This house was designed by Simpraxis Architects for a young couple with two young girls on a site located in the suburbs of Nicosia. The hot and arid climate together with the strong winds of the largely unprotected surrounding landscape became critical elements in the morphology of the project.
The building shelters the outdoor spaces from the late western sun and the particularly strong west winds in the region. The interior spaces open up to the south with the cantilevered roof preventing the summer sun and allowing the warm winter sun to heat the space. Clearstory windows enhance its passive cooling and heating capabilities on the ground floor.ย The ability to sustain a comfortable environment and maintain the visual and physical connection with the vast landscape is enhanced by a system of glass sliding doors together with a series of custom-made folded and perforated metal panels. These, when closed, offer privacy and safety during the day but still allow for views to the south. Their perforations together with the glass sliding doors pushed aside allow for effecting cross-ventilation eliminating the need for mechanical cooling.
The upper floor includes the bedrooms and bath areas and is wrapped in vertical planks of wooden HPL. These allow for cross ventilation and shelter from direct sunlight. The bedrooms and circulation spaces on the upper floor are separated by multiple folding doors so they can be used independently or as connected spaces. East facing windows on the upper floor allow the morning sun to heat the upper floor spaces during the winter months. During the summer closing the folding doors that separate the bedrooms from the corridor, an intermediate ventilated space is created that helps to regulate temperatures.ย On the ground floor the kitchen is partially separated from the living area with cabinetry that allows access from either side. On the west there is an office/guestroom space that can either be private or open to the rest of the ground floor when the exterior large sliding doors are pushed out of the way.
