Two children move around the rooftop dining table in the late afternoon, their motion blurred against the hammock and the Athenian skyline. The pool occupies the foreground, its water catching light beneath the timber and cane pergola, with wooded hills beyond.

Lukas Bobotis Turns a Compact Plot in Athens into a Vertical Family Home

Words by Eric David

Athens, Greece

The house an architect designs for his own family is often the clearest expression of his practice: freed from the usual distance between author and client, it reveals not only an aesthetic position but also the habits and pleasures that shape daily life. For Lukas Bobotis, co-founder of Athens-based Bobotis+Bobotis Architects, that opportunity took form on a compact hillside plot in the leafy suburb of Psychiko, where his recently completed residence distils his preference for clean lines, legible volumes and functional clarity. Yet this is no restrained exercise in contemporary minimalism: animated by an eclectic interplay of textures, colours and materials, the house brings Mediterranean ease and mid-century design into a rigorous yet unmistakably lived-in setting, framed by sweeping views across Athens.

Warm evening light falls across a bedroom, where a carved antique table holds design books, a ribbed turquoise vase of chrysanthemums and a sleeping cat. A small timber stool, patterned rug and coral linen bedding complete the collected, unhurried scene.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

Architect Lukas Bobotis sits barefoot on the blackened microcement staircase of his own home, framed by a board-marked concrete wall and a red-flexed task lamp, with the curved plastered soffit above and a bookcase edge visible at right.

Lukas Bobotis. Photography by Alina Lefa.

A reading corner centres on a chimney breast clad in handmade terracotta tiles in an abstract relief pattern, flanked by full-height book-filled shelving. A forest-green corduroy lounge chair and ottoman face the hearth, with an articulated black wall lamp reaching across.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

One of the smallest plots in the area, the site was chosen by Bobotis for its openness towards the city. In response to its compact dimensions and hillside location, the three-storey house was cleverly designed from the top down: the garden is carried up onto the roof, with the communal living spaces directly below to take full advantage of the outlook. The private quarters occupy the first floor above the pilotis, while the basement accommodates a studio and storage.

The plot’s limited footprint also informed the building’s cubic form. Lifted clear of the ground on charcoal concrete pillars and capped by a broad concrete slab, the block is wrapped in slim vertical aluminium fins painted a pale earthy hue, lending its mass a lightweight quality. Deep window reveals lined in bottle green punctuate the façades, enhancing the composition’s bold graphic sensibility.

  • Slim vertical aluminium fins in pale earthy hue wrap the cubic volume, their rhythm broken by deep window reveals lined in bottle green. A charcoal-rendered core cuts through the composition, while planting spills over the concrete roof edge against a clear blue sky.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • A close study of the facade sets three registers side by side: smooth grey concrete, a deep charcoal plane in shadow, and the apricot fins catching low sun. Feathery acacia foliage softens the left edge of the tightly cropped composition.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • A tightly framed detail sets deep charcoal render, grey concrete and terracotta-toned plaster against pale apricot fins, with a small bulkhead light and a sliver of acacia foliage at the edge. Sunlight sharpens each plane into flat, graphic blocks of colour.

    Photography by Alina Lefa.

The concrete roof slab cantilevers over the fin-clad volume below, its parapet holding a band of dense evergreen planting behind a slim black balustrade. Sharp Attic light emphasises the contrast between board-marked concrete and the fine vertical grain of the apricot cladding.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

The cubic volume clad in pale eathy-hued fins sits on charcoal concrete pillars, capped by a projecting concrete slab. Above, the roof garden holds citrus planting and a timber pergola behind a slim black balustrade, with the city and distant hills spreading beyond.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

A balcony opens onto a panorama of Athens with Mount Ymittos beyond. A slender terracotta-toned outdoor dining set casts long shadows across pale paving, flanked by weathered clay pots holding grasses and succulents against a slim black balustrade.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

An open-plan living level layers a raw concrete column against pale plastered walls. A modular shelving unit in orange, blush and grey holds ceramics, glassware and books beneath trailing greenery, with a linear glass pendant hovering over a terracotta-red dining table.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

The same interplay of contrast underpins the interiors, where exposed concrete is set against polished microcement, natural timber and gleaming inox surfaces. In the open-plan living area, this eclectic palette is softened by pale limewashed walls and ceiling in blush tones that fill the space with an artisanal, Côte d'Azur warmth, a mood deepened by the fireplace clad in handmade terracotta tiles in an abstract geometric pattern, and by fabric shades that filter the light like stained glass. Finished in polished black microcement, the staircase leading to the roof provides a sculptural counterpoint to the otherwise muted palette, while wall-to-wall glazing opens onto a generous balcony, drawing panoramic views of Athens and Mount Ymittos into every corner of the room.

The open-plan living level frames Mount Ymittos through full-height sliding glazing, its pale plastered ceiling catching the Athenian light. A deep red dining table and black timber chairs occupy the foreground, with a lounge chair, library shelving and the blackened staircase visible beyond.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • A vertical slot window casts light between an exposed concrete column and warm-toned plaster. Vintage shelving in orange and rose displays turned wood, ceramics and a Bauhaus monograph, while the dark microcement staircase rises at right above a deep terracotta table and leather chairs.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • A blackened microcement staircase curves upward against an exposed concrete wall, its sculptural mass anchoring the interior. Two small framed paintings in acid greens and reds punctuate the raw and plastered surfaces, while a red-flexed task lamp trails its cable across harwood flooring.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • Dining and living areas meet across warm hardwood floorboards, where a terracotta-red table with dark timber chairs sits beneath a linear glass pendant. A gridded textile shade in reds, ochres and teal filters daylight above an oak sideboard, while a tan leather sofa anchors the foreground.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Beside the kitchen, cane-seated folding chairs surround a slim white-edged table, while a fabric shade in reds, ochres and teal filters daylight above oak joinery. A sculptural black table lamp and ceramic forms sit alongside, with a fern trailing from vintage shelving.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

Copper pans and knives hang on slim wall rails above a dark stone worktop, their warmth set against blush plaster and walnut cabinetry. A chrome espresso machine, cane-backed stool and glazed green bowl introduce the collected, working character of the kitchen.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

The scheme’s eclectic character extends to the furnishings. Selected by Bobotis and his wife, Anna Zinchenko, the collection brings together modernist icons, contemporary pieces and vintage finds, often giving familiar designs an unexpected twist. In the sitting area, a HAY sofa is paired with Cassina's Grand Confort armchair, the Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand classic, upholstered here in coral-pink fabric, Jens Nielsen's 1964 Laminex lounge chair and Rodolfo Bonetto's 1969 glossy yellow modular coffee table for B-Line which adds a note of Space Age levity.

Nearby, Bobotis's favourite piece, an Eames Lounge Chair in forest-green corduroy instead of the customary black leather, brings a playful softness to another design classic, while Paolo Rizzatto's 265 Wall Lamp and the Parentesi floor-to-ceiling lamp by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù, both by FLOS, confirm the architect's affection for mid-century design. A collection of artworks, several by Bobotis’ grandfather, adds vibrant flashes of colour while lending the interiors a more personal register.

Blush toned plaster envelops this sitting area, where a chrome-framed arc floor lamp curves over glossy yellow modular tables and a tan leather modular sofa. A blush upholstered tubular-steel armchair faces a window screened by a boldly gridded textile shade in primary hues

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Sliding glazing opens the sitting area to a planted balcony, drawing daylight across a Berber rug and warm hardwood floorboards. Modular yellow tables, a tan leather sofa and a blush armchair gather beneath an arc lamp, with framed artworks resting against a rustic timber sideboard.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Full-height glazing slides open to a balcony lined with weathered terracotta pots and succulents, dissolving the threshold between the sitting area and the city. An arc floor lamp curves above glossy yellow tables and a tan leather sofa, with mountains filling the opening.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

A blackened microcement stair rises between a raw concrete wall and softly plastered wall in blush tones. A slender tubular wall light sits between framed paintings in blues and greens, their organic forms animating the restrained materials of the circulation space.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

A bedroom pairs coral linen bedding with a sage-green modular shelving system, its steel frame holding design monographs and a philodendron. A folding red metal chair adds a graphic note, while dark timber joinery frames the threshold and a green-toned painting hangs on the adjacent wall.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • Restraint governs this bedroom, where coral bedlinen meets chalk-white walls and oak flooring. A carved antique wooden chest holds a red vase of ranunculus beneath a painting in blues and earth tones, while linen blinds diffuse the Athenian light across the room.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

  • A bathroom framed by oak joinery centres on an integrated stone basin and countertop in warm beige limestone. A circular black-rimmed mirror and slim wall sconce sit above, while a tall window frames the rooftops of Athens and the hills beyond in soft daylight.

    Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Water from the rooftop pool reflects a timber pergola lined with cane, sheltering a long dining table and slim red-framed loungers. A terracotta-rendered volume anchors the left, while a hammock hangs against the balustrade and the city spreads towards the mountains beyond

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Beneath a timber pergola layered with cane, a solid wooden table set with glazed ceramics and citrus faces the Athenian skyline. Red-framed canvas loungers flank pale stone paving, while ornamental grasses and pelargoniums soften the terrace edge against distant hills.

Photography by Yiorgos Kordakis.

Undoubtedly, the house’s most impressive space is the roof terrace. Conceived as a vertical extension of the living room, it accommodates a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and shaded dining area framed by a 270-degree panorama of Athens. Terracotta-painted walls, a cane-lined timber pergola and a hammock reinforce the scheme’s Mediterranean character, warming what might otherwise read as an austere set-up. Disciplined in form and planning, yet animated by colour, texture and the everyday rituals of family life, the terrace encapsulates Bobotis’ broader design language: architectural rigour tempered by warmth and personality.

  • Diagonal shadows from a cane-lined pergola stripe a terracotta-rendered wall, where a bulkhead light and a ribbed clay pot holding a yucca sit beside a black-framed glazed door. A folding bistro chair and wooden table with tomatoes complete the terrace scene.

    Photography by Alina Lefa.

  • The concrete roof edge cantilevers over the corner of the house, its planted parapet screening evergreen foliage behind slender black railings. Below, charcoal render meets the sunlit rhythm of apricot fins, the junction cleanly resolved against a clear sky.

    Photography by Alina Lefa.

  • Beside the rooftop pool, a moulded white lounger rests against a terracotta-rendered wall, with a ribbed clay pot holding a yucca. Cane-lined pergola shadows fall across the render, while the city and wooded hills extend beyond the black balustrade.

    Photography by Alina Lefa.

Two children move around the rooftop dining table in the late afternoon, their motion blurred against the hammock and the Athenian skyline. The pool occupies the foreground, its water catching light beneath the timber and cane pergola, with wooded hills beyond.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

Terracotta pots filled with succulents cluster on the balcony of Lukas Bobotis’ Athens home, seen through reflective glazing that layers the planting with a colourful fabric shade, the surrounding cityscape and Mount Ymittos beyond.

Photography by Alina Lefa.

Sunlight catches the cantilevered concrete parapet and its band of planting, held behind fine black railings. Two planes of apricot fins meet a recessed charcoal core at the corner, with climbing greenery reaching up from the garden below.

Photography by Alina Lefa.