Loizou Architects + Associates creates vertical green garden around the perimeter of residential building with office in Cyprus

The building is located in the densely populated area of Agios Nikolaos, east of the center of Limassol. An area characterized by the single-family houses of the 60s and 70s and that has been undergoing intense urban and architectural changes in the last decade.

The architectural composition by Loizou Architects + Associates is based on the creation of a private vertical garden, which aims to offer its users the same benefits as a public one, while deconstructing the boundaries between the building and its neighborhood, and redefines its identity as a private building.

 “According to architects, the Urban Garden project, acts as a living, green shell that allows for the development of communication and sightings and allows the building’s inhabitant to reveal and conceal their private life”.

The two opposing concepts, the public and the private, frame the architectural proposal and are invited to coexist through this bioclimatic design. Just as the benefits of a public garden are not limited to its natural boundaries or its use, but instead extend to its surroundings, similarly, the private garden attempts to expand beyond its boundaries and become a sustainable cell within the neighborhood.

“Primary element of the boundary’s deconstruction is the wire rope shell”.

This allows the plants within the building to grow both vertically and horizontally, creating a green facade around the perimeter of the building. The perimeter flowerbeds on all levels of the building host a variety of local and foreign plants, suitable for growing in the environmental conditions of Cyprus. At its maximum development, the facade forms a vertical garden which benefits its users and the building itself, creates shade for the interiors and thus reduces energy consumption. As part of the urban fabric, the building aesthetically improves the image of the neighborhood, enriches the space with scents, and attracts local wildlife.

“According to the architects, the building is divided into five levels, the piloti, three stories, and the roof garden”.

The piloti allows access to the building and is also the parking area. The first floor houses an architecture studio space with a drawing room and a meeting room. The second and third floors are floor apartments that include an open-plan kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The open-plan apartments are surrounded by south and west-facing openings while the bedrooms are west and north facing.

“All interiors are surrounded by sliding thermal aluminum glazing”.

On the one hand, they help reduce energy loss while on the other hand they unify the exterior and interior spaces, allowing the user to have an unobstructed view of the green facade. The roof garden consists of a dining area, lounge area and barbecue facilities.

A metal pergola covers the entire rooftop. Double-sided solar panels are located on the upper part of the pergola, helping to reduce the energy consumption of the building and creating shade during the daytime. The project as a living urban cell evolves as an active member of the neighborhood.

Facts & Credits:

Project title: Urban Garden, Project title: Residential Building with Office, Location: Agios Nikolaos – Limassol – Cyprus, Architects: Loizou Architects + Associates, Lead Architect: George Loizou, Structural Engineer: Allayiotis & Christodoulidou Civil & Structural Engineering Consultants LLC, Quantity Surveyor: Christos D. Ioannou Construction Cost Consultants LLC, Landscape Architect: Mary Pernjak, Lighting Architect: Arch + Light Design Lab, Site Surveyor: M.A LandMetric – Mavrou Aggeliki, Gross Built Area (m²/ ft²): 360 m², Completion Year: 2022, Text description: Loizou Architects + Associates, Photo credits: Creative Photo Room | Maria Efthymiou     

Suppliers:

Office Partitions: Chr. Marneros & Co Ltd, Sanitary/Tiles: Evpalia Trading Co. Ltd, Lighting: DARK Architectural Lighting & BRIGHT, Metal Structures: AS Metal Construction, Shading systems: Eurblinds, Deck: N.G. Marangos