The site offered no particular advantages, presenting an opportunity to rethink the fundamentals of contemporary residential design. The first decisive move was to challenge the conventional arrangement of living spaces on the ground floor and private rooms above, and instead explore a more integrated spatial strategy.

By lowering the terrain 1.5 meters below street level, the private areas—four bedrooms, a study, a play space, and supporting functions—were placed within a sunken solid volume. This approach uses the thermal stability of the earth to create a quieter, more efficient environment for the most intimate parts of the house.

Above this, a rectangular steel-frame structure is elevated two meters above street level. Its generous ceiling height accommodates the public and semi-public spaces, arranged around a south-facing patio with views toward the private garden and the Troodos Mountains.

Access is provided by a steel step-ramp on the north side, leading to a metal platform where the entrance aligns directly with the patio, establishing a clear axial relationship through the house.

The lower volume is constructed in fair-faced concrete, insulated internally to ensure long-term performance with minimal maintenance. The upper structure combines steel framing with an insulated external skin of metal, wood, and glass, supporting the project’s aims of openness, transparency, and flexibility. Sunbreaks on the south elevation provide effective protection from the summer sun