This summerhouse is located in the outskirts of Marathon, a city near Athens, next to the spot that ‘The Battle of Marathon’ took place in 490BC, and features a perfectly symmetrical design, inspired by the ‘Π’ layout of the Greek army that led to that historic victory. This symmetry extends to the surrounding field as well, and the flat site is treated in whole as a perfect “Battlefield” of symmetry, order and mirroring. It comprises two main elements, the house and the garden. Each offers very different functions but in a coherent way that completes and enhances the connection between the exterior and interior. The house has two mirrored entrance points – one public and one private – that lead to two respective sections. In the center lies a double height living room with a clear view to the pool. The upper floor comprises four bedrooms, two in each section. There are two main materials used for the exterior of the house; long, perpendicular, rough stones in the ground floor, and grayish plaster in the top floor. The garden is developed as an extension of the ground floor, using the stonewall as a repetitive element that creates fields of different activities and cultivation. It houses a pool, a BBQ, seating areas, tree & flower fields. Overall, the flat field allowed the architects to extend symmetrically and in parallel outdoor spaces of equal importance to the indoor ones, strategically forming a ‘Battlefield’ of living.
Battlefield by VOIS Architects
