PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN FILOTHEI

ATHENS, GREECE

Set in front of a small park with age old pine trees this 2½ storey house is sitting on a sloping site. It was originally built in 1953 with masonry walls 60cm thick. In 1976 was added the first floor.

The house has been totally redesigned both externally and internally, and accommodates a family with four children. Only the basic reinforced concrete structure was retained.

The exterior has been transformed from the staid “classical” house it was, complete with double pitched roof, to a more minimalist house within a monolithic volume. Characteristic elements of the façades are dominant window frames which protrude from the main volume, shielding in this way the roller shutters. Internally, the protruding window frames of the bedrooms are combined with bookcases to form seating areas.

There was no backyard in the original house. It was created and designed to make possible external living and BBQ areas as well as a longitudinal swimming pool, complete with climbing wall, along the northwest boundary. The “backyard” has become the living hub of the house.

Basement and ground floors accommodate the living areas, while the private areas, i.e. bedrooms and bathrooms, are located at first floor level. The living areas are mostly open plan, and have been planned as one entity with the adjoining external areas. Thus front verandah, living room, kitchen and backyard function as complementary entities that are visually unified through the large openings.

The white minimalistic monolithic volume of the house is accentuated by the grey window frames. Internally, wooden floors have been used in the main areas and granite tiles in the wet areas. White is the predominant colour both externally and internally. Externally it helps create a clear aesthetic statement against the greenery of the wider area of the house. Internally it is conducive to brighter and more friendly spaces.