The design began with a decision to preserve the existing stone perimeter wall that once enclosed the yard of the original building. Rather than remove it, the new home inhabits it — embedding the ground floor within its textured boundary and allowing the rough, timeworn stone to form both the enclosure and character of the lower level.

Above, a more understated first floor is expressed in smooth, earthy-toned concrete — a quiet counterpoint to the rugged base. This contrast, inspired by Mediterranean vernacular, that pays tribute to the client’s heritage, balances solidity and softness, grounding the home while lending it a sense of warmth and timelessness.

The house is composed of two volumes linked by a central courtyard, which becomes the heart of the scheme — pulling daylight deep into the plan, encouraging natural ventilation, and creating a moment of openness between the living spaces at the front and the bedrooms at the rear. Together, the interplay of materials, light, and spatial rhythm transforms a once modest backyard plot into a private sanctuary.