The restoration of the residence in Greece has returned legibility to the original features of the building, revealing historical traces such as a Venetian portal and stone walls, while the new modern additions, like the staircase volume and technical solutions, harmoniously integrate with the pre-existing architecture, ensuring contemporary comfort.
For the Designer Chiara Armando, specialized in home renovation projects, focusing on the essential is a fundamental principle in design, aiming to give value to what is created by eliminating the superfluous. Today, this concept can also be interpreted from the perspective of ethical and social responsibility towards our planet, promoting a sustainable approach.
"The most sustainable house is the one that already exists": this mantra emphasizes the importance of preserving and enhancing existing structures. In the context of the restoration of The Secret Garden in Greece, the decision was made to free the interior from all the additions accumulated over the last century, restoring readability to the original features and the peculiarities of the stone walls.
The building, probably an Avlì (an open courtyard between two buildings), preserves many traces of its past. Among these, a Venetian-era portal, now located inside the house, which once provided access to one of the side buildings. The different wall texture of the street-facing wall and the small, tall windows on the ground floor, resting on an important base, suggest the presence of a perimeter wall.
A second entrance, less decorative, led to a building to the left of the entrance, later transformed into a watering trough for animals. Even a slanted hole, visible on the same wall, suggests a drain coming from a kitchen behind. Three bricked-up windows at an upper level confirm the hypothesis that the building consisted of two side facades facing an open space.
Over the centuries, in response to new housing needs, the space has been partially enclosed, except in the area where the kitchen is located, where a skylight has been maintained in the new design proposal. The restoration has led to the creation of a large open space on the ground floor and two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms on the upper floor, connected by a central square-shaped staircase.
The volume housing the stairwell and the two toilets appears as a modern addition beneath the top floor slab, which has been reinforced. This solution has allowed for the creation of technical spaces in the false ceilings for the installation of an air conditioning system, integrating modernity and comfort while respecting the original structure.
