The Contour House
LIMASSOL - CYPRUS
3D MODEL BY ANDREAS PANAGIOTOU & IMAGES BY VICTOR HADJIKYRIACOU
The design approach for this project was to add a new house to a plot that already includes an existing residence designed by our office in 2006, The Panoramic Villa, in order to accommodate our clients' needs for his family.
We set ourselves the challenge to create an environmentally conscious proposal that respects the character and statue of the original house while ensuring that sea views remain unobstructed. At the same time, great care was taken to preserve the existing mature garden by integrating the new design with minimal impact and disruption.
This design concept is defined by a series of sweeping curved slabs that shape the geometry of the house and sit comfortably with the parameters of the plot boundaries. The ground floor is carefully embedded into the landscape, creating a sense of continuity with the earth and blending with the surrounding greenery. It also accommodates the primary living and entertainment spaces, which open onto three distinct garden areas—some framing sea views, while others provide more secluded, tranquil lawn settings.
On the upper level, the family bedrooms are housed in a lightweight pavilion-like structure-constructed, set back from the slab edge, with steel and glass-offering an elevated view of the sea while keeping the villa's visual impact subtle and harmonious.
The sloped roof slab of the ground floor serves as an extended platform for the existing garden, creating the illusion of a house with two ground floors—both enjoying direct garden access and uninterrupted views of the sea.
Strategically placed voids in the slab allow natural daylight to reach the deeper areas of the floor below, reducing the need for artificial lighting and enhancing the sense of openness. These openings also accommodate trees and vegetation that grow through the voids, creating a natural connection between the two levels. This integration of greenery helps to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces while contributing to ventilation and a comfortable living environment
Throughout the detailed design stage, our office worked in close collaboration with landscape specialists and green roof consultants, Trioval, to develop an integrated green roof system tailored to the site's environmental and architectural requirements.
The system was designed to support a carefully curated selection of Mediterranean vegetation, ensuring continuity with the existing landscape while enhancing the building’s thermal performance. The layered composition of the roof incorporates a high-performance waterproofing membrane, a lightweight drainage and substrate system, and an optimized soil profile to sustain long-term plant growth.
Beyond its ecological and aesthetic benefits, the green roof contributes to passive climate control, reducing heat gain to the living spaces below and improving overall energy efficiency.
The end result of this project is a respectful balance of a traditional family home and a contemporary pavilion, both standing together in the same landscape without interrupting the views that define the site.
STUDY MODEL
