The story of this project begins with the clients’ wish to add two new houses to their home while leaving the original structure intact. Sounds simple, right? Except the existing building was sitting right in the middle of the plot, and the relentless building regulations left no choice but to attach the new volumes directly to it. Ultimately, two key elements shaped our proposal: scale—one of architecture’s fundamental concerns—and a thick bush standing at the center of the site.

The original house was a single-storey rectangular volume of just 37 m² with two pergolas, front and back, and a small sea-view terrace: quite possibly the smallest and humblest house in Antiparos. Its modest scale and simplicity felt so refreshing, especially in contrast to the island’s expanding landscape of luxury villas, that we felt we had to preserve them at all costs. The same applied to the bush. So, the two new houses were broken down into four small volumes with shaded courtyards between them. They were placed around the original in a “five-on-a-dice” layout, allowing both the house and the bush to remain untouched. Each new unit gained its own shaded sea-facing veranda and a carved-out rooftop seating. Many everyday functions spilled into the outdoors: sitting areas, dining spaces, showers and BBQs. One volume was angled slightly toward the west to enhance privacy for each residence. The small swimming pool that the clients requested, along with its outdoor area and the pathways leading to each house, neatly encircled the beloved bush—hence the project’s title. The remaining plot was preserved as-is, with soil, cacti, and wild brambles. The configuration of courtyards and openings drew from traditional bioclimatic techniques, harnessing the north wind for natural cooling while offering protection from sun and strong meltemi winds throughout the day. The choice of materials followed the desire for simplicity and lightness, borrowing directly from the vernacular Cycladic architectural vocabulary: plastered walls, green wooden windows with blue frames, blue pergolas with reed screens, slate steps embedded in the wall, leading up to the rooftop, stone verandas, and low dry-stone walls. The main aim of the design was to create a carefree, unpretentious architecture, in keeping with the spirit of a vacation house.