Athens-based architecture firm K-Studio has completed an impressive vacation home called Southwand House in the Greek region of Messinia, featuring a striking combination of vertical stone walls and horizontal concrete planes that create a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Located in Navarino Dunes within the Costa Navarino resort area, the holiday home was designed as a family retreat that draws inspiration from the traditional stone "tower houses" characteristic of the surrounding region. The architects created a modernist interpretation of local architectural heritage by combining rough-hewn vertical stone elements with smooth concrete roof slabs.
The design philosophy centers around what K-Studio describes as "the woven interplay of these horizontal and vertical linear elements," which creates multiple conditions that blur boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. This approach lends "the feeling of outdoor lightness to the indoors, and the sense of protection to the outdoors in a seamless transition of spaces," according to the studio.
The monumental stone walls, all sourced from nearby quarries, remain exposed both inside and outside the home, providing authentic connection to the local landscape while offering a dramatic contrast to the sleek concrete elements above. This material choice reflects the studio's commitment to using regional resources and honoring traditional building techniques.
Situated on a linear plot that extends from north to south, Southwand House takes full advantage of its prime location with sea views to the southwest, an olive grove to the north, and a golf course to the southeast. The building's orientation maximizes these varied vistas while creating protected outdoor spaces.
At the heart of the home lies a central courtyard featuring an established olive tree that serves as both a natural focal point and a organizing element for the floor plan. This courtyard effectively divides the house into two distinct zones: communal living spaces on the east side, and four bedrooms located on the west side and first floor.
The layout represents an innovative approach to Mediterranean living, incorporating both indoor and outdoor spaces for virtually every activity. K-Studio specifically designed the home to accommodate cooking, showering, lounging, and exercising in either indoor or outdoor settings, reflecting a lifestyle that embraces the region's favorable climate.
"We were inspired by the complex growth of folk architecture in Messinia, with its organically complex arrays of irregularly-shaped stone volumes, among which emerge piazzas, courtyards and 'kalderimis'," the studio explained. The architects developed "a system of well-defined orthogonal modules that, when placed against each other, create intricate relationships in the form of negative spaces, courtyards and passages."
This modular approach allows for organic growth patterns similar to traditional village development. "When this growth reaches the scale of a village, life streams spontaneously through these in-between spaces," K-Studio noted, emphasizing how their design philosophy creates natural circulation and social interaction zones.
The southern end of the building opens dramatically toward the sea view, where the main living and dining room connects with an adjacent bedroom, both accessing different terraces that extend the living space outdoors. A sophisticated swimming pool wraps around both outdoor spaces and extends toward the panoramic view, featuring a stepped base that allows for multiple depths and varied aquatic experiences.
Southwand House represents the latest project in an impressive portfolio of scenic Greek properties designed by K-Studio, which was founded by brothers Dimitris and Konstantinos Karampatakis. Their previous notable works include Villa Mandra in Mykonos, the Manna hotel in Arcadia, and the Liknon visitor center in Samos, all demonstrating the firm's expertise in creating architecture that responds sensitively to Greece's diverse landscapes.
The project name "Southwand" reflects what the architects describe as "the occasional habit of enjoying the warmth of a rare sunny day by resting against a south-looking wall," capturing the essence of Mediterranean lifestyle and the human relationship with solar orientation and natural warmth.
"Southwand House is the expression of an ever-active model of living," the studio elaborated. "In harmony both with its surroundings and its residents, it aspires to become a haven of good times, in contact with nature and a circle of beloved friends and family."
The home's four bedrooms are distributed across two levels, ensuring privacy while maintaining connection to the central courtyard and outdoor spaces. Various outdoor facilities include not only the swimming pool and terraces but also an outdoor shower among other amenities that support the indoor-outdoor lifestyle concept.
The project involved an extensive team of specialists, with the design team including Dimitris Karampatakis, Alexis Chortogiannis, Achilleas Pliakos, Artemis Merkourea, Thibaud Stelmaszyk, Dimitra Pavlakou, Dimitris Giannelos, Stevi Meletsi, Katerina Saraptzian, Alexandra Zachariadi, Lila Simou, and Trisha van der Merwe. Landscape design was handled by H Pangalou & Associates Landscape Architects, while various technical consultants contributed expertise in structural engineering, mechanical systems, lighting design, and acoustics.
Specialized contractors and artisans were involved in executing the project's demanding material palette, including stonework by Delta Marbles, metalwork by QOOP, woodwork by Bahramis, and bespoke furniture creation by Furniture Gallery and Bahramis. The attention to craft and detail extends to custom lighting by Melina Xenaki and Psarrakos, window and door frames by Vertical using Orama and Exalco systems, and pool tiles by Papapolitis.
The photography documenting the completed project was captured by Ana Santl, showcasing how the interplay of stone and concrete creates dramatic light and shadow effects throughout the day while highlighting the seamless integration between built and natural environments that defines this exceptional Mediterranean retreat.
