| ADDITIONS AND MODIFICATIONS OF AN EXISTING BUILDING |
The project brief included the addition of a two-bedroom penthouse on the first floor and conversions on the facades of the existing ground floor of a single storey building in Larnaca which was probably built in the 1970s. External work such as terraces, parking and fencing were also part of the brief. The challenge in this brief was to link the older 1970s single storey building with the modern first floor penthouse creating morphologically a modern integrated building.
The main objective was to design internal and external spaces which were practical and appealing, so that the end product would be capable of meeting the modern needs of the user. The clean forms, simple lines, the inside-outside relationship, the carefully designed lighting and the harmonious composition of colours and materials, combine to form a modern, appealing and functional building. The interior has a clean and white form and incorporates warm textiles and well thought-off and delicate details.
The building has been designed to be practical and operational by minimising the areas of movement [corridors], by the design of open-plan living areas and the relationship between the sleeping and working areas.
The extension of the interior living areas into the outside are achieved by cleverly designed openings. Distinctive corner openings create optical views and link the inside with the outside areas.
Morphologically, the linking of the two houses into a single unit was successfully achieved by: [a] the use of vertical units such as the stairwell and the high vertical wall with the large "window" on the verandas, [b] the use of natural materials such as local stone, and [c] the use of similar white and earth colours in both properties.
