Plane House is a luxurious summer home by K-Studio architects on the hillside of Skiathos Island, Greece. It is largely open plan making use of traditional materials such as natural stone and timber as well as expansive windows to create an angular, ultra-modern dwelling.
The name Plane House is derived from the geometrical term for the sheer flat surfaces which make up the dwelling. These planes make up the large flat cantilevered roof and the entirely flat surface of the decking, pool and living area. These flat surfaces define the shape of the building which sits on a hillside of the Greek island of Skiathos. The rest of the structure is largely open although the living area features a sliding wall system making it possible to divide the expansive space.
The infinity pool isn’t only beautiful, it is also one of a number of passive eco features which serve to keep the house cool. It has what is known as a zero-edge meaning that the water is at the same height as the surrounding decking. This allows the sea breeze to glide over the pool’s surface undisturbed, in doing so cooling the house. Features like this as well as the cantilevered roof which keeps the living space in shade do a lot to effortlessly cut down on the need for air conditioning. Plane House also benefits from solar panels and makes use of grey-water in its irrigation systems.
While this is an ultra-modern house, it remains sympathetic to its surrounding environment making use of traditional materials such as natural stone in its walls. This makes the kind of architectural progress that we see in modern dwellings such as Plane House possible without upsetting the locals by building a house which doesn’t blend well with existing settlements. This can be a particular issue in largely unspoilt heritage environments such as Skiathos Island, Greece.
Efforts were also made by K-Studio to retain as many existing trees as possible and so we see trees surrounded by the flat planes of the house. In the case above we see a large tree surrounded by white pebbles around which the cantilevered roof has been formed. We also see how the surrounding vegetation has been allowed and perhaps even encouraged to colonise the sides of the building to help it blend into the island’s hillside.
Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis
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