Designing on biographies
A house that reinterprets and synthesizes positive memories and spatial experiences.
During our initial discussions the clients were describing their ideal residence using highly pictorial references such as “tiled roofs”, “village-style”, “castle ramparts”, etc.. With the aid of qualitative, in-depth interviews with the residents, a methodological tool borrowed from social anthropology, we understood that these were just superficial projections of unconscious representations.
Margaret’s reference to the “village” was associated with memories of her childhood in her grandmother’s house with the big courtyard in the village, where Margaret used to spend every summer. For Margaret, the house with the courtyard was conceived as a symbol of a happy family life. Hence, the new dwelling was designed incorporating a patio - courtyard.
Theotokis’ reference to the “village” had to do with the pleasure of hiking in nature (he is a doctor and head of the local mountaineering club). According to the interviews his most enjoyable hikes were those which ended in the conquest of a hill overlooking the landscape. The image of the “ramparts of the castle” was a visual codification of such an experience.
Consequently, in the new house we incorporated two types of movements from the ground floor to the first floor and the terrace. A slow promenade and a steep vertical movement that directly connects the living room on the ground floor, the office on the first floor, and the terrace with the panoramic view to the surrounding landscape.
