Island landscapes are threatened by mass tourism and uncontrolled, outrageous construction. Super-chic maximalist hotels and fashionable monumental bungalows encroach on the virgin lands, brazenly ignoring the folk architectural tradition: the simplicity of bare dry stone and one-room white plaster.

Tourist accommodation and holiday homes are now predominantly an area of ​​architectural creativity. Architecture, unable to provide the added value of our daily lives, cut off from such concepts as pleasure and relaxation, increases the surplus profits of the aggressive whirlwind of real estate and construction, contributing to a useless standard of living. To what extent has tourism changed the landscape and how responsible are architects? Are there alternative design models?

Thus began a discussion with Hiboux, an architectural group consisting of Dimitris Theodoropoulos, Marianna Xintarakis and Maria Tsigara, on the occasion of the best realized project award they received at the Structures Magazine Greek Architecture Awards 2022 for a very interesting residential complex in Meganisi . The “unknown” Meganisi is the largest island of the Lefkada Principality complex, between Lefkada and Etoloakarnia. “Tourism and landscape are linked in an oxymoron relationship in which what is simultaneously glorified is destroyed. The issue of scale has more to do with legislation, that is, with what can be desired, and not with the ability of designers to subordinate the desire of the client within the landscape. Uncontrolled development, formed “spontaneously” by the tourist market and its fluctuations, is disastrous (there has never been a way to preserve the rural landscape when we are building almost 200 square meters),” the architects say.

How to design an incomparable natural landscape overlooking the sea and how important is open space in country houses? The residential complex in Meganisi belongs to a couple of actors, members of the legendary British theater group. I mention this because their personal sensibility was a valuable conversationalist during development. The architects carefully “read” the landscape, respected the 42 olive trees and harmoniously built among the dry stones, using stone, wood and metal.

“The contractors have already given names to 42 olive trees, their personalities have come out and they have directly asked us not to cut any, not to damage any rocks, which has largely been achieved. The floor of the house is largely pre-existing soil, inside and out,” the architects tell K. And they add: “The existing dwelling tamed an uneven slope with dry stones, flattened pieces, rocks where one could rest the body, a hut where tools were stored, a fence for vegetables so that the sheep would not eat it. In this environment, planning for the summer means mainly managing warmth and sun protection. That is, how to expand the shade of the olive trees so that the indoor outdoor space can accommodate many people and activities. We are interested in soft intervention, how to make the slightest destruction, because architecture as a structure carries destruction within itself. We carried out minimal excavation, the trees were not destroyed, and their shadows were combined with artificial roof shadows.

The architects decided to break up the volumes of the composition using a microscale, similar to the landscape and the person. Square canopies made of canvas metal with sturdy V-shaped columns don’t seem to play well with the otherwise benign intervention in the environment – they seem to “float” gracefully on top of the building’s elegant vaulted volumes – nonetheless they are the main concept of the new residence in the existing landscape. The architects explain: “The parallelism with the slope of the earth and the materiality of the metal roof are reminiscent of a form often found in shepherd’s stables. The shelter maintains the same strict stump inside the site as does the cartographic, archaeological pit, or archaeological shelter. This level is planted from above, the soil returns and conquers the structure, as it eventually happens in the ruins, it “turns green”.

“Uncontrolled development, formed “spontaneously” by the tourism market and its fluctuations, is disastrous,” the architects say.

The collective residence consists of six vaulted stone recreation areas – guest rooms and a master bedroom – ranging from 25 to 30 sq.m. each, a “tower” with an office and a room, and between them there are many common areas. “We designed the design with the people who will be coming into the house as guests, for family reunions, holidays, theater rehearsals and yoga classes in mind. This gave rise to the complexity of spaces, the “village”. Weaving open and semi-open spaces with indoor spaces, as well as hosting events under shaded spaces. All well-ventilated spaces keep temperatures low in summer, while the rock masses offer cool “cave” conditions.

The domes and curves of the buildings are in “dialogue” with the forms of smaller “flowering” buildings, such as the voltos of Eglovi in ​​Lefkada and the mitats of Crete: small curvilinear stone rural buildings that were used as cheese. design of sites and temporary housing for travelers. Is there a way to preserve the diverse heritage of the island communities, combined with modern materials? “Our desire is reconciliation with the communities where the projects take us. Participate in a network of collaborations between local artisans and groups studying traditional techniques, material reuse and construction methods.”

The project also has a swimming pool. Are swimming pools necessary in landscapes so close to the sea? “On the pool issue, our contractors hesitated, sharing our opposing views. But as long as construction is an investment and as long as swimming pools are not banned a few kilometers from the sea, this issue will exist like a wound. Swimming pools should be public, in cities,” the architects say.

In 2017, Hiboux, together with the Berlin-based studio Genua, co-designed and hand-built a “barge” – an elevated wooden structure of semi-open living for a small agritourist community in Kefalonia, exploring new ways of temporary living in the countryside with zero environmental impact, investing in pause conditions and watching the horizon from above. “The barge is part of a wider agritourism plan (as an alternative form of tourism). The design is controlled and shaped by the members at the same time as their agricultural work. The barge is an example of minimal housing. We recently designed a beekeeping workshop.” The architects suggest reusing existing buildings instead of building new ones, or finding alternative ways of temporary installation if the architectural composition concerns country houses that are occupied several days a year. “The countryside needs year-round facilities, not just seasonal ones.”

When asked if architecture can become more social, political and ecological, they answer: “Only if it can influence, through its collective bodies or other collective actions, decisions at the level of central planning and political, legislative decisions. The language of architecture in terms of forms is similar to the word superstructure. The grid of rules is more important.” Working together, with each other, they mastered the “collective mind”. “The rebound of thought and the expulsion of natural frequencies redirect thought, giving multiplicity and complexity. Our core principle is observation from the ground up, as defined by permaculture. The time you spend communicating with objects and developing solutions that are suitable for a particular case. This interaction time also leaves room for crash integration. We like randomness as a design condition. And historicity, the “spirit of the place”, the rethinking of existing things.