MOLD Carves Seven Courtyards Into Terracotta M Residence

Seven open-air courtyards puncture the flat roof of M Residence, a terracotta-colored square volume that MOLD Architects has completed on the Greek island of Serifos. From above, the house reads almost like a diagram: irregular openings in the roof reveal planted gardens and shaded passages inside a strict square perimeter. The site sits exposed in Lia, where the geometric silhouette stands against dry, rocky hills above the Aegean Sea.

Why did the project take fifteen years?

Architect Iliana Kerestetzi first developed the design in 2011, during the early years of her practice. It remained unbuilt for more than a decade. When new owners revived the scheme, Kerestetzi returned to the original drawings with a different perspective: the central concept stayed, the rooms opened more generously toward the courtyards, and the material palette grew warmer. Completed in 2026, the house retains the graphic strength of the original design with a more fluid interior layout. The project now spans fifteen years from first sketch to delivery.

Where does the form come from?

The exterior takes its cues from the enclosed architecture of Cycladic monasteries, whose solid walls shelter spaces within. The team combined this reference with the cubic buildings of traditional island settlements and the softer geometry of rural stone structures. The perimeter stays square. Inside, curved walls bend around the rooms and connect the sequence of seven courtyards, each opening establishing a different relationship with the landscape and pushing daylight deep into the plan.

Movement through the house alternates enclosed rooms with pockets of open sky. Some courtyards hold small gardens planted with grasses; others offer shaded seating with views toward the Aegean. Broad passages link the spaces beneath the continuous roof, whose irregular cutouts form curved edges overhead. The sea appears between walls, disappears around a corner, and returns through another opening.

How does the house meet the ground?

The exterior walls remain largely solid, interrupted by recessed windows and occasional perforated brick screens. The entire volume rests on a raised plinth, with a narrow shadow line separating the terracotta mass from the uneven terrain. A rectangular swimming pool extends beyond the building's footprint, introducing a long, straight edge against the roof's irregular geometry.

Inside, warm plaster in earthy pink tones covers walls and ceilings. Rounded corners soften transitions between spaces. Pale wood cabinetry changes the texture. The kitchen faces the water through a broad opening, and large sliding glass panels connect rooms to their neighboring courtyards. Bedrooms and bathrooms keep a close relationship with the terrain, framing glimpses of the sea.

Daylight performs across the plan. Roof openings cast broad shadows that travel over the rounded walls, while the perforated screens filter light into smaller patches. The residents have already suspended a piece of white fabric beneath one roof opening, which filters sunlight and moves with the breeze — a small intervention within a strongly defined composition. For a house built around a single geometric figure, M Residence delivers a surprising variety of places to occupy, each shaped by changing light and its particular opening to the outdoors.

Photography is by Giorgos Sfakianakis.