villa melana by valia foufa & panagiotis papassotiriou

villa melana by valia foufa & panagiotis papassotiriou
all images © pygmalion karatzas

the story of ‘villa melana’ began with a photograph. the image was taken from a naturally formed plateau on a steep slope in pera melana, tyros, greece. here, the landscape gently wraps around itself, creating a small sanctuary that’s protected from the heat and soothed by winds from the distant water. from the image, architects valia foufa and panagiotis papassotiriou designed a minimally invasive structure perfectly perched upon the plateau.

driveway and parking 

the home is rectangular and subdivided into three distinct volumes. visually, there’s an emphasis placed upon the central form; this is where all common activities are hosted. it’s clad with local arcadian stone, with a pitched roof and a fireplace that frames views towards the horizon.

main entrance approach

on either side of the slightly off-set middle structure are two white forms. the larger, opaque building contains bedrooms, bathrooms, and other private areas; the other serves as a covered patio area. beside the exterior seating, is a seamless pool that ends at the site’s perimeter — seemingly teetering over the edge.

ground level, south east façade 

‘villa melana’ has a white exterior that helps reflect sometimes severe sunlight, and simultaneously compliments the arcadian rock central living space. stone cladding, asides from its local roots, keeps the interior at a constant, comfortable temperature. the home was completed by valia foufa, and panagiotis papassotiriou, and photographed by pygmalion karatzas.

southwestern faces 

interior elements 

main living space  

interior view of east wing corridor 

stairway from parking to ground floor

looking over the water 

pool at dusk 

general view from south at dusk

project info:

location: pera melana, tyros arcadias, greece
architects: valia foufa, panagiotis papassotiriou
structural engineering: kratimenos antonis
mechanical engineering: kabilis nikos
topographical survey: bokolas dimitrios, koulos evangelos
civil engineer consultant: taraviras george
site area: 6,085 m²
total built area: 205m² (185m² – main house, 47m² – ancillary spaces)
design date: 2012
completion date: 2014

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