Waterfall Villa

Design Team 
Aria Lironi (Lead Architect), Konstantina Mpoumpoulaki

The project concerns the development of a 650m² residence in Hersonissos, Heraklion. The residence is comprised of the ground floor and the basement which is partially caved. The main living areas (kitchen, WC, living room) can be found on the ground floor alongside the master bedroom and the master bathroom. In the outdoor area of the ground floor there’s a parking space, a basketball court, swimming pools, a large barbeque area with a dining table capable of seating large groups, and an outdoor lounge. Part of the deck hangs over the outdoor space of the floor below, making the user feel like they’re floating. In addition, a waterfall connects the ground floor pool with the one that can be found on the floor below. This part of the design is very powerful as the floating feeling of the deck in conjunction with the unobstructed view enjoyed by the user, the water elements all around them and the plants, it creates ideal relaxing conditions. From the ground floor level, we can descend into the basement via the staircase or the glass elevator. The pergolas complete the design of the ground floor and create an imagined boundary around the villa.

The basement hosts secondary use spaces like storage rooms, a laundry room, and a bathroom featuring a cour anglaise in order to ensure natural lighting and ventilation. The basement and the caved section of the building communicate via a corridor, and the ground floor connects to the caved section through an outdoor staircase. In the caved section, there are 4 bedrooms and their respective bathrooms. In the outdoor area of the bottom floor, there’s a second pool with a deck and a lounge. This is the level where the waterfall lands and looking up, the user can admire it in its full height. Next to this outdoor area, we’ve designed an area for children’s activities including green areas. The space surrounding the building is landscaped with low vegetation and trees, and the whole lot is bounded by a stone wall.

The utilization of different levels throughout the residence allows for a smooth incorporation of the building within the natural slope of the lot. The materials used are largely local and natural, such as Milatos stone and wood, contributing to the integration of the building into its natural surroundings. Additionally, throughout all stages of the design we’ve tried to minimize the building’s energy consumption by utilizing strategies such as installing solar panels for energy generation, using highly energy efficient glass panels and more.