Villa Saronis

This project was challenging in its own particular way: we were asked to improve the aesthetics, just like a surgeon executes a face-lift without damaging underlying nerves, muscles or tendons. Our clients asked us to constrain to the absolute minimum of structural interventions while at the same time encouraged us to be creative in our choice of materials, colours and accessories.

The two-storey villa stands on a large, beautiful piece of land, close to the sea, in the suburb of Saronida. It is home to a family of returnees from the States who wished to live by the sea and be able to swim all year round. They bought the house because it was in the right location, had the right size and a practical layout!

At the time of purchase, the outer walls of the building were all covered with plaster. It looked indifferent, mundane and, being so close to the sea, it had aged badly. We wanted to use a material that would be more resistant to the seaside conditions and require little maintenance. We also wanted it to create an interesting dialogue with any plastered outer surface we would have to restore and leave exposed. Lastly, we wanted to use that same material indoors to continue a theme and a visual connection. We went for dry pressed architectural bricks in a light terracotta colour that also pairs well with the two types of indoor flooring we used: natural oak timber and cast stone.