Santorini Island retreat by Kapsimalis Architects features rooftop and underground pools

Outside, a set of steps rises from the courtyard and splits at a landing, turning in one direction towards a sun deck and swimming pool on top of the kitchen, and in the opposite direction to the first floor bedroom. The dining space is minimally dressed with white furniture and is bracketed by two large glass doors. A bedside table and bench are carved into the platform, while rounded alcoves in the bedroom wall are used as wardrobes and for a bathroom sink. «The connection between indoor and outdoor is achieved through the fact that the walls and the floor inside the house displays the same material as the exterior surfaces, finished in a local technique of white cement mortar,» Alexandros Kapsimalis told Dezeen. Here, the bed is positioned on a platform level with a large window to take advantage of sea views. The architects added two terraces and large windows to foster better connections between interior and exterior spaces. Alexandros and Marianna Kapsimali converted a small property on the cliffside town of Fira, on the volcanic island of Santorini, Greece, to create the two-bedroom holiday home. In the ground floor bedroom, an archway positioned like a headboard behind the bed frames a view of an indoor swimming pool. The pool is sunken into the floor of a turquoise-lit room with a low vaulted ceiling that gives the space a cave-like appearance. The white mortar building is arranged over two storeys, with a lower-level bedroom, bathroom and swimming pool sunken partially into the rockface and a further bedroom on the floor above. «The main intention of the project was the design of large openings, as much as possible, in order to offer a panoramic view, sunlight and a direct relation between interior and exterior spaces,» said the architects. Pale orange triangular awnings, contrasting the stark white facades of surrounding housing, are hung over the doorways to screen the terraces and glazing from the sun. One set of doors provides views and access to a terrace overlooking the sea, while the other leads to a courtyard and to the ground and upstairs bedrooms. A wide arched recess in the wall of the living area encloses a kitchen sink, while the oven and fridge are hidden in alcoves to either side.