This Project concerns the vertical extension of a much-older existing single-storey house, with the ambition of adding a second residential unit above it. It is situated in one of Nicosia’s suburban residential areas, which for decades consisted mostly of detached houses in individual plots. Yet, a subsequent increase in the Area’s permissible density prompted the opportunity for upward extensions – thereby accommodating broader family needs. In this case, the Project commenced by recognising that the existing house would retain the exclusivity of the ground-floor garden, while the new unit would resolve its open-space strategy via a roof gardens.
The building’s vertical expansion was achieved through the addition of two formally differentiated floors. The first floor takes the role of a Piano Nobile – as the building’s dominant element. Taller in height and rendered in white plaster, it adjusts to the street geometry, and, in this way, bestows a dynamic impact and a civic character to the whole. On the other hand, the top floor has a more nuanced presence, and it is cladded in wooden panels.
To intensify the relation of daily life with both city and outdoors, the house’s living areas are located upon the second floor, while the first floor accommodates the bedrooms and a study. As such, the new unit’s living quarters are on the topmost floor, thereby amplifying their daylight exposure and long vistas, which are further qualified via both covered and uncovered verandas. Finally, the primary veranda is oriented towards the adjacent open public space to the east – instead of the street to the north – thereby enjoying the maximum distance from neighbouring structures.
Photos @charalambosartemis