Avlakia House looks deceptively small from afar because most of it is hidden underground and built with local stone. The brief requested for a large program: the main house and a guest house of seven bedrooms in total, two pools, generous exterior areas, and substantial areas of support. The house’s form, deciding what to reveal and what to hide underground was a balancing act between the human experience, environmental, and cultural preservation.
Emerging from the landscape in the form of a stone retaining wall, the house appears to be a white monolith resting on the landscape. Specific formal operations – proportions, inward inclinations, and repetition of openings – reflect the site’s relation to the sun and transform the monolithic volume into a sculptured building, a Cycladic temple.
The project draws on the vernacular building tradition, while elevating spaces into new contemporary forms. Sourcing local materials (stone, marble), and reenacting craftsmanship traditions (terrazzo floors), contribute to the site’s sociocultural and environmental sustainability. Thick natural shading, efficient insulation, and use of solar power reduce overall energy consumption. Planted roofs, courtyards, and cross-ventilation strategies relieve the house from the need for powerful cooling systems.
Architect: ARP – Architecture Research PracticeLandscape Architects:Doxiadis+Design Team: Argyro Pouliovali, Eva Alberini, Marilena Stavrakaki, Nora Delidimou, and Sofia XanthakouClient: OLIAROS SAPhotographer: Erieta Attali
