Vacation Architecture in Nonseasonal Places – Europe
This past year, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many parts of Southern Europe in my free time. The entire process of planning a trip, choosing accommodation and later on enjoying the home and the surroundings together with your loved ones is probably the single most reinvigorating activity one can have. I became obsessed with vacation architecture.
The way the houses interact with the natural setting and the historical context is unique and impossible to reproduce. The more I looked into the details, the more the phenomenon of vacation architecture fascinated me. So I decided to write a book about it.
Order the book here.
About The Series
This book studies Vacation Architecture, specifically in nonseasonal places. I chose this particular type of architecture to study because, for me, it’s the best kind of housing. Vacation homes are designed to be enjoyed, not just used. They are a perfect mix between universal comfort and local heritage. Moreover, nonseasonal places, such as the Tropics, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean coast, can lend themselves as architecture laboratories in which designers can experiment the distinction between indoors and outdoors. As time spent outside expands, so does the outdoor buffer between interior and exterior. And that’s where the magic happens.
Architect and author Christopher Alexander mentions that the quality without a name is something that exists in buildings everywhere in the world, regardless of natural setting, historical context or style. The unquestionable beauty of these buildings is related to something that exists in all of us. A resolution of an inner conflict. An integration that lays dormant within us and needs to be awakened. The quality without a name is what makes places come alive. Places which are alive make us feel alive.
About This Volume
The nonseasonal places in this book are just a very small part of the entire World. They will be studied from West to East, starting in some islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.
Aside from the natural setting, history plays an important role in the cultural heritage of the studied homes, implicitly having an effect on the shape of the buildings. In relation to shape, specific regions will have specific spatial typologies and specific spatial organization.
I know, these words sound pretentious.
In fact, they are very simple concepts which will be explained at the beginning of the book and used as design tools to study and reverse engineer the examples of architecture. At the end of each chapter, you will have a few key takeaways which you can implement into your own homes or projects, whether you are a professional or just really passionate about architecture.
To put it simply, the main chapters will be organized by region. Each region for each region we will discuss:
- Natural setting
- Historical context
- General design solution for homes
- Contemporary interpretations
- Key takeaways
End Goal
The point of the series on Vacation Architecture is to further refine anyone’s perception on vacation architecture. Ideally, by the end of it, you will have a set of design tools that you can use either in your own home, or your rental, or a home you’re trying to rent out, or a project you’re doing for a client or a friend, or even your ideal bucket-list dream home. These tools will probably stick to you for the rest of your life. If not, at the very least, you’ll have an extra layer of enjoyment for your vacation settings.
Lastly, if you’d like, you can order the book as a hardcover artbook or an instant digital download.