This architectural project is set on a dramatic and picturesque piece of land, offering stunning panoramic views amidst rugged cliffs and steep terrain. However, its northern exposure presents a challenge due to the powerful winds. The client’s primary request was for a sheltered courtyard with a pool, allowing the family to enjoy the outdoors despite these harsh winds. The design solution involves a building that surrounds the courtyard, protecting it, while simultaneously being visible from every room of the house.
The project draws inspiration from the existing element of the “xerolithia”, the short dry-stone retaining walls that were created for cultivation purposes on slopes. Their undulating shape evolved into a closed circular form while simultaneously creating interesting and functional recesses. The building’s gray stone, sourced from the excavation of the site itself.
The roof is landscaped to replicate the natural environment of the hillside. By incorporating rocks and local wild vegetation the structure is seamlessly integrated into its surroundings, enhancing both the house’s aesthetic and functional qualities.
The name Ofis is the greek word for “serpent”. The ground floor plan with its undulating walls seems like a snake biting its tail, much like an “Ouroboros”, the emblematic serpent of ancient Egypt and Greece represented with its tail in its mouth, continually devouring itself and being reborn from itself.
