EP Architects | SOCIAL HOUSING

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SOCIAL HOUSING

EP ARCHITECTS

Project

1st Award, Social Housing in Pano Polemidia, Cyprus Land Development Corporation

Development size

4795 sq.m. & 1213 sq.m.

Client

Cyprus Land Development Corporation

Project architect

Elina Pattichi, Taulant Tozaj

Architects collaborators & Interns

Maria Siakalli Pattichi, Kilian Lopez, Giorgos Andreou, Kleopatra Chapeli

Structural engineering

Hyperstatics

Electrical Enginneering

AK Andreou Advanced Engineering Ltd

Mechanical Engineering

Coneng Consultanting Engineers Ltd

Interior design

EP Architects - Purposia

Project description

This project is the 1st award in the international architectural competition of the Cyprus Land Development Corporation for Social Housing in the area of Pano Polemidia in Limassol City. Placed next to the increasing market rate rentals of Limassol, this concept for the Social Housing project in Limassol is based on the idea of holistic sustainability approach with a socially beneficial and financially sustainable solution that communicates to its users the essence of traditional architecture and social space. The aim of this design proposal is dual. First aim, is the introduction of common pedestrian space that will encourage social interaction, with the use of a linear park between the row houses and public street. The percentage of green areas for vegetation holds around the 20% of the plot area and the design of common space takes in mind the greater master plan of the built and un-built social housing units including their public green park where it leads into. Public space needs to be implemented more strategically and widely in the Cypriot urban landscape because of its influence in the cohesion of urban context and the mental-physical well-being of users. The second aim of this design proposal is the contemporary reinterpretation of the Cypriot traditional type of ‘’house with courtyard’’ which is appropriate for the Mediterranean climate. The serial and narrow arrangement of the 28 houses accommodated the application of the above goals. Main concept of this proposal is the extension of interior into the external open spaces with the use of 3 types of yards. The first, is a covered yard at the entrance of the house from the street where the kitchen extends into. The setting of this yard is considered the most appropriate to relate with the common area of the linear park. The next open space is the central courtyard at the core of domestic activities and the third yard where the living room extends into is more private. The volumetric approach of the units aims to create a unified design with organic micro-differentiation in voids and color, a morphology that is the result of the set-up of houses either in a replicated or in a mirrored fashion. The coloring of the walls on the facades facing the perimeter of the blocks follows a scheme with slide differentiation of brown colors while the facades of the central courtyard can be painted by the residents at a color of their selection.