Home Set In a Cliff - Home Design Sydney

What do you get when you mix incredible vision with great execution? What do you get when you add a concrete ‘beauty spot’ to the face of nature, the cliff, and the Aegean Sea? “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind” and it is called the Casa Brutale.

A Greek house built right into a cliff! Yes, this is exactly what Casa is. No one can blame you for believing it to be a figment of fantasy and not a real piece of architecture. I am sure your curiosity is piqued by now. Get ready for a roller coaster ahead.

The idea behind Casa Brutale

Let us start with the idea itself. The great architectural desire to tempt the natural elements; the wish to claim a part of a mountain cliff as our home is inherent in us. What better Infinity pool than the Aegean Sea itself! From an architectural or a designing standpoint, a great challenge by all means: creating something which shuts you off from the human race and opens you to the unending vision of sea and sky.

Design execution of Casa Brutale

And now for the execution. Designed by OPA, Holland-and Rhodes- based architects, Casa Brutale is the victory of human mind. It is a tribute to what strong engineering principle, great understanding of form and structure, deep knowledge of function and aesthetics and subtle use of materials can achieve. It can achieve hell of a lot!

Swimming pool with a glazed bottom

This incredible home has many jaw-dropping dimensions. It all starts with the roof which is none other than a swimming pool worked out in glazed bottom. It stretches seamlessly into the Aegean Sea along the line of vision. Set in reinforced glass, the pool beautifully uses the walls on each side to create interplay of shadow and light. The architects have spent a lot of time on detail and it is evident in the use of materials like red aged wood and black-coated steel around the pool area.

A glimpse into the history which inspired the design

Let us go back into history a little. It will help us shed light on the vision of the head architects Pantelis Kampouropoulos and Laertis- Antonios Ando Vassiliou. There is an architectural movement called Brutalism. It is a French term for ‘raw’. This movement aims for ruggedness of design; use of concrete and wood in a way which can achieve ‘lightness’ of spirit. When you add the concept of Greek Vernacular Architecture to the recipe, it is not hard to understand where the architects digged into.

Thermal insulation

This beautiful scar on the cliff’s face is the last word on thermal insulation and man-environment fit. The whole project is created keeping eco-friendliness in mind and the design is homeostatic in nature. In other words, it is a closed system which maintains its internal balance irrespective of the changes outside.

Great job! Kudos!

Deep interaction between home designers and homeowners is crucial

What cannot be achieved if designers worthy of their names are given a free hand to execute your vision their way? Home renovations and home extensions are not about providing a large envelope full of currency. It is about entering into a deep interaction with your home designers. It is about letting them know that you trust them enough to take up your dream projects. Casa Brutale may become one of the pioneers in the line of many more innovative homes to come.

We shape our homes and then they shape us

Homes are our cocoons. We shape them and then they shape us. They leave a mark on our senses. These cocoons shelter us from the ravages of time and external surroundings. We owe them a good construction, at the very least.

Such homes point towards a passion for life, its celebration

The oyster of modern architecture is giving us some really beautiful home designing pearls. Take Residence BO (Ukraine) for example. It deserves all the recognition that comes its way. Inspired by the style of Tuscan villas, it is built with an eye towards organic lines, arched windows and rocky walls. Its splendour matches that of any modern castle.

Add to it the fact that the abode throws a beautiful reflection in the neighbouring waters. Now imagine: What passion for life precedes the construction of such homes? What great, deep desire to achieve the improbable?

Casa Brutale gives us the license to dream

Thankfully, we live in times when it is quite possible and even practicable to execute your vision or most loved dream into concrete. Reputed home designers can play with the concept of “form follows function” and can even invert it, giving aesthetics precedence over utility. To put things in a nutshell, nothing that you envision can’t be attained. Casa Brutale is like a priceless dream and we have just got the licence to keep dreaming.

Home designers are ready for every possible modern concept

Home designers are raising their tethers constantly.They are adopting principles of homeostatic design, employing concepts of energy-efficiency, green and eco-friendly values and avant garde styles of thermal insulation. They are prepared to give your home a beautiful and in-sync-with-the-times look. Masterpieces of functionality and aesthetics!

Let me coin an acronym, UUI. It will stand for unbelievably uber innovation. What, in my view, the Casa Brutale perfectly stands for. Here is raising a toast to the idea!