The A.C.R.E. team designs “Skeleton” project on the island of Kefalonia, working on existing structures and constructing new ones. Two elements found on the site, a concrete skeleton and a huge olive tree, work as starting points of the design process. 

Located in the northern part of Kefalonia Island, close to Fiskardo village and looking towards Ithaca, the “Skeleton” project according to its architect and “Elaia mou” property according to its owners, is a product of passionate and creative minds.

Two significant elements were found within the property. A 50 cm2 concrete skeleton and a huge olive tree.

The idea was to maintain the original volume of the main house, add a mezzanine floor, and use symmetry as an architectural tool to resolve both the façades and the interiors.

Another crucial factor of the architectural design was the scale of the openings. We utilized the analogy of local traditional doors, and by stretching them, not only did we maximize the area of the openings but also enhanced the feeling of interior space.

A stone studio/storage space was built next to the main house. The landscape is composed of two different levels. The lower one is the level of the pool, and the second is the level of the houses.

Located at the heart of the landscape, the old olive tree is surrounded by the new constructions, providing natural shade, standing there as an eternal symbol of local heritage.

By embracing simplicity and blending traditional with modern elements, including clean white plaster, grey metal frames, natural wood, stone walls, local stone floors, and white pebbles, our material palette ensures that the new constructions seamlessly respect local architectural identity but also fully integrate with their surroundings.

Facts & Credits
Title Skeleton project
Typology Architecture, Design
Location Kefalonia Island, Greece
Status Completed, 2023
Architectural & Landscape Design Danai Athanasopoulou | A.C.R.E.
Supervision Danai Athanasopoulou, Sarados Lysikatos
Structural Design Demetris Kekatos
Mechanical Engineer John Athanasopoulos
Photography Alessandro Kikinas
Text by the authors

Take a look at another project by A.C.R.E., “Acre Urban Studios”, here!


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