Bronze Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2022
Polygon House Residential Architecture
- A' Design Award 2022 Bronze Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Ioannis Panagiotou
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 23,575
- Verification code 99DBC09115 · Verify this award
About Polygon House Residential Architecture
The building is dominated by the broken geometries created by the reconstruction of the architectural form while maintaining at the same time the capacity of the lines and volumes, the desired functionality and the tranquility that the users of this holiday home are looking for. The open field of view both indoors and outdoors adds elements of visual comfort and relaxation to users who can see the horizon around them unobstructed. The relationship of the building with the environment is characterized as provocative in terms of highlighting its volumes.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The building is dominated by the broken geometries created by the reconstruction of the architectural form while maintaining at the same time the capacity of the lines and volumes, the desired functionality and the tranquility that the users of this holiday home are looking for.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project is made of concrete beton, brick masonry and plaster. The other materials used refer to the purity of the place (local stone for stonework) and to simple industrial materials such as the concrete of the exterior floors. The simplicity and austerity of the volumes of the building without unnecessary decoration materials are a characteristic for this vacation residential.
- Tags
- Polygon House, The Polygon House, P9 Arch Studio, Skiathos, unobstructed view
- Production Technology
- The residential building is developed on two levels at is oriented on the north-south axis with the main facade southeast.
The dynamic lines of the building volumes delimit the internal functions of the building. The two levels can function as two small different houses. The constructed space around the house is limited and organizes the necessary functions on one level, while it includes a relatively large pool for the area of construction. Part of this area is shaded by the pergola and the volume of the triangular prism of the first floor that protrudes.
The simple industrial materials such used meet with the purity of the place as the metal sunshades and concrete of the exterior floors. All railings are made of glass without intermediate supports, so that there is no obstruction between the eye and the horizon.
The austerity of the lines without unnecessary decoration materials combined with the dynamic volumes of the building in this work meets the simplicity of the local traditional architecture and to create low-cost contemporary architecture. - Design Challenge
- The house has been built on the island of Skiathos in Greece, at Profitis Ilias on a plot with a large inclination slope located 350.00m above sea level. It is in the limited zone allowed by law and within this zone in the smoothest part as possible. The difficulty concerned the placement of the house on a sloping plot at the same time as the desire of the owners to have a unobstructed view and low cost budget construction.
- Project Duration
- The project started in June 2018 and finished in August 2020 in Skiathos Island in Greece.
- Operation Flow
- On the upper level there are the functions of the night zone, which in combination with the office created in the inner balcony. There also exist a semi open space that allows users to go outside if they do not want to go at the uncovered pool area. The view from this level is unobstructed and panoramic. Through the staircase go to the ground floor where there is a single space for the daily functions (day zone) and the second night zone of house. The sea view is unobstructed thanks to the large overlapping window that develops throughout the exterior wall of the living room and bedrooms. Part of the ground floor such as the living room and the kitchen are open at full height of 2 levels of floors. In the ground floor night zone, there are the other two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and a WC for tenants and guests. The outdoor areas have a swimming pool and areas where one can sit. The uncovered space is shaded with a pergola and the triangular building volume of the first floor that protrudes.
- Research
- The research of the design solution was based on the geomorphology of the area and the natural relief. The natural features of the place and the anthropomorphology defined the design goals. These are the need for the continuous visual contact of the users of the building with the environment, as well as the oncoplastic harmonization of the building with the intense tourist rhythms of the island. The method followed includes the mapping of the terrain, and the users needs through interviews.
- Inspiration
- The idea was based on the division of the building volumes and its opening to the sea, in a way determined by the natural lines of the ground, without the absolute correlation of the construction corners, creating a complex polygon in plan view. The layout of the building volumes seems random, but it is not. They are placed so that each area of the house has an unobstructed view of the sea from wherever the observer stand.
- Image Credits
- Image #1 Ioannis Panagiotou
Image #2 Ioannis Panagiotou
Image #3 Ioannis Panagiotou
Image #4 Ioannis Panagiotou
Image #5 Ioannis Panagiotou
Colors of Polygon House Residential Architecture
Design Interview about Polygon House Residential Architecture
The idea was based on the division of the building volumes and its opening to the sea, in a way determined by the natural lines of the ground, without the absolute correlation of the construction corners, creating a complex polygon in plan view. The layout of the building volumes seems random, but it is not. They are placed so that each area of the house has an unobstructed view of the sea from wherever the observer stand.
The main goal was to create a holiday home with a strong extroversion and a relatively low budget on a plot with a steep slope. So the architectural design had to focus on the correct placement of the building on the plot in such a way as to allow its users to relax enjoying the unobstructed view of the open horizon and at the same time to design the open spaces around the house in a way that do not increase the construction budget.
This concept was assigned to our architectural office by a family of Belgians who especially love Greece and the beauties of the place, who had confidence and supported our design concept for their new home, since the design comprehensively met their needs.
The project was constructed between the years 2018-2020 by the construction company EKFRASI LTD on behalf of the property owners.
The challenges of such a project have given impetus to design. The difficulties of the geomorphology of the area in combination with the intense tourist rhythms of the island of Skiathos and the desire of the users to create a place of relaxation gave us the motivation. The need of the owners to have a house in Greece mobilized our design tools, so that they have the best possible result.
The name polygonal house was given by the polygonal structure that exists both in the floor plan of the house and in its volumes. The specific structure results from the orientation and extroversion of the house towards the sea and the open horizon, in combination with the structure of the necessary functions of the building program and the morphology of the soil.
All the collaborators who contributed to the creation of the design proposal had a decisive role. Both the 3D artists and the static and mechanical engineers contributed in their turn to the completion of the design idea. The company that undertook the construction of the building collaborated with many teams in the various construction stages
The research of the design solution was based on the geomorphology of the area and the natural relief. The natural features of the place and the anthropomorphology defined the design goals. These are the need for the continuous visual contact of the users of the building with the environment, as well as the oncoplastic harmonization of the building with the intense tourist rhythms of the island. The method followed includes the mapping of the terrain, and the users needs through interviews.
The house has been built on the island of Skiathos in Greece, at Profitis Ilias on a plot with a large inclination slope located 350.00m above sea level. It is in the limited zone allowed by law and within this zone in the smoothest part as possible. The difficulty concerned the placement of the house on a sloping plot at the same time as the desire of the owners to have a unobstructed view and low cost budget construction. During the construction of the project, a special challenge was the difficulty in the project management when you build on an island and on a mountain in parallel in combination with the weather conditions.
Grand Interview about Polygon House Residential Architecture
The site's natural topography dictated the positioning of the building within the plot and simultaneously informed a key compositional element of its architectural form. The fractured geometries that articulate the design echo the morphological characteristics of the surrounding landscape, particularly the angular rock formations found on the island of Skiathos. These monolithic masses with sharp protrusions inspired the building’s tectonic articulation, expressed through acute angles and a sculptural approach to massing.
Building on a piece of land located both on an island and within a mountainous setting presents distinct construction challenges. When this condition is combined with the need to build on a steeply sloped site, the complexity increases significantly. However, a site with a pronounced incline offers unobstructed panoramic views, and particularly on an island like Skiathos—renowned for its natural beauty—this translates into architectural strategies that aim to organize the building’s volumes in such a way that every part of the residence maintains a visual connection to the sea and the horizon.
The selection of materials in an architectural project is influenced by various factors, including inspiration drawn from local resources, durability, functionality, and more. In this case, the choice of metal canopies was driven by the need for expansive overhangs on the building’s southern façade, providing essential solar shading during the summer months, as the residence is designed primarily as a seasonal vacation home. Metal allows for the creation of large cantilevers without the need for vertical supports that would obstruct the invaluable views. Painted planed timber cladding was applied to the underside of the metal canopies, creating a balance between natural and industrial elements. Additionally, frameless glass balustrades were used to ensure uninterrupted visual access to the surrounding natural landscape, reinforcing the design’s commitment to openness and seamless integration with the environment.
The design concept originated from the need to organize the residence across two levels, as the required floor area could not be accommodated on a single level due to the steeply sloped terrain. This led to the development of a dwelling that can be conceptually divided into two distinct levels, each fully functional on its own in accordance with the architectural program and suitable for vacation use. This spatial arrangement allows the residence to host a greater number of occupants while maintaining an enhanced degree of privacy between them.
On the island of Skiathos, traditional vernacular island architecture coexists with its contemporary reinterpretations. Greek vernacular island architecture emerged from the fundamental need of its inhabitants to adapt their way of living to the local landscape and to respond to the climatic conditions of the region using the tools and materials available to them at the time. Designing a residence today can be seen as a reinterpretation of that same essential need—this time articulated through the lens of contemporary means, technologies, and values. This constitutes the core relationship with the vernacular tradition, beyond formal references such as color, materials, or other morphological elements.
The desire for constant visual connection with the surrounding environment emerged directly from the interview process with the clients. It was a key parameter offered by our design approach—one that we maintained throughout the development of the project. However, everything began with our first visit to this wild and beautiful site where the residence would be located. The plot itself, along with the local building regulations, provided the initial framework for our thinking, but it was the beauty of the natural landscape that ultimately guided the evolution of the design.
The Greek climatic conditions inherently encourage a strong relationship and continuity between interior and exterior spaces. The large openings on the façade of the residence serve as a primary architectural gesture toward this integration. Outdoor living areas, pergolas, and shading devices provide the spatial infrastructure that fosters such connections, guiding users into transitional zones and blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.
A key objective of the design research was to achieve a 180-degree view from within the residential shell. This led to the decision to break up the initial singular volume and create a polyhedral form that ensures unobstructed views across the entire horizon. This design intent resulted in a building that not only explores sculptural massing but also allows the residents to maintain a continuous visual connection to the horizon from within the interior spaces.
We were driven by the need to create an outdoor relief space on the upper level of the residence, which would support the requirement for each level of the dwelling to function independently, if needed by the users. This exterior space acts as an extension of the upper floor’s living area, reinforcing spatial autonomy and enhancing the flexibility of use within the overall architectural program.
Each project we are called to design presents its own unique conditions. Every site is different, as are the needs and expectations of its users. What this particular project offered us was the knowledge and experience of navigating the technical complexities involved in constructing a residence within such a demanding environment—an environment that nevertheless allows no compromises in the quality of architectural design or the execution of the work.