petal-like terraces open greek island residence by aristides dallas toward the aegean horizon

"On the sun-bleached island of Schinousa, Greece, Aristides Dallas Architects crafts Maison Cheval as a residence inseparable from the ground it inhabits. Conceived as a structure drawn out of the land, the project follows the undulating topography of the island with stone walls and sinuous paths that unfurl like ribbons across the hillside. Partially embedded into the terrain, the dwelling reinterprets Cycladic tradition through flowing curves, tactile materials, and a deep sensitivity to the rhythms of light, sea, and soil."

"The architects describe the project as emerging from the earth itself, its form guided by the natural contours of the landscape. Dry-stone walls rise and bend in response to the terrain in a sequence of intimate and open spaces. Concave gestures create sheltered living zones reminiscent of the island's coves, while convex terraces and pools extend outward like petals toward the horizon."

"The name Maison Cheval, French for 'Horse House', anchors the project in metaphor as much as material. The Greek architects imagined the residence as a creature of balance and grace, standing composed against the slopes, leaving only the faintest imprint on the earth. This image becomes a guiding principle in this composition as the building aims to move with the contours of the island and dissolve into its light."

Maison Cheval sits on Schinousa, Greece, partially embedded into the undulating hillside and following natural contours with dry-stone walls and sinuous paths. The form draws from Cycladic tradition through flowing curves, tactile materials, earth-toned palettes, and careful modulation of daylight. Concave volumes create sheltered living zones reminiscent of coves while convex terraces and pools extend toward the horizon. The composition aims for a light footprint, balancing on slopes like a creature of grace and dissolving into light. Curved stone walls and sculpted roofs cast alternating bands of shadow that mediate exposure and shelter between sea, soil, and interior.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine