The Mediterranean villa opened along its entire length to infinite views

Fishing, coastal, and tourist resort Tolo is located in the Peloponnese mountains, approximately 10 km southeast of Greece's historically first capital, Nafplia. The plot of Villa NafplioBlu is situated on a slope above the town, surrounded by an olive grove. This picturesque location, open towards the coast, offers magnificent panoramic views of the Argolic Gulf and the nearby islets of Plateia, Psili, and Spetses.

The concept emphasizes establishing a "dialogue" between the building and its surroundings

The location of Villa NafplioBlu gains even more significance when combined with the stylistic concept developed by Katerina Valsamaki Architects (you can read more about it in a separate interview). The architect places great emphasis on establishing a "dialogue" between the building and its surroundings, with the placement and surrounding nature of the plot in the town of Tolo allowing her to perfectly fulfill this goal. The villa is sensitively integrated into the slope, and some of its parts are even embedded directly into the rock. To provide the best possible view of the sea from all main spaces, the rectangular building is positioned perpendicular to the slope and transitions into open space - an elongated glazed facade faces the sea, and an outdoor pool runs parallel almost the entire length of the ground floor. It features a generously designed open living space with a dining area, allowing flexible choices between Mediterranean outdoor living and the transparent wall separating the outdoor area, depending on the current weather and the residents' needs.

Nine-meter wide Schüco ASS 50 sliding system without visible supports

The architect wanted to draw nature into the building, blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, and allow panoramic views throughout the year; thus, she designed a 9-meter glass wall oriented towards the sea, which was constructed from a sliding system Schüco ASS 50. Due to its excellent structural properties, it was possible to fill the entire facade facing the coast with just four sliding elements, each approximately 2.3 x 2.9 m in size. Alotek SA, a partner company of Schüco from the city of Lamia, constructed the four-part system barrier-free using guide rails embedded in the floor, with each element moving along its own rail the entire length of the glazed wall. Thus, all four parts can "park" aligned behind each other without disrupting the view from the living spaces. This creates a 9 x 2.9 m opening without any visible supports.

The foundation of the concept is panoramic views

The panoramic view of the landscape as a fundamental architectural theme of the entire building also plays a key role in the upper floor, which is slightly set back from the ground floor and houses two additional bedrooms and bathrooms. In the master bedroom, the views of the surrounding nature and the sea are provided by two-part sliding systems Schüco ASS 50Schüco AWS 70 BS.HI. In the ground floor bathroom, there is a tilt-and-turn window reaching the full height of the room (also Schüco AWS 70 BS.HI) that allows residents to admire the neighboring olive grove or step outside directly into nature.

Purist materials help integrate the building into the surrounding landscape

Aluminum window, door, and sliding systems from Schüco were chosen not only for their elegant design but also for their high functionality and requirements for year-round energy savings. Additionally, according to the architect, aluminum systems represent the best solution for long-term care and maintenance, especially considering the location of the building near the coast – the materials of the frames and all other exposed elements are subject to increased stress from high doses of UV radiation and corrosive environments.

The choice of materials throughout Villa NafplioBlu was guided by requirements for minimal maintenance needs, long lifespan, and understated elegance. Stone elements of the facade, which combine local stone, white plaster, natural stone tiles, and surfaces made from natural wood, are low-maintenance while helping to integrate the building into the surrounding landscape.


Project Name: Villa NafplioBlu, Tolo (Greece) Manufacturer of aluminum elements: Alotek AE, Lamia (Greece)
Completion: 2018

Schüco systems used in this project:
Sliding systems: Schüco ASS 50
Fixed and tilt-and-turn window: AWS 70 BS.HI
Entrance doors: Schüco ADS 65.HD
Special elements:

• sliding system Schüco ASS 50 measuring 9050 x 2920 mm, composed of four elements with their own guide rails
• granite-colored profiles with a sanded appearance "Gris 2900 Sable"
• insulating glass fillings with shading treatment

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Interview with Katerina Valsamaki from the Athens studio Katerina Valsamaki Architects

What elements typical of your architectural studio's projects can we see in the Villa NafplioBlu project?
Katerina Valsamaki: Individual projects and our overall architectural style stem from these basic principles:
1. Proper placement of the building in the landscape.
2. Simplicity of style.
3. Connection between interior and exterior.
4. Strategically placed glazing areas that allow residents to fully enjoy the surrounding nature.
5. Choice of materials that reflect the minimalism and purism of architecture while requiring minimal maintenance.
For this specific building, we used locally occurring stone, light plaster, and aluminum window and door systems.

How do the glazed window, door, and sliding systems from Schüco fit into the concept of Villa NafplioBlu?
Katerina Valsamaki: Large glazed surfaces highlight certain interesting elements of the surrounding landscape. The full-height sliding systems go even further - they blur the boundaries between interior and exterior and enhance the feeling of open space even when closed, as they offer distant views.

What technical reasons led you to select this system?
Katerina Valsamaki: The currently available high-quality aluminum window systems feature impressively thin, elegant, and almost completely hidden frame profiles, even in the case of large-format glass fillings and wide construction openings. This allows us to afford a high degree of creative freedom and flexibility in our projects. Additionally, all technical requirements can be individually configured and implemented at various levels – whether concerning thermal insulation, security, or operational comfort and automation. Long-term low maintenance is also an important aspect. For buildings located near the coast, high-quality aluminum frame structures are the best choice, as they can withstand increased stress from wind, sun, and corrosion.

Your studio specializes, among other things, in the construction of luxury private residences. What aspects are particularly important for these demanding clients?
Katerina Valsamaki: Quality and sustainability are equally important in design and construction. When it comes to room layouts, clients prefer large open spaces that flow seamlessly into one another and allow flexible use of rooms. This is accompanied by clean lines and practical, durable, and low-maintenance materials. Large windows and glazed doors also rank high on the list of client requests. Furthermore, the building must be optimally placed in the surrounding landscape and initiate a certain dialogue with its environment through its visual presentation and the materials used.

Modern building management systems are increasingly being used today. Operational, security, and monitoring systems for smart homes are as important as construction and technical measures that help achieve even greater energy efficiency for the building. Our task is to cleverly and discreetly incorporate all these diverse aspects into the project and conceptually and visually connect them together.