The architectural design of the residences in Palio, Kavala involves a 3,560 m² trapezoidal plot that narrows as it approaches the sea. The terrain features a natural slope toward the coast, an element that dictated the distribution of the building volumes from the very beginning. The seafront location is considered highly privileged for Palio, Kavala, offering a rare vantage point that had to be capitalized on without being compromised by the scale of the development.
The combination of the view, the slope, and the shape of the plot, along with the number of residences that had to be accommodated, led to a layout consisting of three parallel zones facing the sea.
The design program called for eleven independent residences of varying sizes on the same plot, none of which were to obstruct the view or compromise the privacy of another. The slope of the terrain provided the solution: the residences were distributed across levels that follow the natural topography, ensuring that each unit maintains its own visual connection to the horizon, regardless of its position.
Architectural Design of Residences in Three Seaside Zones
The eleven residences are arranged in three zones parallel to the coastline, providing every unit with an unobstructed visual pathway to the horizon and achieving the best possible spatial relationship between the dwellings. The five largest residences are placed in the two lower zones, closer to the sea, following the exact same fundamental design principles. The remaining six residences are located on the highest level, at the boundary bordering the adjacent rear property. These are slightly differentiated morphologically from one another; their elevated position compensates for their distance from the coast, maintaining an open view over the lower residences.
Two of these six are smaller in size and feature an inverted standard interior layout: the main living areas are situated on the upper level rather than the ground floor to better utilize the height of their elevation. The other four are built in terraced pairs, yet they retain corresponding morphological elements, materials, and colors with the rest of the complex. This ensures the unity of the whole is not disrupted by their distinct position or layout.
This rationale—zoning that follows the terrain rather than flattening it—is repeated in other projects by the firm. Just as with the two-story residence in Palio, the starting point remains the plot itself, rather than a predetermined form imposed upon it.
Materials and Form of the Volumes
The design adopts simple rectangular volumes, which are subsequently enriched with horizontal and vertical elements that define or separate the individual sections of each residence. The materials to be used are glass, wood, metal, and natural stone, selected to withstand the seafront climate and enhance the modern aesthetic of the complex. Natural stone visually grounds the residences to the earth on which they rest; wood and metal define the horizontal and vertical elements that enrich the volumes, while glass opens the interior spaces to the view. This same principle governs the firm's design philosophy for every seafront project, where the human element, space, and their interaction remain the central pillars of the design.
Extensive outdoor space is planned around the eleven residences, featuring swimming pools and open-air seating areas that bring the residents into direct contact with the natural environment. The zoned layout ensures that the sea view remains unobstructed from every residence, regardless of its size or location on the plot. The project is currently under construction, with the design study having been completed in 2022.
The pools and outdoor spaces follow the same tiered logic as the residences, without disrupting the continuity of the landscape toward the sea. The result is a complex that, despite the differences in size and form among the eleven residences, maintains a cohesive identity in materials and design principles throughout the entire plot.
