NCAVED house by MOLD architects responds to a rocky, windy site in Agios Sostis, Greece, by drilling down and embedding a house within the earth. The result is a sheltered home that is highly protected yet takes full advantage of ocean views.
The architecture was generated by projecting a rectangular grid across the slope, resulting in a three-dimensional ‘chess board’ of solids and voids. The rigid geometry is interrupted with the rotation of the outer axis of the grid. This rotation serves to open up the living area and provide wider views.
Longitudinal retaining walls of dry stone define the exterior of the dwelling and direct views towards the horizon line. Meanwhile, shorter transverse partitions are made of glass and open along their entire length.
While the front of the house fully opens up to the eastern view, rear windows are nestled underground and open up into interior gardens in a move that enhances airflow and brings natural light into subterranean floor areas.
Embedded into the slope, a set of exterior stairs connect the three levels of the house to the main entrance, which is located at the living room loft. This smooth descent into the interior of the house slowly reveals initially hidden spaces, while framing views towards the sea along the way.
The architects explain ‘in-caved’ areas are ‘negative’ spaces resulting from severing and removing part of the rock. The rough feeling of the natural cavity spaces is recreated with the choice of materials and colours, being stone, exposed concrete, wood and metal lining.
