kapsimalis architects plants two cave houses in carved slant land of santorini

cave-like house formations emerge from sloped site in santorini

Kapsimalis Architects embedded two cave houses in a gently sloping plot in Fira, the central part of the island of Santorini. Planted with cactuses, low fruit trees, arid shrubs, and cobs, the land covers the residences leaving an open view to the seascape from the east side, and the main ‘Chora’, the built center of the island from the west side. The proposal is a reinterpretation and osmosis of the traditional settlements’ cave house architecture and the rural one-room stone fold structures, that exist on the island. The main idea of the composition is the placement of the main housing volumes into an existing berm of the plot, held by a curvilinear retaining stone wall and covered with soil and plants.

all images courtesy of Giorgos Sfakianakis

open layout flows above + under the earth in rectangular forms

The building by Kapsimalis Architects (see more here) disappears inside the earth and the rural landscape, leaving openings only on the facade’s stone wall and skylights-patios on the planted roof. The two cave building blocks have a simple rectangular layout and they consist of an open plan with common functions, like a living room, a dining-kitchen space, as well as bedrooms, bathrooms, and a storage room on the ground floor and basement.

The main housing space of the ground floor unwinds in an outdoor front yard, where a plunge pool, an open kitchen-barbeque corner, a dining table under a wooden pergola, and some sun loungers are placed, surrounded by the site’s rich vegetation. In the back and side of the cave houses, small sunken patios are formed, either as entrances or as backyards, importing additional natural light and ventilation into the interior spaces.

the building merges with the rural landscape, leaving openings only on the facade’s stone wall

soft tones + natural local materials complete the minimal look

The exterior walls of the cave houses apply local volcanic stone, found in the plot from the existing stone berms and the building’s excavations, while raw concrete and plaster in earthy tones integrate the building complex into its surroundings. For the supplementary features, the designers chose iroko wood, soft hues of beige color on the wall and ceiling plaster, smoky brown, and light gray terrazzo for the flooring. The windows display a gray-brown tint and the kitchen modules are set out in desaturated olive tones. Materials like marble, wood, iron, clay, and glass in the interior and exterior spaces are enhanced by selected handmade furniture forming a soft ambiance in the minimal earthy-like structure.

geometrical formations shape above and under the planted ground