A landscape within the landscape

The property developer had a triangular-shaped plot of land hugging a hillside on the island’s mountainous west coast. The aim was to make ambitious use of the space and achieve the best possible configuration for every unit in terms of orientation, privacy, and ocean views. This, of course, while offering the utmost in comfort and attractive architecture. The project resembled a three-dimensional puzzle, but one that could be solved. It ultimately gave rise to a terraced landscape comprised of 38 semi-detached homes and three detached homes. Each unit comes with a pool of its own, in addition to the large pool shared by all residents and a spacious sun terrace. All the structures are flat, and mostly built into the existing topography. As a result, no building blocks another’s view of the deep blue waters of the bay, and the flat, plant-covered roofs create a pleasantly natural impression.

The steep terrain actually helped lend the development one of its characteristic design features, with natural stone walls typical of the region dominating the scene. In part, they obscure the lower floors of the buildings, making them seem like slender white single-storey homes protruding from a stony landscape. The winding paths through the grounds leading from the houses to the shared facilities are also made of natural stone. The second striking design highlight is the slat-like sun shades on all the building facades facing the sea. These slender, light-coloured constructions can be divided, folded in the middle, and pushed up into any position. This allows them to be individually adjusted for privacy and sun shading – while also giving the development a vibrant look.

The dimensions of the interiors alone are generous: the smallest of the 41 homes still provides more than 240 m² of living space, while the largest boasts around 370 m² – without including the basement, terrace and pool. All floor plans are oriented to exploit the ocean view, and open spaces offer a contemporary quality of life and consistent design. The slat motif – transformed into the vertical – also permeates the interiors, for example in the form of room dividers that provide a visual screen while playing with the light that they admit. Partly concealed, partly a prominent feature, a smart Gira KNX system ensures ultimate convenience. A Gira X1 server forms the intelligent centrepiece of the Gira KNX system. Gira G1 multitouch displays in combination with the Gira pushbutton sensor 3 for KNX, as well as switches and socket outlets from the Gira E3 design line, are used to operate the smart building technology. Under the name ‘New Folies’, the development has already been awarded the ‘Architecture Masterprize’ in the Residential Multi Unit category.