Dappled Sunlight Shines Through the Walls of This Mesmerizing Olive TreeHouse In Greece

Olive Treehouse is a 226-square-foot construction sided with pale, green metal panels that display cutouts of olive branches—in the center of three existing olive trees.

When architect Eva Sopeoglou was commissioned to devise a small, low-maintenance summer house in Halkidiki, Greece, she decided the landscape was so spectacular that it should be integrated into the design. “The site is located on a hill in a pristine olive grove,” Sopeoglou says. “It overlooks the sea and the famous monasteries of Mount Athos.”

The architectural reference for using metal sheets is the existing sheepfolds and sheds which were scattered around these hills before any of the summer vacationers settled here,” Sopeoglou says. “One can still hear during the day distant sounds of bells from the herds feeding on the land.

Sopeoglou’s clients, a retired couple who live permanently in the city of Thessaloniki, an hour’s drive from Halkidiki, wanted respite from city life. Now, they escape to their home in Halkidiki on weekends and during the summer. And in March, April, and October, the couple visit just to be outdoors and take in the sun for the day. 

“In November and December, the olive trees bear fruit and olive harvesting happens,” Sopeoglou says. “In the spring, there’s some gardening, and maintaining the grounds takes place. My clients were not interested in maintaining another structure. This was commissioned as a temporary accommodation, something more permanent than a tent, but less permanent than a regular house—this was the brief.”

The porch was designed to use most of the concrete slab surface,” Sopeoglou says. “The metal panels fold out from the kitchen and allow for maximum openness. I removed the structural column from the corner so the space is free from obstruction, and the clients can enjoy the views when they gather during lunchtime.

Cutouts in the shape and scale of olive tree branches on the site mark the pale green-painted metal siding of the tiny home.

The bedroom, which also acts as a living room, features metal closets on the western elevation that provide siding as well as storage space. The green-painted metal panels on the northern elevation fold open to views of rolling hills.

Olive Treehouse House Plan

The house’s floor plan includes a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom; an outdoor shower on the south elevation offers views to the sea. A long corridor separates the kitchen and the bathroom from the bedroom—which also acts as a living room—and ventilates the rooms as it funnels natural air from one side of the house to the other. 

Metal closets separate the bedroom-and-living area from the kitchen and the bath.

A narrow corridor between the bedroom-and-living area funnels air through the Olive Treehouse tiny house, serving as a passive cooling system.

The home’s simple silhouette and sloped metal roof references historical agrarian-style architecture that dots rural landscapes throughout the globe. 

A colored ventilation system on the upper portion of the eastern elevation expels warm air and helps to cool the home’s interior. The metal siding below the vents folds open and facilitates outdoor connection and more air circulation.

The colored ventilation system interacts with sunlight and projects a spectacle of color, light, and shadow onto some of the interior’s wood beams.

Sunlight passes through the ventilation system and casts teal and sunshine-yellow squares  onto interior structural surfaces. 

The breeze felt inside the home gives a feeling of being outdoors. And when the green-painted metal walls of the kitchen and the bedroom-and-living area fold open, the home expands and ties to a large deck and the boundless, cinematic landscape beyond. 

Sopeoglou wanted the olive tree branch cutouts in the metal siding to create the feeling of sitting beneath an olive tree.

Mosquito nets suspend from the corrugated metal ceiling and provide protection from natural elements while resting or sleeping.

Robust Metal Quality

The architect also employed metal because of its robust quality. “The western elevation is an opaque wall made of metal closets that provide storage and protect the home from the harsh afternoon sun,” she says. The same metal closets line the corridor and help mark the divide between the bedroom-and-living area and the kitchen and the bathroom.

The kitchen area features plywood cabinetry and counters and metal shelving.

The folding metal walls, which cast light and shadow onto the concrete floor, are as dynamic as they’re eye-catching.

An outdoor shower on the northern elevation lets the residents spend practical time in the landscape.

Sculptural olive trees frame the house, which is woven with its natural setting.

This olive treehouse is a perfect unique stays in Greece