River House

  • Year: 2023
  • Location: Gortynia, Greece
  • Size: 170 m2
  • Status: Construction

This project is a three-bedroom cottage house located at a picturesque village of Gortynia near Ancient Olympia. Key to the design concept is the location of the site which sits on a steep slope, overlooking a lush natural landscape and the confluence of two major rivers, Ladonas and Erymanthos, at the end of it. The main intention of the design is the organic integration of the house on that unique topographic morphology. Therefore, the view becomes the centerpiece of the architectural composition by metaphorically mirroring the confluence of the rivers with two stone walls that frame the ground level of the house. This gesture establishes a large living space which is sheltered from the busy square of the village and focuses towards the landscape with uninterrupted views. The ground floor slab is then broken into three parts that follow the height of the slope, thus organically distinguishing between indoor, semi-outdoor and outdoor spaces. (Living room-Porch-Garden)