Santorini New in Old

The project is located in Messaria Santorini, on a sloping plot and it overviews the island of Anafi, the Aegean Sea and Pyrgos settlement. The main consideration in old traditional buildings was sustaining basic human needs. This minimalistic mindset resulted into what is identified as Cycladic architecture, human oriented, without lavish decorations and unnecessary superfluous spaces.
Building a new structure in a place like Santorini came with specific challenges, since the goal was to incorporate the new elements into the existing landscape, whose shape, size and form is unique. The concept was to reflect on the traditional architecture and transform it into simple, clean and fluid forms.
The project consists of two semi-detached houses, the first one on the north-east side and the second on the south-east. The main entrance is via the old municipal street. The external shell and the interior structure of our residences were based on the primitive shapes and forms of the excavated houses in the area and were developed according to the habits of their residents. The exterior stands out as a monolithic structure with small openings (for protection from heat and strong winds), traditional Santorinian vaulted roofs and staircases, and terraces surrounded by stone guardrails, referencing the old, fortified settlements.
The two houses have a similar layout on the ground and first floor. Inspired by the design of traditional Santorinian houses, the floor plan is quite narrow and deep, with the main living area and kitchen at the front and the bedroom at the back, divided by a wall with the same openings as on the exterior, indirectly illuminating and ventilating the back bedroom. That artifice is used for temperature stability, regardless of the season.
Above the master bedrooms, are the attics, which can be used as lounge areas, extra bedrooms or studies, utilizing the height of the vaulted ceilings.
On the excavated level of the first house the old, preserved stone arch serves as an entrance and creates a parking space, which leads to ancillary spaces of the house. The underground level of the second house unfolds through a group of old caves and leads to a small private pool, taking after the water storage use of the old house.