The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior PhotographyThe Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography, WindowsThe Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Countertop, ChairThe Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, WindowsThe Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - More Images+ 33

Kalamata, Greece
  • Architecture Design And Construction: M. Gonzalez
  • Architecture And Interior Design: Α. Bairaktari
  • Construction: Α. Tsoka
  • City: Kalamata
  • Country: Greece
More SpecsLess Specs
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

Text description provided by the architects. The building is located in Kalamata, Messenia, Greece, inside an extensive olive grove, which is a pocket of nature enclosed within a rapidly growing part of the urban fabric. The street front is treated with a hard limit, acting as a visual barrier to the interior, moving from the city to the domestic, natural environment.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography
© Panagiotis Voumvakis
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

All service areas were lined along this limit, and their northern orientation proved beneficial to the passive building requirements. In this framework, the main living areas enjoy the southern orientation from large openings, supported by necessary eaves which regulate incoming solar radiation according to the seasonal requirements of the Greek climate.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Countertop, Chair
© Panagiotis Voumvakis
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

The geometric structure of the building features three irregular horizontal zones. The base, containing the basement, the outdoor spaces, and the swimming pool, appears like a geological formation of rough, untreated stone, becoming a socle to support the consecutive levels of the building. The middle level, on the ground floor, is shaped into an extensive, off-white volume with characteristic openings which evoke a typical house by means of their morphology; the latter, however, is subverted by functional voids contained within.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography
© Panagiotis Voumvakis
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Image 35 of 38
Plan - Ground floor

Ultimately, the crowning of the building is materialized in a perforated veil, embracing the private spaces of the house on the upper level like a nest (nidus), perched upon the hard building volumes. The domestic functions are distributed on the three levels as follows: Service uses in the basement, including a cinema room, playroom, utility room, and storage; semi-public uses on the ground floor, which accommodates the living areas and the guest house.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

Finally, private rooms on the upper level, with bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry, and bedroom balconies enjoying the view over a lush green area with the castle of Kalamata in the background. Living areas are arranged in an open plan and the different uses are demarcated with a change in the floor material, or with freestanding separating volumes, like the centrally positioned fireplace and the kitchen island.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Windows, Chair
© Panagiotis Voumvakis
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Image 37 of 38
Plan - First floor
The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Chair, Bed, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

Volumetrically, a game of wooden volumes against the white socle contains functional spaces like the guest WC, wardrobe, and high kitchen cabinets. The motif of "branches" is encountered throughout, as a reference to nature and to the nest, creating a marker of identity and an integrated aesthetic along spaces with a different functions. Oversize openings enhance contact with the environment and have a beneficial impact on the house’s interior climate, providing heat during the winter months, and keeping out solar radiation during the summer, when the sun is at a higher level, with the aid of adequately dimensioned eaves and balconies.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Chair, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

Combined with proper insulation and an air-tight envelope, energy waste between indoor and outdoor spaces is eliminated, and comfort, at once visual, thermal, and functional, is achieved, contributing to the feel of a nest in its non-visual aspects.

The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Panagiotis Voumvakis

Project gallery

See allShow less
About this office
Cite: "The Nidus Passive House / Gonzalez - Malama Architects" 09 Jul 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/984957/the-nidus-passive-house-gonzalez-malama-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.