House Symbiosis

House Symbiosis is a double residency, designed to accommodate two sibling families seeking to foster close bonds while preserving individual privacy. The house responds to the evolving demands of contemporary living, emphasizing familial bonds and offering a nuanced balance between communal and individual living. The primary challenge involved navigating the delicate equilibrium between privacy and socialization for the two families. Architectural experimentation with geometry, spatial orientation, facades and volumetric massing address this challenge. The project's emphasis on internal circulation drove the design process, adopting a sculptural tectonic approach reflected in the volumetric massing of the final structure. The resulting curvilinear formal language imparts a sense of dynamism and motion to the living spaces. The house is located at the rear of a corner plot, forming an L shape in plan, leaving the front part as open space. The site allowed for a maximum of 40% plot coverage from which only the 27% was built. Spatial organization is guided by internal horizontal and vertical circulation, with sequential layouts aligning spaces based on functional dependence. The residences, while appearing to move in opposite directions, share a continuous formal language within a single building mass. In terms of organization, the ground floor and southeast part of the first floor constitute one residence, while the northwest part of the first floor and the entire second floor belong to the other. Outdoor areas are allocated accordingly, with the garden and swimming pool assigned to the lower residence, and a green roof with panoramic views designated for the upper residence. These outdoor areas can also work as places for socialization for the two families. The volumetric displacement of facades generates balconies and cantilevers, strategically limiting visual contact between interiors and creating secluded outdoor spaces. A sculptural ribbon-like geometry on the front inner facade creates an impression of a moving structure. Sustainability is also a central aspect of the project. The building has an A+ classification in energy efficiency, which means that is an almost zero energy building. The project prioritizes sustainability by optimizing building orientation to maximize sunlight exposure. Its green roof in combination with the garden, accounting for 75% of the overall site coverage, reflects a commitment to environmentally conscious practices. The building utilizes renewable energy sources, incorporating geothermal energy for heating and cooling, along with photovoltaics to balance electricity consumption. The project has a profound social character through its distinctive architectural composition. Its unconventional spatial organization bringing together two families in close proximity and its design approach, while positioning social outdoor spaces on the heart of the project, addresses a series of questions in terms of architecture and human relationships. House Symbiosis distinguishes itself by introducing an architectural interplay between motion and static elements. It caters to the cultural context of Greek families desiring close proximity for their children while addressing the shifting paradigms of post-pandemic residential preferences. Its innovative design redefines the conventional understanding of a double residency, offering an architecture that harmonizes private and shared spaces, thereby fostering enduring connections.