Kataka
Location: Paleloni, Chania, Greece
Status: Planning Application Stage
Year: 2026
Area: 400sqm
Client: Private
Kataka Residencies is a collection of eight holiday villas set within the Mediterranean landscape of Crete.
The architecture establishes a close relationship with this setting, allowing landscape, material and daily experience to shape the character of the complex.
Each residence offers an independent space for visitors, combining privacy with a sense of belonging to the wider landscape.
Together, the villas form a coherent architectural composition: a sequence of angular volumes, sheltered openings and outdoor spaces that connect habitation with the natural rhythms of Crete.
The project begins with the qualities of its surroundings. Rocky ground, native vegetation and distant mountain views inform an architectural approach that works with the landscape’s textures and proportions.
The villas are conceived as low volumes, maintaining a close relationship with the earth and leaving the wider scenery visually dominant.
Their arrangement seeks a balance between collective identity and individual retreat.
Each villa belongs to the same architectural family, while its relationship with planting, terraces, pools and views gives it a distinct experience.
Spaces between the residences become meaningful parts of the composition, offering breathing room, framed perspectives and opportunities for nature to extend through the complex.
Bronze-toned anodised metal defines the external character of the villas.
Its earthy colour connects the architecture to the surrounding soil, dry grasses and stone, while its surface responds to shifts in daylight.
The villas are characterised by angular profiles and deep, tilted façade frames.
These elements give the buildings a clear silhouette and create sheltered thresholds between interior and exterior.
Their geometry becomes especially apparent through changing viewpoints, revealing projecting edges, recessed glazing and folded surfaces.
Generous glazed openings bring the landscape into the living spaces, framing olive trees, rocky terrain and mountain views.
Kataka Residencies proposes a holiday experience grounded in the specific qualities of its location. Architecture offers shelter, privacy and comfort, while keeping the landscape present throughout the stay.
