in the 60s, as well as to improve its efficiency. A key element of the design was the use of reflective surfaces, which serve both to visually multiply the existing greenery and to create a playful environment.
Under a new energy efficient glass canopy, a small urban garden has been created. It is surrounded by green walls that also offer noise absorption. Moveable decorative panels offer variability -their pattern derives from the bank’s logo.
While offering all the required facilities, the design aims to minimize impact on the natural environment. Paths and rest areas fully adapt to the landscape. Materials blend with nature.
A proposal for changing the aesthetics of an industrial plant. Colored cladding has been used in conjunction with greenery planted on undulating concrete strips.
In anticipation of the 2004 Olympic Games, the road network surrounding the Athens Olympic Stadium Complex was reconstructed, to efficiently serve the needs of the Games while also creating a friendly walking, jogging and cycling area for the wider neighbourhood once the Games were over.
Pedestrian streets and wide pavements were merged to form a network with a total area of approximately 45,000 sq. m. Unfortunately, design details were not fully implemented, as a result of compromises due to time constraints before the Games. Plants and greenery played a key role in the composition, but there is little evidence today of any meaningful landscaping due to the lack of subsequent maintenance.
