Who Needs Glass? Not This Board-Formed Concrete Retreat in Greece

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Project Details:

Location: Corfu, Greece

Architect: Invisible Studio

Footprint: 2,570 square feet

Structural & Civil Engineer: Lakis Voutsinas

Photographer: Jim Stephenson / @clickclickjim

From the Architect: "House in an Olive Grove was designed by Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio for his family, with an appreciation of local climate and materials. The minimalist, and sometimes rough aesthetic is a deliberate choice to create an architecture that is flexible for future adaptation while still providing for the basic needs of shelter, shade, sleep and communal spaces.

"Taylor, who’s been visiting this area since the ’70s, wanted the new building draw upon the rich local history of making rudimentary structures out of the materials that people had at hand. The island is still dominated by small-scale agriculture and, says Taylor, there is a lack of preciousness that is a welcome antidote to architects trying to exert control over the environment. Inspiration was taken from architects such as Glenn Murcutt, who pioneered a type of climate-responsive design that is heavily influenced by the landscape that surrounds it.

"The house is located in an earthquake and fire zone, and there are limited materials to build with other than reinforced concrete made using local limestone aggregate; making formwork is a key local skill. There are simple rooms contained within the main volume, made entirely from concrete (walls, floors, ceilings, kitchen, some furniture) and on top, a large shaded living space under a corrugated roof supported on red oxide reinforcement bar trusses, again, drawing on the skills and materials available locally.

"There is no glass involved in the house, only galvanized mesh sliding screens, separate sliding insect screens, and plastic curtains. Materials were often selected by what was available from the hardware store in the village. There is no gate, no fence, and no taming of the landscape around it."