Designed as a composite “terrace” on a steep slope, the Holiday Home in Lia is located on the rocky slopes of the Cycladic landscape. Stone walls become a compositional tool that defines indoor spaces, shapes courtyards, provides protection from northern winds and frames the landscape, creating indoor and outdoor spaces in accordance with the natural flow of the slope. It was aimed to “hide” the house with the use of stone and iron, together with the earth-colored cement mortar floors. This logic is reinforced by the creation of areas where edible plants grow on the roofs. The roof vegetation, together with the olive trees, oleanders and bougainvillea growing in the surrounding area, contribute to the visual continuation of the landscape. Considering that life on the island is mostly lived in the open air, it was given importance to create outdoor spaces with different qualities. While the roofed, covered and sheltered areas are prominent in the design, the other volumes are designed freely to be exposed to the sun and wind. Indoor and outdoor areas in the building communicate, creating the route that goes down to the sea. The combination of closed spaces is realized with the typology of traditional Cycladic dwellings.
Architectural Design: MOLD Architects
Building Date: 2013
Area: 300 sqm
Location: Lia, Greece
Photography: Yannis Kontos, Iliana Kerestetzi
Natural Stone: Local Natural Stone
Location: Facade
