Four houses in Finikia, Santorini

The brief called for a housing complex, consisting of four individual vacation houses in Santorini. The plot’s area is approximately 6.000 sq. m. located in ‘Katifores’, near the traditional settlement Foinikia, surrounded by a low-density area.
The natural terrain is sloping from the side of the road to the opposite plot limit. Due to its shape and the mandatory distance regulations of 15m, the available designing space was limited. These conditions led to the design of three aligned houses connected to one more on the west side of the plot. The development of the volumes takes place mainly on the East-West axis due to the location, but also in order to offer unobstructed view to the sea. The connection of the houses is implemented through semi-outdoor spaces.
The main concern during the designing process, was to create a continuous form while securing the individuality of each house. Each house is rotated to provide optimal view while blocking the sight to the next house. Indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to form living spaces with varying levels of privacy. The external shell is composed of simple volumes of different heights with a mix of plain and vaulted roofs. On the interior, there are two different layouts duplicated to form the four residencies.
Each house consists of a basement, a ground floor and an attic. The ground floor includes the living and dining area and a bedroom with en suite bathroom. A second bedroom with en suite bathroom is available in the attic. Ancillary spaces are located in the basement. For optimal lighting and ventilation of the basement, a lightwell is constructed in each house.