buerger katsota architects

Description

On the Cycladic island of Paros, the conversion of two degraded, eight-room rental studio complexes into two quality holiday residences required renegotiations on several scales and architectural levels. The scheme combines a composition of cubic volumes, the repetition and standardisation of openings, generous outdoor shaded spaces and the use of environmentally friendly materials in order to redefine the site’s expression and achieve architectural unity in harmony with Cycladic architecture. The houses adapt to the landscape and the demands of contemporary holiday living. Each building is rearticulated as an assemblage of cubic volumes on an expressed «base» – a platform. A timber pergola with cantilevering slender beams creates new shaded, comfortable areas for all-day outdoor living.

The «private» spaces are situated on the ground floor and face south, taking advantage of the views towards the sea and the level access to the «base». A central, fully glazed common space was created as an extension of the outside but also as an indoor continuation of the pergola, allowing the landscape to be a dynamic, alternating, double-aspect presence. The common living, dining and kitchen areas as well as a guestroom are located on the upper floor offering panoramic views both from the interior and from the terraces. Minor interventions in combination with the increase of existing vegetation aim to enhance the sense and quality of the natural Cycladic landscape.