House in Pollonia

One of the most important issues that the architect has to face today is how to manage the architectural practice in the context of the folk and traditional architecture of the Cyclades. Hypertourism, or the constant building in the aim of hospitality on these islands, as well as the modern needs of the inhabitants that must be met, are some of the factors that shape the requirements regarding the architecture design in this context.

The study area concerns the settlement of Pollonia in Milos, in the northern part of the island. The design of the residence aims to integrate and harmonize the synthesis in the cycladic architectural framework through the redefinition of traditional architectural tools/means into the modern living. A key element of the design was the integration of those architectural elements drawn from the traditional architecture of Milos. The stage of identifying these elements concerned the visit to the island, the observation and the recording of these architectural means and the characteristics of the popular cycladic architecture. During the design stage, the integration of these elements into the synthesis was attempted. This has been achieved by redefining their use and materiality.

The cycladic architectural elements that consist the tools of the design were the semi-outdoor spaces, the characteristic arches, the characteristic frames, the strong presence of white color, the whitewash of the houses,the whitewash in the surrounding areas, the pergolas, the flat roofs/the terraces and the their uses and, in a more general context, the plasticity and simple geometry in the masonry, which creates, in its irregular and anarchic repetition, both in the masonry of the houses and in general in the entire settlement, an irregular diversity.

These characteristics were included in the design, in order to meet the current needs of the residents and to favor the integration of the building into the cycladic context.

The building is divided into three separate, independent residences. Two of them are on the ground floor, while the third is on the first floor. Optimal privacy has been achieved in each of them, through their placement and orientation. The building as a whole is characterized by morphological polymorphism in off-white coloring and plasticity in the volumes that shape the living spaces. The main features are the terraces on the individual sides of the building, the arch that marks the entrance to the semi-outdoor space, which is the threshold of the two houses on the ground floor, the frames which were designed based on the traditional wooden cycladic frames, as well as the pergolas which were designed by combining the modern means with the traditional ones, such as for example the metallic structure with the reed.