Small House in Ithaca

Vathi, Greece

Photo © Exterior View

Architekci: Rkitekts, Epaminondas Daskalakis & Associates

Location: Odisseos Androutsou, 283 00 Vathi, Greece
Year: 2011

This is a case of reconstructing and changing the use of a pre-1955 small warehouse, located in the Vathi district on the Island of Ithaca. The structure covers completely a corner plot of 50sq.m. In its initial form, it consisted of two separate areas: a laundry room and an above ground level water tank, which served a non-adjacent residence. The goal, transforming a building serving such an auxiliary service into a small yet functional country house for two people, has been a design challenge. The main objective was to define the minimally necessary partitioning which would achieve the maximization space availability, both visually and functionally. The removal of the main wall in combination with the use of the emerging difference in ground levels, finally led to a three level design. Each level serves a different function: the living room, the bedroom, and an auxiliary space, while maintaining visual contact with each other. A small yet functional kitchen was placed in the vacant space under the staircase which leads to the terrace. The existing small openings were replaced by new larger windows, access to the roof terrace was rebuilt, and a newly placed skylight now brings ample natural light into the house, while improving its micro-climate by conveying hot air outwards.