Summer House in Andros
Located on the rough rocky mountains of Andros Island, this summer house has a view towards the port and the other islands in the Aegean Sea. The house is divided into four individual single-storey buildings, each with patios and covered courtyards sitting on terraces cut into the site’s steep slope. The dislocated character of the house imposed by the constraints of the site provides practical advantages for the design. The two guest houses benefit from the autonomy and privacy afforded by their separation from the principal buildings of the main residence. The buildings are situated to protect the open and semi-covered spaces from north winds.
The house’s character is similar to the island’s typical dwellings – a single space surrounded by massive stone walls. In plan, the four buildings are placed linearly on an axis. The first building on the east side of the site is the main residence, consisting of the bedroom and the living room in a single open space divided by a level change and a closet. The next building towards the west contains the kitchen and the bathroom of the main residence. The two guest houses, on a level above the rest of the complex, are accessed by a narrow stone staircase. The buildings adopt the vernacular system in constructional as well as formal principles – exposed load-bearing walls made of local stone and containing small openings. Floors are paved with square schist tiles, and the rooftops are constructed with successive layers of wooden beams, concrete slab, insulation and local stone.
Location: «Charakas», Gavrio, Andros, Cyclades
Design: 2001
Construction: 2003-2004
Total area: 200 sqm
