petal-like terraces open greek island residence by aristides dallas toward the aegean horizon

ARISTIDES DALLAS sculpts residence BORN FROM THE EARTH in greece

On the sun-bleached island of Schinousa, Greece, Aristides Dallas Architects crafts Maison Cheval as a residence inseparable from the ground it inhabits. Conceived as a structure drawn out of the land, the project follows the undulating topography of the island with stone walls and sinuous paths that unfurl like ribbons across the hillside. Partially embedded into the terrain, the dwelling reinterprets Cycladic tradition through flowing curves, tactile materials, and a deep sensitivity to the rhythms of light, sea, and soil.

The architects describe the project as emerging from the earth itself, its form guided by the natural contours of the landscape. Dry-stone walls rise and bend in response to the terrain in a sequence of intimate and open spaces. Concave gestures create sheltered living zones reminiscent of the island’s coves, while convex terraces and pools extend outward like petals toward the horizon.

all renderings by Kostas Tsilivis

maison cheval moves with the island’s contours

The name Maison Cheval, French for ‘Horse House’, anchors the project in metaphor as much as material. The Greek architects imagined the residence as a creature of balance and grace, standing composed against the slopes, leaving only the faintest imprint on the earth. This image becomes a guiding principle in this composition as the building aims to move with the contours of the island and dissolve into its light.

Earth-toned materials, soft transitions, and diffused daylight create a calm continuum between architecture and landscape. The curved stone walls and sculpted roofs cast alternating bands of shadow, reflecting the Schinousa’s rhythm of exposure and shelter.

Aristides Dallas Architects crafts Maison Cheval as a residence inseparable from the ground it inhabits

the Greek architects imagined the residence as a creature of balance and grace

conceived as a structure drawn out of the land

unfurling like ribbons across the hillside

the dwelling reinterprets Cycladic tradition through flowing curves

dry-stone walls rise and bend in response to the terrain

a sequence of intimate and open spaces

concave gestures create sheltered living zones reminiscent of the island’s coves

convex terraces and pools extend outward like petals toward the horizon

soft transitions and diffused daylight create a calm continuum between architecture and landscape

project info:

name: Maison Cheval

architect: Aristides Dallas Architects | @aristidesdallasarchitects

location: Schinousa, Greece

project architect: Elina Parharidou

project team: Emi Georgosopoulou, Myrto Zafeireli, Natassa Misyri, Tassos Marantos, Eirini Sarri, Haritina Trikka

structural study: Fragkiskos Anevlavis

mechanical study: Zafeirios Korakitis

3D visualizations: Kostas Tsilivis | @kostas_tsilivis