Chiara Armando has restored a historic house in Rethymno, Greece, originally designed as a courtyard, prioritising natural light and the original stone structure. The Secret Garden project features a Venetian-era portal, repurposed masonry, and an open-plan layout.

Restored Stone Walls
The Secret Garden, designed by Chiara Armando in 2023, is located in Rethymno, Greece. This project prioritises the essential, eliminating the superfluous to highlight the property’s original architectural elements. With a focus on ethical and social responsibility, the design seeks to give value to what you create by restoring historical features.

The interior was stripped down to its original structure, uncovering the stone walls that define the space. It was originally an Avl矛, or courtyard, evidenced by several historical elements like a Venetian-era portal now inside the house. This portal, with decorative mouldings, once granted access to adjoining buildings. The facade facing the street features a different masonry texture, with small, high-positioned windows resting on a substantial base, suggesting a surrounding wall.
A secondary, less decorative access has been walled up and was later transformed into a drinking trough for animals. An intriguing slanted hole in the same wall hints at a drainage system, possibly from a kitchen. Three more blocked-up windows at a higher level suggest the lateral facades originally overlooked an open space.

Over time, the structure was encl...