Sinas Architects Reimagine Traditional Cycladic Rural Homes With Xerolithi House

“The main focus of the design was to create a house that blends in its natural environment,” says Sinas Architects in a press statement. To achieve this, the architects designed its main facades to resemble xerolithies—low stone retaining walls traditionally used for land cultivation purposes. Placed sequentially, the walls start low and gradually develop a sufficient height for the house; “they move gently closer and away from the slope, and independently from one another, forming spaces in between them,” they explain. The resulting long and narrow structure has been divided into two blocks, a main house containing a living room, dining space, kitchen and master bedroom, and a guest house with two independent bedrooms—terraces wrap all around the living spaces.