George + Xenia House

Tala, Pafos, Cyprus

Completed: 2020

The home is situated in the village of Tala, in a medium-density residential area outside the urban fabric. This three-story villa features a basement floor with various utilities and storage space, a ground-floor level that hosts an open continuous space for daily family activities and a first-floor level with three bedrooms. Both the building and its outdoor terraces are elevated half-a-meter from the street level providing privacy, while also allowing natural light penetration flow into the lower-level spaces.
The street façade gives the impression of a long horizontal plane upon which rests a white volume. The house is accessed through a ramp leading upwards into the main internal areas. Both communal and private spaces are oriented towards the south-west and the large glass openings offer exquisite views of the city of Paphos.

This also allows for natural light and air circulation coming from the south to travel through the entire house achieving a cooler environment during the warm months of the year, whereas during the colder seasons the exposure to sunlight through the large openings (keeps the temperature inside at a comfortable level) (sets a warmer tone for the home.) The ground level serves as a counterbalance bearing an impressive four-meter-long cantilever mass, a rectangular volume which accommodates the master suite. This ‘floating’ body is set perpendicular to the ground floor volume and covers a generous amount of area of the outside veranda, creating an ideal space for outdoor dining and social gatherings. The space layout on the upper level suggests a separation of the children’s bedrooms from the master suite.

A linear balcony spans across the two common bedrooms and wraps around forming a cozy covered veranda which is open to both the east and the south, shaded by thin white louvers. The interior colour palette includes earthy tones; neutral shades of marble and ceramic tiles in combination with warm tones of wood finishes embody a concept of minimalism. The outdoor recreation areas form around a large pool, promoting various activities. Vegetation becomes part of the architecture as it wraps around and throughout the entire plot, also enhancing privacy.

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