Floating roof House
Single Family Residence
Status: design proposal and construction study
Principle Architects: Maria Hadjisoteriou, Alessandra Swiny.
Architect Assistant: Mark Rist
Consultants: Andros Achilleous ‘hyperstatics’ (structural) _ Yiorgos Theocharis (mechanical), Evangelos Lambaskis (electrical)
Location: Erimi, Cyprus
Date: 2008-2011
![franks1 [Converted]2.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b477b0ada02bcc7745eeefa/1540482469942-LIR5OFUBVVXGMGUAVS7D/franks1+%5BConverted%5D2.jpg)
The site itself is nestled into a steep hill and looks over a busy road out to the sea. A main parameter of design was to allow for maximum views to the sea and at the same time provide protection from noise. With the help of the severe natural slope of the site, the lower level of the house was designed to sink into the earth, allowing the upper level to seemingly float out above the landscape. The raised roof panels extenuate this by being pulled up off their frame, allowing light to penetrate deep into the heart of the house.
This is a timber frame kit-of-parts house that will be designed in Cyprus, fabricated in England and then shipped and constructed on site. Modularization was used to save on cost, but with tweaks to allow for a deeply personal residence. The wooden roof, was worked out as a continuous floating surface that folds and elevates, creating cut outs that allows for natural lighting to penetrate and a diverse three dimensional space in its interior that reflects the layout of the upper floor plan.
The client wanted to be able to sell the house as 2 independent units in the future so it was designed to be able to be sectioned, divided and manipulated as their needs changed.
Environmentally friendly strategies were integrated in the design. The roof of the garage is made of a dense grid of photo-voltaic panels, allowing the client to sell back to the grid while an extensive orchard is watered with grey water.
The client wanted to be able to sell the house as 2 independent units in the future so it was designed to be able to be sectioned, divided and manipulated as their needs changed.
Environmentally friendly strategies were integrated in the design. The roof of the garage is made of a dense grid of photo-voltaic panels, allowing the client to sell back to the grid while an extensive orchard is watered with grey water.
