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PROJECT REPORT: LUXURY HOMES
© Louisa Nikolaidou
© Louisa Nikolaidou © Christina Seilern
a key requirement. This extends to the various functions: “The living room is the kitchen. The offi ce is an extension of that.” The largest volume, sitting behind the pergola, occupies two levels, containing a living space on the ground fl oor and a bedroom above, which has a terrace accessed via sliding doors. The other bedrooms all have their own courtyard as well as a view of the sea, and every courtyard has its own tree. Carrying on an old tradition, Seilern put a Cypress in one of the courtyards. “The Greek landscape architect we worked with told me that when a boy is born (on the island of Andros) where my husband is originally from, a Cypress tree would be planted.” Integrating “moments” of nature within the project was crucial to the project’s success in helping the building blend thoroughly with its surroundings. “We wanted to feel as if the natural landscape was seeded within the house itself.” The concrete-formed outdoor levels are continually interrupted by planters or trees, thereby “softening everything up wonderfully.” In the morning the family has
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© Louisa Nikolaidou
breakfast by the fi g tree, providing them with fresh fi gs.
Materials
A large focus of the project was to use sustainable and local materials, to this end Seilern specifi ed an aerated Eaton concrete block reported to use “about 30% less carbon than what you would usually use for a house.” As well as acting as an insulator, it avoids the typical cavity requirements of residential designs. According to Seilern the project achieved a very low embodied carbon score due to the material choices. The terrazzo, marble, and other materials were all supplied through local suppliers and artisans. “We tried as much as possible to go local to reduce the shipping.” For example the cladding and stone used in the courtyards are all from the island’s quarry.
Seilern spent considerable time “looking for clues” in the history of the architecture of the island to inspire her design. “What I discovered was that the many churches on the island use stone surrounds around the windows and entrances, making them feel a
ADF NOVEMBER 2022
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