The Garden House in the City by christos pavlou architecture

Architecture Firm: Christos Pavlou Architecture

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Firm Location: Nicosia, Cyprus.

Completion Year: 2019

Gross Built Area: 182 sq.m

Structural Engineer: Andreas Charalambous

Landscape: Solomou Landscaping

Mechanical engineer: G. Katsambas

Electrical engineer: eplan electrical consultants LLC.

Aluminum design: Rabel 3D systems.

Project Location: Nicosia, Cyprus

Budget: 320.000 euro

Press distribution: v2com

About christos pavlou architecture

Our studio – Christos Pavlou architecture studio was founded by Christos Pavlou in 2003 and is based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Although a small studio we do know how to take care of our clients in a very personal and friendly manner. Our practice is focused on housing, single residents, commercial as well as interior architecture.

Our approach – We listen, we search, we learn, we design. We are aware of and sensible to the environment, the land parameters, the specific site views, the climate conditions, and the needs of our customers.

Our projects – The designs are distinguished by their formal simplicity, the integration of inside-outside, the contrasting realities, and the in-between zones. The studio’s architecture is driven by the need for solving a complex program in a simple and clear manner.

Our language – The concepts based on define, simple forms aiming to express the collective memory of a specific culture. Having said that forms do not always provide ready-made solutions but they are rediscovered during the design process. It is a stage by stage approach which allows the build-up of different special relationships and smooth transitions between spaces. Energy efficiency, automation technology, sustainability, and ecological designs are part of our working procedure.

Our awards – the office has been awarded the Cyprus state architecture 1st prize award 2019 by the president of Cyprus in the category of outstanding architecture and is a nominee for the European Union Mies Van Der Rohe award 2021, Barcelona. Other selective awards include German design award winner 2020, A+Architizer awards 2020, USA (Jury and popular choice winner), Golden A’ design award and competition 2020 Italy.

This is an exterior look of the house that has dark outer walls and white exterior walls with glass walls.

This is a closer look at the dark outer wall that is contrasted by the brightness of the house adorned with tall plants.

This is an aerial view of the back of the house showcasing the large second-floor balcony and glass walls of the ground level.

This is a look at the side of the house showing the wrap-around balcony of the second level. This is paired with a wrap-around patio on the first level with a wooden deck flooring.

This is the middle of the house with an empty space between the two structures of the house filled with lush landscaping of shrubs.

This landscaped middle area is flanked by sliding glass walls that open to the interior.

With the glass doors receded into the walls, the interior and exterior landscaping of the house mesh together into a unique aesthetic.

This is a look at the living room with a sofa set beside the shrub landscaping that complements the hardwood flooring.

The large light beige sofa of the living room is paired with a decorative coffee table.

A few steps from the living room is the kitchen across through the middle landscape.

On the other side of the living room is a large walls with built-in wooden shelves and cabinets that serve as bookshelves and entertainment cabinet.

Just behind the sofa of the living room is the large table of the dining area topped with a modern lighting fixture.

This is the kitchen with a large L-shaped peninsula with a breakfast bar paired with yellow stools. These are complemented by the bright and modern cabinetry of the kitchen that makes the appliances stand out.

This is a closer look at the white peninsula that houses the stove and sink area.

This is a look at the open hallways and walkways of the house in between sections that are adorned with various plants.

This is a close look at the modern white staircase that has net railings and adorned by plants underneath.

This is the bright second-floor landing with a small indoor balcony that has a net railing and views of the outside through glass walls.

This is the second-floor balcony that resembles an outdoor garden with its own landscaping and textured flooring.

The balcony also has flowering plants and colorful shrubs that bring color to the bright white exteriors of the house.

This is the floor plan for the first floor showcasing sections of the house like the stairs and living areas.

This is the floor plan for the ground floor showcasing various outdoor areas and the interior is marked.

This is an illustration of the site plan showing the property of the house in relation to the surrounding area.

This is an illustration of the side elevation of the house along with the surrounding landscape.

This is an illustration of the landscape plan with labels for the different plants and structures of the landscape.

Bringing nature back to the city although not a new idea it is a growing imperative especially for cities like Nicosia which has failed to make greenery and communal public areas a priority in its urban planning.

During lock-down we rediscovered the essential value of our houses, realizing once again our need for more outdoor areas, balconies and rooftops to exercise and practice our hobbies. The need to freely breakout to enjoy open-air spaces and connect with nature and neighbors has become more desirable than ever during the pandemic. But again the virus issue came only to emphasize what is already known through systematically forgotten and ignored, the urge to accelerate the process of incorporating nature in our cities in creative ways.

A house that brings nature back to the city, promoting shared spaces and social dialogue between its residents is what inspired us to design the ‘’garden house’’. Our design emphasizes the potential for private urban gardens and the microclimates they create to improve living conditions within cities and slow global warming.

Not hiding behind fences and fully glazed on one side, our proposal aims to form a physical continuation of the adjacent public green area. The house seeks to establish a unified relationship between the neighborhood, the private garden, and the public park. Urban elements such as building, street, and public space are not treated as absolute activities in isolation but as one single homogeneous configuration as the house becomes part of the park and the park is included in the house.

The integration of green areas into the house incorporates the planting of gardens on 60% of the ground floor, the use of green terrace on the first floor, the provision of bee-friendly landscapes and 40 kinds of native wildflowers. All areas inside flow on the outer spaces and are organized around a green central courtyard placed in-between two white cubic volumes. Making space for nature in the city not only brings beauty to the urban fabric but encourages the return of local bird species and bees maintaining thus urban biodiversity; furthermore, it promotes human health and well-being.

By Jon Dykstra · See their LinkedIn.