In Petralona, a neighbourhood on the south of the Acropolis, there is a unique quarter with six rows of lined-up identical houses, constructed by the Greek state in 1953 to accommodate Asia Minor refugees and internal migrants. Each house is made of stone and cement, bears a tiled-roof on a cement slab and has an L-shaped yard. It looks like they compose a small village in the heart of Athens. Our team was assigned to fully renovate one of those houses to host a young 3-member family.

Petralona is a vivid neighborhood that has managed to maintain its historical character. Given that, we have tried to combine the original formal characteristics of the building with some necessary interventions and adjustments, taking into account the desire of the clients to embody the rural element of the area to their house.

As far as the interior space is concerned, we have kept the original allocation of the rooms, but we redesigned the living room, the dining area and the kitchen as a continuous space with a vast opening, where a pergola is installed as an expansion of the interior space to offer a smooth transition from inside to outside and sun protection.

The yard offers a lively dining area under the wooden pergola and enough space for plants and toddler’s toys. A new metal staircase connects the yard with the roof terrace. Α part of the roof is turned into a small terrace, equipped with a kitchenette, barbeque and a dining area. Up there the family and their guests can enjoy the panoramic view of western Athens.