In the untouched landscapes of Serifos Island, Greece, an artfully embedded living space quietly blends in, barely visible. The Rhoēs Villa designed by Athens-based Sinas Architects is a compelling exploration of underground living, a built dialogue between human-made form and natural landscape. At its heart, the villa design reimagines what a home can be when its primary goal is to blend so deeply with the earth that it nearly disappears.

Serifos Island's rugged topography, marked by steep and dramatic slopes and wild thorny bushes, serves as the canvas and muse for Rhoēs. The complex consists of a 300 sqm main house and a smaller 90 sqm guesthouse, placed strategically within a plot that offers breathtaking views of the nearby island and peninsula. This villa architecture echoes the island's essence, maintaining a low profile that contrasts imperceptibly with the grandeur of the landscape. However, the undulating stonework facade design truly anchors this project, providing a seamless transition between the built environment and the natural rocky terrain.

The Greek architecture firm, widely recognised for its award-winning project, the Xerolithi House, has pushed its design ethos further into experimental territory. The landscape architects adopt a subterranean approach for this project, which serves as a natural extension of the island’s raw beauty. "We carved the house into the terrain with precision, pushing it under the existing ground. It's a distinct design that merges with the landscape rather than standing in contrast to it," the firm's lead designer remarks. This concept underpins the entire project: instead of dominating its environment, the villa gently integrates itself into it, respecting the island's conditions.

One of the most innovative elements of the residential design is its conspicuous interaction with natural light and air. The Rhoēs Villa employs a series of long, narrow slits carved into its back which allow for ample ventilation and light to filter through, reducing reliance on artificial systems. From afar, the house is nearly invisible, except for its main facade and the subtle cutouts at the back—providing just enough visual intrigue without blatantly disturbing its context.

Central to the design's subtle yet powerful visual impact is the stone masonry facade. Constructed primarily from materials excavated during the construction, the stone architecture offers a rugged, traditional aesthetic that firmly roots the villa in its Cycladic heritage. However, the stone wall's gently rippling pattern introduces a sense of movement, which is both playful and elegant. "The undulating stone surface appears to move with the wind, bringing an unexpected lightness to the stone—a quality that's rarely seen,” as detailed by Sinas Architects. The design creates intriguing pockets of shadow and light, adding texture to the home's veranda, further blurring the lines between architecture, context and nature.

The home's architectural narrative begins with a decisive cut into the earth, a linear incision defining its shape. At the point where this incision meets the surface, the ceiling extends outward, creating an elegant, thin-edged canopy, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces while introducing a covered veranda that invites gentle breeze and diffused sunlight.

At the residential architecture's centre is a circular pool design which mimics the effect of water droplets, its ripples extending across the surface as though in perpetual motion. The result is a rooted, almost meditative space. This interaction between the stone and the water, the solid and the fluid, captures the essence of the villa that extends into landscape architecture—a home that celebrates the natural rhythm and fluidity of life on the island.

The incorporation of traditional Cycladic architecture into a below-ground structure makes this project distinctive. The dry-stone walls, typical of rural Greek islands, blend harmoniously with the villa's stone façade, connecting it to the landscape as much as to the region's cultural fabric. This integration speaks to the Greek architects’ ability to keenly honour local traditions while embracing the elegance of contemporary design.

Rhoēs, the villa's namesake, is derived from the Greek word for 'flow' or 'fluidity'—a fitting title for a house that ebbs and flows with its environment. Like a river cutting through rock, the building's curves, lines and materials are a tribute to the natural forces that shaped the land. Beyond aesthetics, this modern design also asserts how architecture can achieve a delicate, measured balance that is respectful of its surroundings and distinct in its language.

Ultimately, the Rhoēs Villa is more than just a dwelling; it is a reflection of how we inhabit spaces and the relationship between nature and structure. As the architects reiterate, "The house is so seamlessly integrated into the landscape that from the back, it's almost invisible. You might catch a glimpse of the veranda, but the structure remains hidden, blending effortlessly with the surrounding earth." In an era of environmental sensitivity and heightened awareness of our ecological footprints, Rhoēs stands as a thoughtful experiment in site-specific, sustainable architecture. This villa—while understated in its presence, leaves a lasting impression on the discourse surrounding how we build in harmony with nature.

Project Details

Name: Rhoēs Villa
Location: Serifos Island, Greece
Client: Onōsto
Architect: Sinas Architects (George Sinas); Architect Aristotle University of Thessalonica (AUTH); MArch Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc); Eirini Anastatiou; Lefteris Mpouras
Consultant: Maria Mamoura; Architect NTUA; MSc AAC - Bartlett UCL
Area: 300 sqm (main house), 90 sqm (guesthouse)
Year of Completion: 2024