Tent House | Dotn (Design Over The Norms)

Tent house is located on Agyia, a semi-urban area of Patras in western Greece. Our brief was to design a house that gives the sense of being at the countryside, into a natural and peaceful landscape, even though it is located close to the city center.

The main idea of the design was the creation of a shell that ‘protects’ the users of the house from the urban life and noise. The large opening of the living room, at the west facade of the building, is covered by solid rammed earth shutters, while the other openings on the north-east side are covered by shutters, made of the material of the shell, making it look more stable and inaccessible.

 At the southeast of the design, the shell 'detaches' from the building and creates an internal courtyard, an atrium that receives abundant natural light and helps the main spaces of the residence expand their functions at the outdoor space. At the same time, the everyday life of the family is invisible and protected from the external, urban disturbing factors.

The atrium acts as a smooth transition from the exposed urban life to a more calming, interior place.  The first floor’ s balcony, where the bedrooms are placed, has a view to the internal courtyard while at the same time it is protected due to the shell, facts that reinforce the privacy of the building.

 Finally, the curved lines at the upper points of the shell give a sense of elasticity and movement. The ‘heavy’, compact structure eventually falls like a piece of fabric, like a tent, placed into the "urban countryside".

The exterior spaces, located at the back of the plot, also maintain privacy in relation to the street.

The auxiliary spaces and the garage, have been placed at the basement of the building.