ΟΙΚΙΑ ΣΤΗ ΜΟΣΦΙΛΩΤΗ

A home set in the Cypriot countryside.
From the outset the aim was to design a home which not only met the needs and wants of its inhabitants (brief, budget, accessibility, functionality, circulation), but that would blend with its surroundings in a way that embraced nature and worked with it instead of against it.. This is not a project that tries to steal the limelight, rather it is a sturdy, timeless piece which rests peacefully and discreetly within its environment.
Aim was max thermal comfort for the users, through passive design, choice of materials and renewable energy sources. Kind to the environment and the pocket, the design was rooted in the vernacular architecture principles of our region.
Passive Design/low maintenance Principles for this house:
1. Placement – work with existing landscape/don’t cut existing trees/ frame best views/access – people+cars (linked to circulation internally) /minimize excavation
2. Orientation + Light– sun for pool/winter light entering living areas/morning light for bedrooms/diffuse light in library/ 
3. Shading – pergolas outside west facing windows, shade of house itself (internal courtyard or entrance), vertical shading shutters or green on west facade
Wind direction – catch summer westerly breeze, protected outdoor areas (internal courtyard)
4. Microclimate – internal courtyard, water feature
5. Green + Landscape– planters close to living areas, endemic plants with low water needs, borehole, CYTA poles for steps, reuse all excavated earth for pathway gravel/parking crusher run and earth for planting. Trees with a canopy for summer shading, but allows winter light through. Vertical shading using climbers or tall bushes.
6. Massing – compact, high ceilings
7. Windows – composite – shutters, mosquito nets, double glazing, incline opening. Frequent smaller openings
8. Materials – durable, recyclable, reusable, natural, easy maintenance. Wood, Granite, Marble, terracotta, ceramic tiles, y tongs, concrete.
9. Insulation – no thermal breaks, y tongs, minimize extruded polystyrene, 
10. Roof – Inclined, reduce pipes for rain water drainage – collect water in channel on ground not in gutter on roof and place back into earth through pit, no machinery on roof, breathing terracotta tiles. 
11. Fireplace – on north wall
Active Design Principles:
1. Renewable Energy – PV panels 
2. Electrical – LED lighting, lighting management systems
3. Mechanical-low energy use Heat Pumps/VRV, underfloor heating, boiler in mech room not outside, no solar panels when have PV's, pipe in pipe system.
4. Fire Risk – use water from the pool in sprinklers located on the border with a pine wood, for proactive protection of environment and property.
Renewable Energy +EPC
Not all the above are calculated in the EPC – such as the fireplace/water feature/ wind direction/ inclined windows/ use of plants for shading, but they also contribute to a lower need for energy use. Still, the house is certified with an A rating at just 22KWh/msq/year (nearly zero). This will be zero with doubling the PV’s to an output of 8400W from the 4200W today, which is within the allowance of 10000W per household.
Timeline – design to construction 2014-2024