HIGHLIGHT: VARDA STUDIO

Vardastudio is located in Paphos and was established by Andreas Vardas in 1997. Andreas Vardas graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, in 1993 and gained his working experience in London. He is a member of the RIBA, as well as ETEK. The studio’s work includes a number of individual houses, housing development as well as public buildings and a healthy number of competitions. The practice has earned many awards in competitions as well as the Republic of Cyprus President’s award. It has also represented Cyprus in the European Mies Van Der Rohe award.

The studio’s design agenda is focused on two points: a clear architectural response to the site and the client’s brief, and simplicity in form. Each project is tackled in a unique way and becomes a direct response to its environmental conditions, an integral part of the landscape. Built and the natural environment must interact as closely as possible to provide the best spatial experience to the end-user. The built form is simple and functional, with different functional elements expressed and accentuated. Detailing is kept simple and beautiful. Ornamentation has no place in the design process. Instead, materials are used in imaginative ways to provide texture and atmosphere.

Projects

George Michael Residence

The house is located in the midst of a banana plantation in Sea Caves area, near Paphos, Cyprus. The design team saw an opportunity to unleash the living spaces beyond the interior of the house and nestle them among the banana trees. A set of exterior walls bound the external spaces.

Vida

Two residential blocks offer 8 flats over three floors. The layout aims to offer as many units with direct sea views as possible. The project is located in a central residential area in Limassol. The massing respects the scale and character of the area, whilst maximising the development potential of the site. The orientation of the site, and therefore the blocks, means that there are large west-facing openings. The design integrates exterior curtains of chainmail in addition to awnings and louvers in order to provide adequate solar shading and combat overheating.

Tina's barn house

This house was designed for a young family that requested a contemporary take on barn-house stle design. From this, the pitched roof design took life and determined the form of the house.

Residence for Andri and George

Formally the house is composed as two volumes on two levels, externally distinguished by materials, whilst coming together internally through a concise interior design that integrates the living spaces. The corten steel clad upper floor sits atop the fairface concrete ground floor, and opens up to the rear creating a sheltered L-shaped veranda. At ground floor the living area also opens up to a rear deck and a garden beyond.

House on Platres

The project is a one-of-a-king residence that at once blends in, and stands out from its natural and man-made surroundigs.

AB House

The project is located in a field in Geroskipou. The plot is generally level and exposed to the neighbour and to views from the public roads to the south and west.

Adamos Residence

A luxury located in Limassol, it presetns an elegant composition of carefully proportioned intersecting volumes. The variety of materials is an architectural composition that converges with the yard area. Playful unexpected division of the walls between the yard and the garage entry visually creates an enclosed relaxation zone whilost being see-through at the same time.

Source: Varda Studio