This project is about a 3 storey house (650 sq. m) built in the 70’s in the north suburbs, that needed to be totally revised in order to house a couple with their 3 children and a significant contemporary art collection. The house situated on a very sloping site possessed a conscious distinctive 70’s Athenian typical villa style usually found in the suburbs.

The complexity of the project lies in the fact that the revision was intended to address the existence of certain architectural elements which we wanted to preserve, others that we were restricted to work with, and also new parts to add on the existing frame, plus work with the garden on all levels to create a revised interior/exterior domestic situation on a contemporary architectural proposition. 

The above meant that major work was performed on the concrete frame of the house, which was completely undressed to reveal its condition structurally. Some materials were kept, such as stone, others were replaced revised and developed such as the wooden façade, and new materials were introduced such as zinc, iron and bare concrete to complete the dressing of the reconstruction of the old structure. The interior of the house was totally redesigned, and supported with the necessary networks and new technology, with the addition of a new pool in the lower ground garden level. Some spaces were custom made for specific art works, yet also with the treatment of the interior of the house in a flexible casual manner for the arrangement of art works, and furniture as part of the set up for daily life. 

The existing swimming pool of the Family House, we revised, redesigned and renovated, is situated far from the house, in the garden and becomes a special project on its own. The project is based on the idea of using the existing structure of the swimming pool to make an interior exhibition space. A cut from the old mechanical services building adjacent to the swimming pool was made so that one can enter the space going through an iron door, and a small underground tunnel. A tilted metal frame with openings on its 3 sides which acts as a lid of the pool basin, was placed on top and supported on the perimeter rim edge of the concrete basin.

All materials and elements of design detailing of ironwork, woodwork etc are custom made. The construction was very closely supervised by the project team from the beginning of the project, throughout every stage. 

Project title: Family House Revision & Pool for Art private commission 2004-9 
Client: a 5 member family 
Location: north suburbs / Athens 
Brief: a 650 sq. m 3-storey 70’s house was to be redesigned with new pool and garden and a series of extensions to house a couple, their 3 children and a large collection of contemporary art. In addition an old pool was to be converted into an exhibition space.
Project Team: ELENI KOSTIKA ARCHITECTURE
Architect: Eleni Kostika 
Assistant architects: Christina Fraktopoulou, Maria Vidali , Yiannis Vogiatzis - 3D Modeling 
Civil Engineer: Yiannis Tsopanakis - Ypsilon
Mechanical Engineer: Nikolas Nakos & Partners
Audiovisual design & installation: Echo Hi-End, MIchalis Exarchou
Lighting Design: FOSS SA
Topography – Site: Grigoris Roubos 
Landscape Architect: LANDECO – Filippos Kontomanolis
Construction: Yellow Constructions SA

Photography: Yiannis Hadjiaslanis, Alexandros Tsonidis