The existing house in a scenic neighborhood in the suburbs of Athens fascinates the visitor with the uniqueness of its interiors and its location next to the river. However, its current configuration does not take advantage of its latent beauty. To be able to exploit this potential we propose a number of transformations.
The image of the existing house – the result of consecutive additions over time, is transformed into an austere prism which is excavated to reveal new spatial relations to the surrounding garden.
On the vertical axis, we propose a tripartite arrangement. On the ground level, a band of bare red concrete forms a base that delineates a sculptural relationship to the surroundings. The base answers to the incline of the plot and encloses the proposed apartment on the side overlooking the river.
All the everyday functions of the house such as the living and dining spaces along with the study rooms of the residents are concentrated on the core of this tripartite arrangement. The new living room extends one meter towards the garden and is granted a generous view of the river through a large square window.
The bedrooms are organized at the top of the house. Additionally, a covered terrace functions as an outdoor living room providing a generous view of Athens. At the back, facing the rear garden, we propose two outdoor, covered “sunrooms” extending the children’s bedrooms to an outdoor reading and playroom.
The garden follows the sculptural expression of the house, forming paths of rectilinear guides filled with sand and stone. Linear paths of water follow the paths of the garden and organize the movement around the house. An outdoor dining space is proposed on the back side of the garden, next to the kitchen. The garden ensemble is completed by the pool which is expressed as an elegant linear prism of red concrete.
