Header: Ana Santl
Southwand House is an architectural gem by K-Studio. The dwelling is situated in Costa Navarino in Messinia, in the south of Greece, a place known for its rich heritage and sustainable design. Conceived as a Mediterranean holiday retreat for a Northern European family, the Southwand House is enveloped by a beautiful landscape filled with olive groves and cypress trees.
Resting in the southern sun
The Southwand House got its name from a Northern European custom of enjoying the infrequent sunny days by resting against a south-facing wall. Unlike the name, the architectural character of the house draws inspiration from the local South European heritage. The house combines the architectural tradition of Messinian stone tower-houses with the architectural style popular at Costa Navarino. In line with the active lifestyle of the client family, the design of the volume takes indoor living and extends it into outdoor spaces to make the most of summer days.
Locally sourced materials give colour to the house
Located in the proximity of Navarino Dunes, the home to several awarded 5-star hotels, the Southwand House offers plenty of opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment. Locally sourced stone from nearby quarries shapes the design. Stone mosaics determine the colour of the building while at the same time blending it smoothly with the surroundings. White concrete slabs placed on top of these walls give a touch of modernist architecture to the dwelling. The inner skin façade is defined by aluminium-framed glazing intervals, located among rendered walls.
Social and private spaces
Social and private spaces are separated by the central spine of the house. Left side of the central axis hosts the social areas. Four bedrooms can be located either on the left side or on the top floor. The dwelling is arranged in a way that rooms can be either organised on a single level or stacked on two floors to create a more complex living environment.
The central axis links together a sequence of spaces. From the very entrance, further to the central courtyard, the visual connection to the outdoor space remains uninterrupted, remaining as a visual reference to the connection of all spaces to the landscape.
Southwand House exterior
Every interior space has an outdoor equivalent, which embodies the expression of living al fresco, which refers to the lifestyle of spending time, eating, and socialising outdoors. The water element represented by a large pool spans throughout the design. The pool relates to almost all ground-floor volumes, while the top floor can serve as a diving platform to the pool below.
Southwand House is designed in balance with both the client’s desires and the wonderful landscape of Greece. Located within the Costa Navarino development, overlooking the Ionian Sea, the house aims to be a haven of active life and relaxation in connection with nature and loved ones. Southwand House in Costa Navarino has won the LIV Hospitality Design Award in the Architectural Design Villa category.
