The proposal for the Limassol student residences envisions living as a rich, multi-layered experience that combines privacy, social interaction, and sustainability. Students’ daily life extends beyond their rooms into a vibrant ecosystem of learning, collaboration, and community engagement.
Unlike conventional dormitories centered around closed corridors and a single shared space, this design emphasizes the common space as the organizational and experiential core. It functions as a conduit for light, air, and social interaction, fostering a dynamic and communal environment on all levels.
The guiding principles of the design are:
01_ Emphasis on the In-between Space: A sequence of semi-outdoor plazas, atriums, and communal zones that bring daylight and ventilation deep into the complex.
02_ Vertical Commons: Lounges, study areas, game rooms, and meeting nodes are dispersed across floors to encourage chance encounters and interaction.
03_ Bioclimatic Design: Natural ventilation, solar shading, and controlled permeability ensure thermal comfort and low energy consumption.
Room typology: Simple and functional layouts ensure privacy while maintaining visual and functional connections with shared spaces.
04_ Expressive Structure: Reinforced concrete load-bearing system with standard openings, where the construction itself expresses the architectural character.
Access and Circulation
The main entrance is located on the northwest, framed by a central opening separating the two main volumes. It functions as a welcoming threshold that guides users into the intermediate space while revealing the building’s social life. Vehicular access and limited parking (including spaces for persons with disabilities) are located on the northeast, with a peripheral loop for drop-off and circulation. Landscaped green zones integrate the complex seamlessly with the city.
Vertical Commons
The intermediate space is a continuum of semi-open plazas, atria, and corridors that structure daily life. Rooms open onto this central spine, while plazas and staircases create visual and physical connections, encouraging interaction without compromising privacy. Nodes of activity are strategically located near openings to the city, linking the building to its urban context. A metal staircase in the atrium offers alternative circulation, while the top floor canopy enhances flexibility, spatial richness, and daylight quality.
Room/Apartment Typology
Rooms are compact, functional, and oriented to maximize daylight and natural ventilation. Bathrooms are positioned on the façade, creating shaded balconies while maintaining visual connection to the commons. This arrangement balances privacy, functionality, and comfort.
Bioclimatic design is a central axis of the proposal. Orientation, natural airflows, and sunlight are harnessed to ensure thermal comfort with minimal energy consumption. The intermediate space and atria function as natural channels for light and ventilation, bringing daylight deep into the building without overheating. Platforms and overhangs create shaded zones that reduce the need for artificial cooling. Cross-ventilation enhances natural air renewal, making the complex more sustainable and healthy. Materials are selected for durability and economy: reinforced concrete structural frame, brick walls with thermal insulation and plaster finish, and limited glazing outside shared spaces. This strategy reduces costs, facilitates maintenance, and improves thermal performance.
