Within the peaceable hills of Sikamino, Greece, an underground household residence quietly turns heads by mixing into the earth.
Designed by architect Tilemachos Andrianopoulos, this distinctive construction is tucked right into a sloped, slender plot about an hour outdoors Athens.
Surrounded by olive timber, the objective was to create a house that grew to become one with the land as a substitute of sitting above it.
The concrete home stretches 60 meters throughout the hillside, with sharp angles that mimic the land’s form.
A planted inexperienced roof, stuffed with native herbs like lavender and thyme, retains the home cool whereas serving to it disappear into its environment.
The house is barely noticeable from above, and the roof doubles as a backyard with views of the distant Euboea mountains.
Whereas partially hidden, this underground household residence nonetheless makes a daring impression. As Tilemachos put it, the home isn’t attempting to fade—it’s merely discovering its place within the land.
The imaginative and prescient behind the Underground Household Residence
The design of this underground household residence started with a transparent thought and a difficult web site.
Tilemachos recalled the unique imaginative and prescient: “we have been one thing that might be a crust of earth popping out of the land simply to shelter you your loved ones and your wants and peacefully combine itself to the encircling nature.”
That concept of a pure shelter guided the whole course of.
The land’s slender width—simply 30 meters—was a significant constraint. Laws required a 10-meter setback on all sides, leaving solely 9 meters for the precise home.
This tight house led to a protracted, linear design stretching 60 meters lengthy. The architect defined, “That’s why the home is so elongated, and it has a size of 60 meters.”
A rooftop backyard that enhances the underground household residence
A standout characteristic of this underground household house is its planted roof, which serves each kind and performance.
Coated in herbs and wild crops, it blends the home with the encircling panorama whereas offering insulation that helps keep a cushty temperature.
However the roof isn’t only for seems to be. It’s designed to be walked on and even loved like a park.
“Sure in fact you may stroll on the roof,” Tilemachos stated. “On the highest there’s a small round platform the place you may sit and um loosen up and watch the view.”
The vegetation sits in pillow-like containers, each meter by one meter and stuffed with simply 12 centimeters of soil. These plant-filled “pillows” will be eliminated, at the very least in idea.
“Theoretically you might take out the roof as it’s with the crops and take them someplace else is the concept,” the architect added.
The roof has matured superbly over a decade because the residence was accomplished in 2013.
“I keep in mind the greenery was not so lush,” he stated. “I’m shocked as we speak to see this glorious plant popping out of the roof which isn’t solely lovely however it additionally presents unimaginable safety from the western solar.”
Inside design that displays the form of the underground household residence
The within of the underground household residence follows the identical logic as its exterior—formed by nature.
The widest a part of the home, about 9 meters, holds the principle residing and eating areas.
As the home stretches alongside the slope, it narrows, making a flowing structure with diversified ceiling heights and room sizes.
“The entire constructing is sort of a crust of earth that’s uh barely elevated with a purpose to host its um life beneath,” Tilemachos defined.
The home’s primary bed room is at one finish, which looks like an out of doors house attributable to its openness.
“The bed room is admittedly simply a part of the skin,” he stated. “And it’s additionally a continuation of the lounge.”
The bed room has an enormous curtain and collapsible partitions, creating a way of separation and privateness.
Between the principle rooms are purposeful areas like the lavatory and storage, all designed to take advantage of the slender house.
“That is simply house you want for a loo,” Tilemachos stated. “Then there’s a very very lengthy closet and a small window… for a closet all you want is one thing slender.”
The inside ground even slopes barely, following the hill’s pure grade. Reasonably than flattening the positioning, the architect selected to embrace the incline.
“You can not degree the plot… this is able to be very dangerous for the plot itself,” he defined.
The round structure provides flexibility
This underground household house is constructed for each movement and performance.
A hallway hyperlinks the residing space with the bedrooms, and the design permits folks to maneuver in a round sample by the house—from bed room to toilet to kitchen and again once more.
“A steady round motion all through the home,” stated Tilemachos. “It’s virtually a serpentine sort of… it’s this fluidity.”
Inside, the design displays the personalities of these residing there. One room is adorned with pink accents for a younger woman, which transitions to inexperienced tones in different components of the home.
Even the doorways are rigorously positioned to keep away from breaking the open really feel. A clear glass door separates the principle residing space from a basement-level house, which incorporates the storage.
“We select to place the doorways at locations the place you can not really feel them as borders,” Tilemachos stated.
Subterranean areas and seasonal consolation
Under the principle degree of this underground household house is a basement house immediately related to the parking space.
It features a quiet room stuffed with toys and a desk, hinting at its use as a play or examine space.
Curiously, the decrease degree additionally contains a full kitchen. It stays cooler in summer time, making it a cushty retreat throughout sizzling months. The storage entrance is on this degree as effectively.
The again facade of the home is deliberately closed off to dam the extreme summer time solar.
“You’re not getting an excessive amount of daylight in summer time… that’s why it’s extra closed,” Tilemachos defined.
That very same design offers heat in winter, particularly throughout snowfall. “All of the backyard on the roof simply completely white… you can not even see it,” he stated. “It actually has seasons right here.”
A long-lasting connection to nature
Above all, the underground household residence displays a deep respect for its atmosphere.
Its distinctive form—shaped by necessity and creativity—brings collectively daring design and pure concord.
“The design derives from the preliminary central thought,” Tilemachos famous.
He expressed shock and satisfaction at how the planted roof now looks like a real extension of the land.
“I actually like this plant and I couldn’t have imagined that the roof… would lastly be related to the bottom by this plant,” he stated.
As mild shifts and views change, the home stretches and shrinks, enjoying with the viewer’s sense of house.
“These are video games of perspective… that unite the constructing itself to its environment,” the architect concluded.
This underground household residence in Sikamino proves that daring concepts rooted in nature can create one thing timeless.
See the superb underground household residence by watching the video under:
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