Between the westward view of 180º over the Cyclades archipelago and the strong winds blowing from the north, on the island of Antiparos there is space for a hybrid architecture: Avlakia House, a structure with a mixed nature of earthwork and building aiming to preserve the landscape and celebrate native materials.
Taking its name from the Greek term indicating the rocky cliffs on which it stands, Avlakia House, designed by the studio ARP - Architecture Research Practice which carries out architecture projects mainly in Greece, emerges from the landscape in the form of a local stone retaining wall, stunning the view with the monumental temple-like presence of the white volume resting on it.
Like a sculptor carving stone, here the sun and its interaction with the site carve the white volume, guiding the shape of the building and the compositional process of the architects. In this way, the particular inward inclination, proportions, symmetry, and repetition of openings blend together, in this construction, form and strategies of bio-climatic efficiency.
The white monolith and the retaining wall that organically follows the topography of the land, host the areas dedicated to the daytime and social functions of the house. At the lower level excavated into the slope, stone volumes house the bedrooms and open up amphitheater-style towards the sea: the integrated design of an underground guest house takes the form of a stone retaining wall and embraces the panoramic platform projected towards the horizon.
The project draws on materials and techniques from vernacular tradition while also elevating spaces to new contemporary forms. Architecture, local economy, and environmental sustainability come together organically in this project: local teams of technicians and workers, the use of Greek stones and marbles, careful study for passive-natural shading and ventilation, and the use of solar energy. All of this contributes to making this project an act of balance between human experience and environmental and cultural sustainability.
