Excerpt: Examilia House by Katerina Valsamaki Architects expresses a design that unifies indoor and outdoor living within a single straight white volume. Conceived as a rectangular parallelepiped of solid, open, and transparent surfaces, it acts like a cloister, merging house and patios. The residence creates spatial amplitude and a strong dialogue with the Corinthian bay and Examilia hill, enhancing its serene presence.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The single storey vacation house is located in the area of Korinthos, at Peloponnese in Greece. The four acres plot is almost flat, overlooking the Corinthian bay at the north, while offering an impressive view of the extraordinary hill of Examilia at the west.
The single straight white volume hosts both the house and its open or shaded patios within a structure that acts as a cloister in relation to the plot, while the rest of the surrounding terrain remains in its natural form.
The concept was to cohere the inside and outside living into a single volume, a rectangular parallelepiped composed of solid, open and transparent surfaces. The unification of the indoor and outdoor spaces in transition creates spatial amplitude for the 137 m2 dwelling, while it makes the building appear larger than it actually is.
The façades reflect the opposition between the private and social areas of the house. The bedrooms are organized in the blind part of the long volume and open at its short side, to the garden view, at the east, through a private shaded patio while the social areas appear open and exuberant and end up to a shaded patio at the west.
The monolithic form of the dwelling, seen from the south, creates a visual engagement with the dramatic and beautiful topography of the Examila hill and the surrounding landscape. A catwalk perpendicular to the house marks the entrance. A row of trees planted inside the unroofed patio which complements the exterior of the house, at this side, accentuates the idea of the cloister.
When entering the house, the spatial continuity between the inside and outside living areas is fully revealed. The open plan living areas, lounge, kitchen and dining room have floor to ceiling sliding windows which embrace the natural light, at the three sides, while offering view to the garden, the city and the sea. The glass panels which can be completely hidden inside the walls and the uniform paving in both the inner and the outer space eradicate the indoors and outdoors limits and strengthen the spatial enlargement.
An infinity swimming pool is organized outdoors in front of the living areas and runs parallel to them.
The shaded main patio is an extension of the living area at its west and acts as the summer social hub for the family. The framed views from the patio to the surrounding landscape and to the open horizon are imposing. The sunlight is filtered here through the pergolas, while their strong cast shadows complement the architectural simplicity of the house.
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