Modern Dionyssos Residence by Nikos Koukourakis

This is a modern architectural residence designed by Nikos Koukourakis known as Greek architect. a residence located in the suburb of Dionyssos in the prefecture of Attica, Greece.What a different appear on this home designed looked at big opening to a flat garden which has relationship between garden and communal areas. The relationship which the architect has created through the large openings, the internal bridge as well as the selection of materials, allows for abundant natural sunlight to travel within every space of the house. Koukourakis, has managed to eliminate through this design the amount of energy which in any other case would be needed to illuminate the house through artificial rather than natural lighting. Moreover, the residence has been designed and built according to sustainable architectural design principles.

For a sustainable architectural design, attention has been given to the building’s orientation; the building has glass openings which face the south. An insulation system for the facade has been chosen to meet the needs of the residence. Aluminum windows with a thermal break system and triplex glass, allow for heat not to escape the house and therefore saves a notable amount of energy during the cold, winter months. Nearly 70% of the lighting fixtures within the residence use LED technology therefore presenting many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching and greater durability and reliability. Furthermore, the house has been designed with a domotic – smart house system which allows for further benefits in energy consumption. Finally, it is clearly visible that materials and the functional requirements have determined the construction result.

The white volumes of the building, the bridge, the clean cut lines and the openings dominate, as they stand out, rather than being dissolved in the lush green setting. A clear example of a modern designed residence as emphasis has been given to horizontal and vertical lines; ornament is created by using the structure and the theme of the building, rather than adding ornamentation which has been clearly rejected in the interior and exterior of this residence. By creating an optical “void,” the perimetric openings add further volume by making distinctive the foreground and the background of the architectural design. The foreground and the background give off a feeling of openness and exposure to light, to nature – the garden, and to the pool. Secludedness and isolation is minimized through the permanent dialogue of the interior and the exterior.

Moreover, the interior design, the selection of materials, the lighting study, as well as fixtures have been designed or selected by the architect. One is to enter the house from a bridge which connects the gateway entrance to the main entrance of the house; this entrance bridge runs halfway through the house to lead to an oak wood staircase with a hardwood organically shaped handrail which leads to the ground floor. The ground floor consists of the communal areas such as a main living room with a double height ceiling of 5.70 meters, a dining room, the kitchen, the guest bathroom and a restricted area, which is no other than the housekeepers room with an en-suite bathroom. The floors throughout most of the areas of the house are hardwood oak boards polished in matte stain. The selection of furniture in the ground floor keeps the minimal, clean cut forms of the house, and contrasts with the cool white walls and the hardwood oak flooring.

The first and the second floor of the house include more private areas such as two bedrooms with private bathrooms and a small living room with an office located on the first floor. While the second floor consists of a master bedroom, a walk-in closet and two separate bathrooms with showers. Furthermore, the second floor includes a mini-spa steam room with aromatherapy and light therapy. Throughout the remaining floors the height of ceilings has been kept at 2.90 meters. The residence also includes a semi-basement which includes the playroom and guestrooms, as well as a basement with parking space, storage room, and a computer room. The residence was originally designed in a 3-D CAD software to provide the clients with a better understanding of the spaces and their interaction with the final built environment.