P4architecture

VECTOR DWELLING
Residence in Peloponnese

“I dwell in Possibility [...]
A fairer House than Prose –”

Emily Dickinson, “I dwell in Possibility –” (F466/J657), ca. 1862

The residence is situated within an olive grove, on a sloping plot overlooking the bay and castle of Methoni. The site is elongated and gently curved, with its southern edge oriented toward the historic settlement, while its northern boundary meets a small, densely vegetated ravine.

A main challenge of the project arises from the possibility of future construction on the adjacent plots, which may affect the views and spatial experience of the residence. The design therefore explores the idea of a vector house: a linear dwelling that directs its openings toward the two narrow sides of the site, where the views are expected to remain unobstructed.

The proposal is developed through three primary architectural gestures:

1. Two substantial stone walls rise from the ground and define the main spatial structure. Their subtle shifts frame the distant view to the south and the immediate landscape to the north.
2. Between these walls, a plinth negotiates the slope of the terrain and establishes the platform for interior and exterior life.
3. Above, a light elongated roof slab is placed perpendicularly to the plinth. It rests on the two walls, folds, and lifts to shape the living spaces and form a protected courtyard.

Through these gestures, the house becomes an architectural vector. The common spaces occupy the southern end, facing the bay, the castle, and the historic settlement of Methoni. The private rooms are placed toward the north, oriented toward the ravine and its vegetation.

The courtyard operates as a threshold between the two zones, organizing entrance, movement, light, ventilation, and privacy. The stone walls incorporate secondary and storage functions, while the roof extends outward to create shaded semi-outdoor spaces.

Perhaps Emily Dickinson’s words offer a quiet way to approach this house: habitation as an open possibility, shaped by ground, light, views, and a continuous relationship with the landscape.

ATHENS P4ARCHITECTURE WORSKHOP

Converting two old warehouses to an architecture studio

“When you’re in the studio painting, there are a lot of people in there with you - your teachers, friends, painters from history, critics [...] and one by one if you’re really painting, they walk out. And at the end, if you’re really painting you walk out too.”
Philip Guston

Unifying and converting two old shops into architectural office posed an exceptionally challenging task. This challenge arose from our desire for the resulting space structure to reflect and crystallize the working methods and compositional methodology we follow (or at least the one we aspire to follow).

In terms of spatial arrangement, the architectural office is organized into three levels. At the underground level, a subterranean and uncanny realm, we find the model/fabrication workshop and the material/texture library.
On the upper level, bathed in natural light and transparency, a linear table accommodates the necessary computers and design tools for the drawing and visual procustion.

The two realms mentioned above converge, shape-shift, and evolve on the ground level, directly connecting with the city. The prototypes, sketches, and diagrams unite and become the basis for daily discussions on the development of projects and the ideas that occupy our minds.
A slanted wooden theater brings together all the levels and separates the “square” of composition from the auxiliary and storage spaces of the office.

Photographs: Antonis Sarris