Afiartis, situated in the southern part of Karpathos, is renowned as one of the best and most appropriate locations in Greece for windsurfing. The six houses were designed with utmost consideration for the topography of the plot and the wider area of Afiartis. Rammed earth, in combination with colored, bush-hammered concrete, wooden pergolas, and planted roofs, lend the houses an appearance of emerging from the ground. Natural building is an approach to construction that employs natural, local, carefully selected, or even recycled materials, as well as simple tools and techniques. The technique compresses layers of earth in a way that acquires the structural properties of concrete, resulting in walls with the same color of the earth that provide excellent thermal insulation.
The houses’ orientation protects them from the area’s strong winds and provides a unique view of the island of Kasos and the coastline, where the sails of athletes appear to blend harmoniously with the waves. The walls maintain privacy between the houses, while the recesses offer view to the entire surrounding area. The building volumes follow the topography, creating differences in height between them, depending on the plot’s slope. The seaside courtyards accommodate pools, pergolas, and spacious sitting areas, allowing the user to enjoy the mild Mediterranean climate while being protected from inclement weather. The backside’s clay perforated partitions (“clostra”) conceal the buildings’ mechanical equipment and create spaces for storing sails. All residences have integrated parking spaces that align with the overall design philosophy.