Villa E in Morocco by Studio KO.

Sitting at the peak of a hill in the Moroccan mountain ranges, Villa E rises up from the landscape, like a form extruded from the earth. The locally sourced Oika stone walling reads like an extension of the landscape. From the road in the valley, only the tiniest window openings pierce through the structure, veiling the life that occurs inside.

Hidden within is a private mountain retreat by Studio KO. With studio bases in both Paris and Morocco, Villa E represents the convergence of ideas from both design cultures. Studio KO weave together the contemporary minimalism of Paris with the earthy textures of the Moroccan aesthetic. Slender steel doors pivot lightly within monolithic desert red walls. Crisp white marble exists alongside textured rendered walls and crazy paving.

The presence of these two influences feels so natural and effortless, it becomes secondary to the experience of the space itself. The architecture poetically mediates the visitor’s experience of the site. Obviously blessed with some knock out views, the designers have exercised control and restraint. Contemplative, inward looking spaces are interspersed between open spaces that make use of controlled, framed views of the surrounds. So in the moments when the long range views of the site are revealed, they pack some serious punch.

Text by Ella Leoncio for Yellowtrace.

[Images courtesy of Studio KO. Photography by Daniel Glasser & Philippe Garcia.]