Casa Magda

Athens, Greece

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Casa Magda

Athens, Greece

Firm

Kokosalaki | Architecture

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2022

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

BUDGET

$500K - 1M

Casa Magda is a residential project in the northern suburbs of Athens for a family of three.

The house is a conscious exercise in developing an alternative domestic environment to the surrounding villas of this suburban neighborhood.
The main request of our clients was that the common areas can host simultaneous functions so that the family can be in the same space but also potentially isolate themselves if they wish. Equally for the bedroom areas, the objective remained that all rooms were closed to each other, without having visual connection between them or shared balconies. The organizational strategy for the house sought to create an introverted feel without sacrificing a rich experiential lifestyle. The clients' desire for a luxury residence was translated by us into an investment in natural materials with such treatment that would enrich the architectural result with unique elements of craftsmanship.

The main request of our clients was the creation of a family home that would combine practicality at the functional level together with a minimal but also luxurious aesthetic effect. Another parameter was that the common areas can host simultaneous functions so that the family can be in the same space but also potentially isolate themselves if they wish.

Keeping the above in mind, strategically we placed externally two long parallel walls- resembling horse blinders- in order to provide visual protection from the neighboring houses. Internally, a third parallel wall, a double-sided storage wall dominates the interior and it encloses the elevator, cupboards, mini bar, sliding doors to the kitchen and the entrance closet. These three imposing solid walls provide a contrast to the lightweight transparency that clads the rest of the enclosure.
Between the perforated panels, a giant entrance door plays with the sense of scale of the facade and invites visitors towards the spiral metal staircase, another reference point of the residence.

What became a challenge for us from the very beginning was how we could ensure natural lighting throughout the length of the building without sacrificing the much desired privacy. The very narrow plot and the adjacent buildings at a very short distance, forced our residence to stick to the boundaries of the plot and the openings on the side elevations of the building were limited if not none, as far as the south side concerns.
Externally, two large parallel walls, acting as horse-blinkers, define the basic shell of the residence. However, the aforementioned transparency had to also ensure the privacy of the residents from the side of the public road and the surrounding buildings.
A key starting point was the laser-cut metal facade that spans the front windows and provides the necessary level of privacy. Designed entirely in grasshopper, the degrading scale of the geometric perforations allows a translucent reading of the building that varies under varying light conditions, while day and night, inside and out. The construction of it was quite demanding, as we wanted to create operable panels that act like shutters, but also create a scaleless decorative façade without giving away that they are just framed panels. Equally, the whole glass façade, we wanted to be as elaborative as possible, where no one can read which windows are operable and which are fixed.
Another strategically point for bringing enough light and cross ventilation, in a discreet manner, was the placement of an atrium on the upper floor where all the bedrooms are. This patio, acts as another gathering point for the family, something like a secret private "backyard" for the children's play.

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Casa Magda

Athens, Greece

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Product Spec Sheet

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Casa Magda

Athens, Greece

Other Projects by Kokosalaki | Architecture

Ticketmaster Headquarters Greece

Askianos

Aliveri Summer House

Casa Magda

Athens, Greece

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team