Architect's Villas
Six stone volumes placed in between the existing olive trees, creating interesting spaces with neighborhood characteristics, paraphrasing elements of a Mani settlement. The buildings are connected through light steel and transparent glass elements in dialogue with the massive stone blocks, creating tension and interesting spaces.
The houses are located on an olive grove in Mani with a view to the Messinian bay. The complex consists out of six stone blocks placed in between the existing olive trees. Adapting the scale of the olive grove, the positioning of the stone volumes creates interesting spaces in between with neighborhood characteristics such as entrance courtyards and covered dining areas, paraphrasing elements of a Mani settlement. Spaces in between with views to the olive garden from one side and to the sea from the other side, brings the surrounding closer to the inside. The buildings are connected through light steel and transparent glass elements, highlighting the stone volumes and allowing the boundary between in and out to melt. The transparency of glass and the industrial character of the metal structures in dialogue with the massive stone blocks, creates tensions and interesting spaces. Traditional materials such as stone, wood and reeds are applied in a contemporary way, as for example the planking of the roof, the openings in the stone walls and the ceiling of the kitchen.