Residence in Konia - A Condition of Symbiosis. Topography, Construction and Dwelling

Set on two staggered levels along the existing landscape, the house slides gently into the slope, minimizing visual dominance and preserving nature. The ground floor hosts communal areas linked to a central courtyard and gardens, while the first floor accommodates more private spaces. The palette of exposed concrete, natural stone, and timber harmonizes with the landscape, while planted roofs extend the topography. The design fosters continuity between architecture, climate, and lifestyle, ultimately functioning as a living system that adapts and evolves with its surroundings and inhabitants

The project responds to sloped terrain, local climate, and preservation of memory, centered on a centenarian Tremithia tree. Commissioned by a family of four seeking a minimalistic home where nature and landscape are central, the residence sits in a suburban area of Konia, surrounded by neighboring homes. Volumes are embedded into the hillside, creating thresholds and subtle level changes that guide visitors from exterior to interior, while maintaining privacy. The ground floor hosts communal areas connected to the courtyard and gardens, while the first floor accommodates bedrooms and private spaces with folding wooden panels for sun, shade, visibility and privacy. Spatial gradients of light, privacy, and materiality shape the experience. The design balances permanence, adaptability, and scale, blending the house into its context and fostering a symbiotic relationship with land, climate, and inhabitant.

Exposed reinforced concrete, local natural stone and timber form a durable, low-maintenance palette. A cast-in-place RC frame with shear walls and insulated double-layered envelopes delivers clear load paths, thermal inertia and controlled thermal bridges. Planted roofs and the central courtyard moderate microclimate, slow stormwater and support biodiversity; deep reveals, external shading and cross-ventilation reduce cooling demand. Maintenance demand is inherently low: robust exposed finishes, ventilated timber sections designed to weather uniformly, minimized applied coatings, and well-detailed drip edges, gaskets and drainage paths limit wear and interventions over time, lowering life-cycle cost.