5 HOUSES AT PARNASSOS MOUNTAIN / ROULA KOTSILATI & VANGELIS HATZIS

Parnassus Mountain is a wild landscape with steep peaks, hidden valleys and sweeping vistas, which hosts the largest Ski Center in Greece. The five vacation houses are located near a natural rocky stream, amongst fir and chestnut trees. 

Like a grown-up tree, each house rises three storeys and is cupped off with a timber lean roof covered with green asphaltic tiles. While remaining modest in their form, the houses still create dramatically lit interiors that extend out into the landscape. Living areas are on the upper two levels, visually and physically connected to take advantage of unobstructed mountain views while bedrooms, bathrooms and sauna are on the first level. 

 

The choice of materials reflects the colours and fragrances of nature and the local palette of the traditional villages in a contemporary approach.  The basement of each house is clad in local stone, while the rest of it in chestnut wooden boards, which come from renewable plantations, chosen for their durability and low shrinkage. 

 

Carefully oriented openings offer cool breezes in summer, while the entirely glazed upper level enhances stack effect and the sense of being out amongst the treetops. The floors are lined in gnarled chestnut timber, sealed in plant-based oils and beeswax. An energy fireplace that allows heat to be ducted to the whole house maximizes passive heating. Excellent insulation is achieved by half-sinking the sleeping area into the ground, while the use of concrete and special double-mass fir timber in construction keeps the houses thermally stable. A ventilated façade system takes diffusive moisture out of the building and eliminates water that penetrates the external veneer. In summer, it prevents heat to get into the building, while in winter it is an additional thermal insulator. 

 

The project’s success in harmonizing design, functionality and sustainability is enhanced by its extreme comfort and considerable savings in consumption of water and energy. Its careful innovative design and the low environmental impact are a testament to the success balance of ecological design with contemporary architectural aesthetic.

 

Cover photo by Erieta Attali 

 

-Nominated for the WAN Awards (Best Sustainable Building of the Year) in 2014.