Villa shaped by sand and waves
In the design of island architecture, taking inspiration from nature creates new shapes, textures, and ambiences, that dissolve the boundaries between natural and architectural landscapes. In the project of this Mediterranean villa, we mimicked the surroundings, embedding contemporary architecture into nature.
Inspired by the touch, smell, and visual sensations of the Adriatic coast, we decided to recreate the same impression of standing on the shore throughout the design. Standing in front of the villa, the first contact is shaped with a textured wall, mimicking the sand and rocks carved by the sea. Raising the view, a subtle reflection on the glass balcony recreates the sparkle of the sun on the sea surface. To accent this mix of senses, we played with the landscaping, adding an olive tree, lavender, and immortelle shrubs to emphasise the unique and specific smells commonly associated with the Adriatic coast.
Beach-like backyard
Always finding new ways to translate the natural wonders into contemporary design, we translated the airy Mediterranean breeze into angled elegant forms of the villa – enhancing the views and opening the home to its surroundings. In a fluid manner, the calm cubic structures of the house lean towards the landscape, relaxing the form and creating long soft lines which follow the terrain and the horizon.
Translation of the experience of the beach in the exterior is maximised in the villa backyard, shaped with fluid stone-like forms, and accented with pebbles and light wood. In the middle of the backyard is a specially-designed pool, which combines rectangular and circular geometry, and in several descending levels creates visually quotes the entrance to the sea with shades of blue at different depths of the pool. The stone sitting area in the backyard creates a unique gathering spot for the family, in a calm round geometry. The landscaping of the backyard is brought even closer to the villa’s surroundings by the addition of large natural rocks, shaped by winds and waves, which are a symbolic expression of the design we created inside the house.
Ground floor flow
In the interior of the living room – the central gathering space of the house, we used soft sand colour and curved surfaces to invite the wavy flow inside the villa. Contrasting the curved solid wall and ceiling surfaces with rectangular glass at the staircase, we created a contemporary look, which further highlights the roundness of the living room. Adding the landscaping elements in the living room and using the double height to maximise the light, we mixed the indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a one-of-a-kind living ambience.
The three-dimensional character of the walls is accented around the fireplace, giving depth to the room, and extending the space throughout the ground floor. By curving the wall, we designed a round shape of the seating area, creating an unconventional space for gatherings. This way, the living room area functions as its own island, within the open plan of the ground floor.
Bathrooms inspired by water
The wavy flow of the ground floor is further developed throughout the kitchen, connected to the living room, with a soft shade of wood and a contrast between rectangular cabinets and a specially designed kitchen island placed upon two structures with soft edges. Removing rectangular edges and surfaces from the entryway through the living room and kitchen towards the glass façade overlooking the backyard, we created a seamless movement flow which connects the front and back sides of the villa.
Recognised as the spaces defined by water, the bathrooms in this villa are designed as a recreation of the water carving the stone, with strong textures on the walls, and curved details expanding the verticality of the space. Playing with soft diffused lighting and utilising the curved elements as shelves enabled us to create a specific geometry and a visual effect which complements natural surroundings and creates a minimalistic expression of the water-inspired space.
Villa bedrooms
The calm spaces of the bedrooms are created by designing edgeless surfaces of walls, creating a continuous flow of the spaces. Playing with the vertical surfaces and transitions between bedrooms and their en-suite bathrooms, we eliminated the rectangular hallways and created soft sculptural structures which transition from walls, over built-in storage units to singular pieces of furniture.
The fluid forms which create the unique flow and symbolise the location of the villa are accented in wood and plaster materials, alternating between soft edges and curves in the wood, and grainy sand-like textures in the walls. By using these tactile elements, we also shaped unique headboards which extend from the walls into the open spaces of the rooms, creating structures similar to seashells commonly found on the island shore.
The angled form of the building comes to its greatest potential in the bedrooms, thanks to the glass openings and balconies overlooking the sea. The ceiling-height windows enable the sun to enter the bedrooms, and glide over the soft-coloured curved walls, creating a unique game of reflections and shadows, similar to the caverns and grottos of the island.
In this design, we maximised the comfort for the clients and created a site-specific architecture which uses surroundings as an inspiration to create a unique modern language of island architecture.