2009

This project involves the construction of a permanent residence situated far from any other settlements.

The area’s imposing topography has been shaped over the centuries by the unique high and low “pezoules”, or stone terraces, in which important local cultivations once thrived. Nowadays, plants are scarce, consisting mostly of olive trees, or reeds in some places, and low but very dense native vegetation that undergoes dramatic changes throughout the year. The plot faces south.

The construction draws its inspiration from the stone terraces and the typical small stables situated among them. The building is practically the diagram of a retaining wall. A longitudinal ground floor mass that incorporates the plot’s height differences organizes all the functions of the residence in an array. The sitting room lies in the middle while the kitchen is set further back. Each section (bedroom, sitting room, guest room) faces a different direction and has a different view. The building’s structure is a load-bearing masonry, using stones excavated from its foundations.

This house is in essence a man-made landscape, using the surrounding land resources, as in the case of the traditional stone terraces.