The project is located along the southern coast of the Regional Unit of Chania in Crete, with the White Mountains rising to the north and the Libyan Sea extending to the south. As the mountains descend towards the coastline, they fragment into rocky gorges and dry gullies. One such gully crosses the site, eventually joining a larger formation that leads to a secluded beach.

This topography suggested an architectural approach rooted in the idea of the precipice and the spatial logic of the gully.

The climate of southern Crete—hot and arid—defines a sparse landscape of thyme, oregano, and low shrubs. Interwoven with this terrain is a cultivated grid of olive trees, some of which extend into the site and are preserved as part of the proposal.

The site already carried a strong identity: a dry terrain articulated by fractured lines. The building programme introduces four independent 45 m² suites, each with a private courtyard. The key requirement was to ensure privacy while maintaining unobstructed views of both the sea and the surrounding landscape.

The proposal is organised as four new “valleys”, carved into the ground along the natural contours. Each valley culminates in the courtyard of a suite. The olive tree grid is largely maintained, reinforcing continuity with the existing landscape.

The northern escarpments of these constructed valleys form the main façades, while the southern edges define and support the outdoor living spaces, sustaining the ground around them. Each suite is embedded within the terrain and visually separated from the next, allowing views only towards the adjacent landscape, above the preceding unit, and across the gully—framing both the sea and the rocky formations.

The material palette is restrained and precise. White surfaces trace the ridgelines of the valleys, marking façades and retaining walls. A stone-paved pathway connects the entrance to the adjacent hotel, with the same material rising vertically to retain the ground. Locally sourced stone blends with the surrounding terrain and recalls traditional enclosures.

Polished concrete, predominantly white, is used for the remaining hard landscaping, creating a continuous ground plane. Extensive glazing dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior.

Inside, a continuous microcement finish extends from floors to walls, reinforcing spatial continuity. Fixed furnishings are integrated into this surface, appearing as extensions of the ground. The interiors remain minimal yet refined, complemented by carefully detailed wooden elements in surfaces, frames, ceilings, and lighting.

The project offers a contemporary, minimal living environment, shaped as an extension of the landscape rather than an imposition upon it.