"Whether it be dusk or dawn,
the jasmine remains white." George Seferis.
A two-story house with basement, on a corner plot in Kifisia, Athens. Need for privacy, orientation and a large garden were the main factors that defined the design of this “U” shape house. Placed on the northwest edge of the plot, letting free space on the southeast corner, with planting through the boundaries and thickening on the south. The spaces are design to have south and east orientation and view to the large garden. The semi-open spaces protect the house from the weather conditions and help the transition from close indoor the to the open outdoor spaces.
Large windows east and south, smaller north and west, positioned in a way that allow the light to enter in the shared and private spaces without losing privacy or the view. Big planted cour anglaise lighten and ventilate the basement. An almost flatten garden, connected with the shared spaces of the ground floor through large windows. The water element placed on the inside of the “U” shape, protected from the weather and outside viewing.
The design aims at a subtle dialogue between open and closed spaces, private and public that is enhanced by the play of contrasts and transitions. The contrast of white with green, the transition from built to natural (garden). One part of the “U” shape is a ground floor pergola, that combined with the water element define the transition from the artificial to natural. White walls, wooden floors, white metals, natural anodization on the frames, grey plates, and stone from Markopoulo are the main materials used in the project. Planting with Greek flowers and trees, create an irregular barrier on the boundaries of the plot, increasing the protection of the house and the residents from the outside environment.
