The design of the AHK Villas was guided by principals designed to create climactically responsive architecture based on the design of an exterior shell employed to optimize sunlight, wind and air circulation. Each of the villas was placed on a north-south orientation maximizing the use of sunlight via this conjoined double curved shell built with a combination of structural steel, corrugated aluminum and wood cladding. The technical engineering challenge to build this unique shape as the primary structural and architectural feature of the project with local materials and builders was the project’s primary challenge. Complexity in the construction brief intended to localise the building materials yet create a universal design meant that the realisation of the shell was a key factor. The architecture of this shell that features carefully positioned openings to take advantage of natural daylight, increase privacy and also aid in cross ventilation to create a reduction in energy consumption levels. The form and exterior timber cladding has multiple functions as it regulates climatic conditions, defining the boundary of each unit and also allows for natural sun in the interior.

The structural shell clad in local pine and oak brings an element of nature and regionality to the design. The warm organic colors communicated a message of timelessness in the application of different textures, patterns and temperatures evoking the senses with a unique Mediterranean feeling. In this way the project skillfully combines modern living with an orientation towards nature, where the gardens and green spaces merge into the contemporary Mediterranean environment realised with a disciplined and sustainable approach to architecture and construction attuned to the location.