icy white volume overlays stone-built 'snowfall house' in greece

Snowfall House by dotn stands in Kalavryta mountainous area

Athens-based Design Over The Norms (dotn) constructs ‘Snowfall house’, a vacation residence nestled in the mountainous area of Helmos in Kalavryta, Greece. Following a visual concept connected with the rocky typology of the region and the heavy snowfall that tends to cover the buildings, the design team develops two ground stone-built volumes in diagonal configuration overlaid by a third structure that remains white throughout the year, resembling the icy parts on the north slopes. The arrangement forms an open protected courtyard between the ground units. A palette of natural materials and earthy tones used throughout the design allows the structure to merge with its surroundings.

all images by Yiorgis Yerolymbos

the house avoids harmful interference with nature

Standing at 1200 m altitude close to Kalavryta ski center, the house covers a south-oriented plot with large openings allowing plentiful sunlight into the interior. The main structure consists of a linear volume accommodating the common living zones for four people and the master bedroom. The south facade expands towards the forest scenery providing open views and direct sunlight. The guest suite, adjusted as a second volume on the north, offers flexibility for two more users. This part of the complex protects the construction by shrinking and narrowing the north wind’s path. The volume of the upper floor vertically overlays the two ground units shaping an outdoor terrace between them. The covered courtyard functions all year long, shading and protecting both during summer and winter windy days and nights.

The use of natural textures such as wood and stone, the direct access to the soil without artificial transition, and the storage of vehicles in the basement of the house demonstrate the group’s eco-friendly approach. The interior displays a subtle design putting up earthy tones, wooden floor textures, and furniture, while the large openings allow sunlight distributed throughout the space.‘Our environmental ethos advised us to design a structure smoothly integrated into the landscape. Both, the building and its users co-exist peacefully with the physical environment as we try to avoid interfering with nature’, suggests the design team.

the visual concept connects with the rocky typology and the heavy snowfall that covers the buildings

the two ground stone-built volumes in diagonal configuration are overlaid by a third white structure

the material and texture palette merges the structure with its surroundings

the white volume of the upper floor vertically overlays the two ground units made of stone

the three units are stacked forming a covered open courtyard

the interior displays a subtle design putting up earthy tones, wooden floor textures

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project info:

name: Snowfall House
designer: Design Over The Norms (dotn) | @dotn.gr

location: Kalavryta, Greece

photography: Yiorgis Yerolymbos

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom