‘Standing in such a steep plot we could easily predict that this house would have an impressive view. What wasn’t foreseen was the way that this view would define the house itself,’ the architects at Mplusm begin, talking about their latest project, Reflection House, an Athens villa in the suburb of Politia. The project, commissioned on a steeply angled, verdant site overlooks the city and was developed as a sculptural object to frame the views – while making for a comfortable and contemporary family home too.
An elevated platform contains the ground level and accommodates a large balcony, plants, the living room, dining room, kitchen and a pool. The vistas feel endless and the house’s reflections and the play of light bouncing off the water, glass and polished surfaces make for an ethereal atmosphere, bringing to mind the iconic modernist homes of Los Angeles.
The team at Mplusm, headed by founders Memos Filippidis and Marita Nikoloutsou, worked hard to ensure there is the absolute minimum number of columns in the house, which features a 16m span roof, yet feels expansive and flowing inside, not a pillar in sight – a nod to the generosity and drama of large, natural caves or aeroplane hangars. ‘What’s actually happening is that all the support of the roof is hidden overhead in large metal beams that span between the side walls, above the false ceiling,’ the architects explain.
The material composition inside and out played a key role in the overall effect and this Athens villa’s identity. Instead of the studio’s more typical use of wood and grey tones, Mplusm here chose to work with glossier finishes that embrace the region’s abundant natural light to enhance the architecture. Swathes of glass are matched by soft green lacquers on the wood, painted metal of doors, and gleaming black marble.
‘It is true that we often seek in our works a sense of fluidity and transparency. By obtaining the form of a hangar as previously mentioned, this house became literally a frame for the view excluding all supports and obstacles,’ says the team. ‘The low sun of the west penetrates the whole ground floor and summarises daily, in practice, the permeability of the space, activating all the reflections from the water, the metal filter, the windows and the shiny surfaces of the carpentry.’
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