‘Ionian Gems’ Villas – Lefkada Island

Construction of two houses with swimming pools, a two-storey maisonette and a ground floor house at the location “Rachi-Odigitria” on the Provincial Road (Eparhiaki Odos) Lefkada – Sfakiotes outside the settlement of Apolpena in Lefkada.

The architectural design of the buildings and the courtyard is characterized as modern and minimal. The land plot has a slope of more than 20% and for this reason the maisonette was placed at a higher level than the ground floor house in order to ensure unobstructed views of both houses to the northeast (with a view of the Lefkada and the Sea). On this side the living rooms and the bedrooms are placed.

The wide openings with their glass partitions dominate in the living room, the dining room and the bedrooms giving the feeling that the houses are open to the landscape. In contrast, the main entrances are placed in the south-western part of them, facing ‘the green’ landscape of the adjacent olive trees. In the patio area, the pools are constructed in a “Gamma (Γ) ” shape -directed northeast- towards the open landscape. The sense of ‘the water element’ is dominant even when someone is in the main interior of the houses.

Both villas were constructed with high quality materials. Particular emphasis has been given on ‘the energy behavior’ of the buildings, modern insulation methods have been followed, a central heat pump unit has been installed, while special care was taken to make use of renewable energy sources (Solar panels) for electricity generation. In addition, the villas hot water needs are covered by solar panels, in order to save energy additionally.