In Vouliagmeni, a seaside suburb in Athens, Greece, 314 Architecture has proposed a new residential building design dubbed ‘The Butterfly’. The proposed plan currently consists of four independent residences, where each unit also includes a basement and a top floor.

Staying true to the name, the project takes inspiration from the butterfly for its design in a way that aids the total functionality of the building as well. The ‘wings’ of the building extend outward, from the building itself into the garden area. This provides shade to the ground floor and provides a picturesque view of the sea to the top floor area. Additionally, the bent structure of the wings has been designed in such a way that they also provide privacy to the residents.

To connect the interiors and exteriors of the premise of the residence, U-glass has been extensively used in place of solid walls. This allows for more natural light to stream inside. The U-glass also helps distort movement, providing more privacy to the residents and adds to space’s atmosphere when seen from the outside.

The design uses contrasting materials to enhance the interaction between the building and the residents. The matte finish of the white cement stucco plays against the glossiness of the U-glass. The cement has been chosen for the walls, floor, and the ceiling. The building has rocks and vegetation placed around the property to add an earthiness to the composition, along with using bigger sized rocks to hide structural elements and storing glass panels. This shields the interiors, leaving only the necessary and aesthetically pleasing parts of the building to be seen from the outside.

To complement the composition, artificial lakes are implemented in the design to create a sense of serenity and seclusion. This gives the building a sense of being complete on its own, even in when surrounded by other residences. The lakes reflect the organic shape of the building, the U-glass, and the vegetation. There is an emphasis on the presence of natural elements throughout residence. Floating paths go across the lakes and the green cover connects to the ground floor balconies, offering an alternative, closer route to nature in all ways possible.

Project Details:

Location: Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece
Site area: 1957 m²
Project name: The Butterfly
Architecture office: 314 Architecture Studio
Lead architect: Pavlos Chatziangelidis

(Text by Shreeparna Chatterjee, editorial trainee at stirworld.com)