29 ° Villa in Chania, Crete | Parti Architecture

29 °
Villa in Chania, Crete, Greece
This 200 m2 home is located in Kolimvari area, a location of outstanding beauty.
The design process basics were defined by the steep slope and the orientation of the land towards
the verdant olive tree lowland. Our main focus was the harmonization of the new building with the
terrain and the integration of the quality features that compose the area (olive trees, rocks,
garrigue), into an architectural proposal.
The building is being developed into three levels, parallel to the contour lines and with access
designed from top to bottom. The main residency is divided into two levels. The master bedroom
along with the private bathroom, is located on the highest level. The kitchen along with the living
room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms and the storage areas are located on the middle level. The
private accessed guesthouse is located on the lowest level, offering an autonomous and private
outdoor space.
The initial design was marked by a single stone wall which retrieves and controls the slope,
allowing the main functions (bedrooms, kitchen, living room) to face the view and hiding on the
back side the secondary ones. This wall also defines the route to the building through the exterior
stairway while at the same time it creates an entrance towards the home and the guesthouse.
As a result, we have created a horizontal building partially below the ground, which adjusts to the
land and the landscape, through a variety of levels internally and externally. The rotation of the
building’s volume contributes in a way that allows the guestroom along with its exterior to
integrate with the ground gently.
The individual building volumes come together through the single plate. This plate acts not only as
a shelter in the “occupancy – vacancy” agreement that is being created in the middle level, but
also as the master bedroom’s exterior.
Additionally, the planted garage area along with the entrance are the only parts that are visible
from the road level, as the home escalates on the downhill, minimizing this way the visual
footprint.
The outdoor living spaces, such as the pool, are being developed in levels organically, in a way that
allows them to always remain directly connected to the ground. Rocks and garrigue are mixed with
the structured elements, the external levels and the passages, creating this way a harmonious
blend of architecture and nature.
The materials proposed, are following the same philosophy as well. The rough terracotta plaster
assimilates the external built-in elements into the landscape. The stone, on the distinctive wall,
acts as the building’s volume background. This background emerges from the slope through the
white plaster and finally meets with the Mediterranean landscape.