Its location is on Antiparos, a Greek island that is as beautiful as it is remote. Ktima is its name, a Greek word meaning farm or piece of fertile land. Its name and the site on which it is built may be Greek, but the ingenious design of Ktima House is Portuguese and admired all around the world.
Initially, the client, an Indian couple living in the UK, requested a smaller house project, however, as they were thinking about having children, 300 sqm proved not enough. Camilo Rebelo and Susana Martins, the Portuguese architects, had to start from scratch. It is always difficult to develop a 950-sqm project, but to develop one within a protected area is nigh-on impossible. The house ‘could not be seen nor could go without views!’ The site of the project is a plot with steep slopes, predominantly green with a few trees, which are an exception in the context of the island of Antiparos. Viewed from above, from the main entrance, you see a thick, white line, of an abstract nature. Seen from the sea, a façade appears, which is figurative in its composition, continuous, but apparently fragmented, bringing to mind an ancient citadel. The concept of this house developed from two aspects: order and chaos, so present in Greek civilization.
Inspired by the Greek amphitheatres, the architects placed the pool in the middle of the house. 90% of the structure of the house is buried.
Ktima House has a living room, dining room, kitchen, six bedrooms, a children’s playroom, laundry, study, sauna and many terraces, among other areas, all with different landscape settings and especially with variations in the amount and intensity of light. Inspired by the Greek amphitheatres, the architects placed the pool in the middle of the house. 90% of the structure of the house is buried. It took a lot of digging, but the result meant achieving a temperature that is cooler by seven to eight degrees Celsius. The green roof guarantees a constant temperature indoors, while courtyards allow for efficient ventilation.
Greek culture is present everywhere, but this is combined with Portuguese talent, functionality and elegance, sustainability... and unique experiences, such as themagic moment when the sun sets fire to the sky and plunges into the sea...
Specifications Ktima House
Location: Antiparos, Greece
Architecture: Camilo Rebelo and Susana Martins
Local Architect: Dionysis Zacharias Architects
Landscape Designer: doxiadis+ Aggeliki Mathioudaki, Thomas Doxiadis
Total Gross Area: 950 sqm
Property Area: 25370 sqm
