House 345

Creative Photoroom (Maria Efthymiou)

• Architecten

The original design idea of House 345 originates from the needs of its owners. Introversion and privacy were the two main components expressed by the owners. To achieve this goal as well as the creation of a space that will be used daily by a family, the design team decided to identify several imaginary zones, which will be implemented through physical and mental limits.

photo_credit Creative Photoroom (Maria Efthymiou) — Creative Photoroom (Maria Efthymiou)

The large wall of uncoated concrete at the facade of the building implements exactly this natural boundary that separates the interior of the house from the public space. It seals the privacy of the residence behind it, while the selective openings offer controlled entrances with different levels of security. The structure of a castle is restated here with a different vocabulary (with the same result). Bare planked concrete, as a simple, earthy material, with an internal structure similar to stone, functions 'protectively', while at the same time defining the boundary and the aesthetics of the house as a whole.

The references to the traditional Cypriot architecture are intense. The concept of the inner courtyard and the impenetrable aspect of traditional Cypriot architecture, are analysed and reconstructed in modern terms and vocabulary in a new urban landscape, different aesthetics, faithful to the character of the structure and the nature of the materials. Internally, the house on the ground floor is organized as an open plan space that unifies the living room and dining room to create an open everyday space, warm, partially separating them with a natural boundary from the kitchen. Finally, the introverted character of House 345 is completed with the opposite-in terms of the facade - opening of the entire rear view to the outer back space of the courtyard.