Bringing nature back into the city, although not a new idea, is becoming increasingly necessary, especially for cities like Nicosia, Cyprus, which have failed to prioritise greenery and public areas in their urban planning.
We rediscovered the fundamental value of where we live and realised how important it is to have outdoor space, balconies and rooftops to exercise and practice our hobbies.
During the pandemic that disrupted our habits, people increasingly suffered from a lack of freedom, green spaces and clean air. This situation has highlighted the need to accelerate the processes of integrating nature into our cities by developing innovative solutions.
This is why the project developed by Christos Pavlou architecture, founded in 2003 in Nicosia by the architect Christos Pavlou, aimed to create a house that would bring nature back into the city and promote the sharing of space and sociability among residents: a “garden house”!
The design developed highlights the potential of private urban green areas and the microclimates they create, showing how they can actually improve living conditions in cities and slow down global warming.
With the intention of creating a sort of continuum between private gardens and public parks, the building was designed with a homogeneous configuration to the surrounding environment.
The integration of the green area into the house includes the installation of a garden on 60% of the ground floor and a green terrace on the first floor, welcoming spaces in which it is possible to find as many as 40 types of native wild flowers. All the interior areas flow outwards and are organised around a central green courtyard set between two white cubes.
This building demonstrates that providing a space for nature in the city not only adds beauty to the urban structure, but also encourages the return of local species of birds and bees, thus maintaining urban biodiversity; it is also of great benefit to human health and well-being.
Info chrispaularchstudio
PROJECT The garden house in the city
ARCHITECT christos pavlou architecture
LOCATION Nicosia, Cyprus
YEAR 2019
PHOTO Charis Solomou
