The project site to the north of Nicosia is a troubled one, with an industrial district to the east, Famagusta-Morphou road to the south and Nicosia Cemetery to the north. Therefore, the only viable reference proved to be the sloping terrain towards the stream on the western side. In spite of this restricted point of departure, all individual parts of the campus, namely kindergarten, primary school, high school, cafeteria and sports hall required to have their autonomy while also acting together, in order to render a lively and unified campus atmosphere.
The “L” plan scheme is devised in light of these requirements, allowing the kindergarten building to be placed in relative seclusion and protection at the tip of site, with the primary school and the high school forming the main two wings of campus. Facilities of common use, such as the cafeteria and sports hall are proposed at the intersection of main wings, thus forming a college street in between them and the educational buildings. This street creates a spine for the campus: a social environment to remain active within the warm Cypriot climate for most of the year.
As an important criterion for the performance educational buildings is the design of construction and also of administration, passive architectural solutions were developed for every single challenge the site and building functions might pose. Easy to obtain, local and economic materials and construction methods are preferred to create long lasting environments. Dependence on mechanical ventilation, cooling and lighting are reduced by employing spatial qualities and architectural elements prevailing in the local built environment of Cyprus.
