The proposed house designed by Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio is situated in the outer suburbs of Nicosia surrounded by the endless tranquility of the majestic agricultural terrains.

Inspired by the existing topography of the area, form and landscape interweave into one hybrid structure, allowing for multi-layered program, views and landscape to co-exist harmoniously.

The proposal was perceived, taking into consideration the traditional local architecture of having an internal courtyard (iliakos) as the main core of the building, so as to allow the surrounding program to interact fluently within its boundaries.

Using openings (iliakous) as a tool for unifying spatial and programmatic qualities within the building’s essence, the proposal allows natural sunlight to gently penetrate and gradually evolve as a controlled environment, a “secret garden”, within and below the dynamically suspended envelope, floating above ground level.

The dynamic form of the house projecting from the ground towards the sky achieves additional spatial and programmatic organization, revealing its programmatic qualities into the surrounding topography and beyond. The tectonic plate of the volume above provides “shelter” to the courtyard below.

The courtyard becomes a transitional zone between living and resting areas. The living areas allow the external garden to interact, “dissolving” the internal and external, public and private boundaries. The bedroom area suspended from above allowing constant natural air flow and multiple views towards the pool area and beyond.

Small openings, like progressive “urban noise” throughout the external envelope of the proposal, become “devices” for filtering light within the sheltered spaces at different timeframes. Carefully placed, each opening allows both users and externals to frame views of the scenery, and vice-versa, like a “collective camera”.

Throughout its dynamic presence the formal and programmatic morphology of the proposal inspires a subtle “contrast” to the poetic wilderness of the endless urban terrain and its golden fields. Read the rest of this entry »

The existing circular silo structure emerging form a pond triggers the idea of a water garden inhabited by aquatic plants. Circular as lotus leaves, four volumes are stacked up within the silo; circular isles and green areas define the external spaces.

As in a natural pond where reeds emerge form the shallow water, the emerging volumes are shaded with an uneven screen of bamboo trunks. The iconic existing silo structure is respected and left stand alone, its main inner space acting as a common public square.

The new volumes and the two existing brick buildings accommodate the spaces for an ideas factory, an unconventional place where people can work and create, share their ideas and meditate. Inspired by nature and led by design, the new si.lotus garden factory poetically inhabits the place.

Design: Pelizzi Architettura Read the rest of this entry »

Inspired by lace, Dense Atmosphere, explores the possibility of creating complex atmosphere using a basic construction material – lumber. The structure utilizes lace like densities to both block and reveal activities in the building promoting religious understanding.

Designed in response to the scale of the construction material, the structure is based of a grid defined by the structural capabilities of the material. Using a 2×4 as a proposed material, the grid becomes constrained to a maximum of 6’ by 6’ based on the member’s span distance as a beam. This results in a dense flat grid that is extruded to the maximum possible height of the member acting as a column: 16’. The column elements are slanted to affect visitors at the scale of an individual. Movement becomes more restrained thus the visitor of the building is slowed down and encouraged to experience wandering rather than rushing. In order to connect the visitor with the building, the grid houses stacks of books. These are observed by the visitor as he experiences the building. As the individual continues to explore the building, he begins to discover larger spaces. These are freed from the density of the angled columns. Even though these spaces are more open than the rest of the building, they still feel enclosed as result of the aggregations formed around them. These voids provide a sense of serenity that is used for meditation.

Design: Mircea Eni at the Illinois Institute of Technology Read the rest of this entry »