Villa Troy Residential House by Renos Constantinou

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

RC : The 340m² private house in the outskirts of greater Nicosia was designed to feature contemporary aesthetics, acquiring permanence with the use of timeless materials. Concurrently, the house caters to the needs of a family of four, facilitating communication and comfort.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

RC : The building’s placement enhances natural ventilation and lighting, and large openings add to the connection between inside and out.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

RC : I am planning to make some exhibitions and show our work and inform them about the award which is very important for us. We are proud for it.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

RC : The concept idea 4 months and the final design 9 months

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

RC : Thank you for the question. I chooses to bestow the house with identity, alluding to the owners’ names: Paris and Helen. Mythology provides inspiration for designing a contemporary “Trojan” home, the “Villa Troy”.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

RC : The design is for our customer

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

RC : Concurrently, the house caters to the needs of a family of four, facilitating communication and comfort.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

RC : Everything was designed by me and our office. Architecture design, Interior design, Lighting design, furniture design etc

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

RC : The design is for a family

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

RC : The choice of stone cladding on a loadbearing wall on the façade, as well as on the enclosure at the back of the property, hints at the walls of Troy. Metal, applied in many components, is another significant material from that time: the façade features five ornamental brackets whose angular form alludes to the trojan war spears; The original metal door and the vertical metal railings shape the home enclosure.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

RC : The architect Renos Constantinou chooses to bestow the house with identity, alluding to the owners’ names: Paris and Helen. Mythology provides inspiration for designing a contemporary “Trojan” home, the “Villa Troy”.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

RC : This is a very important question thank you for asking. We give emphasis on new methods and technology to revitalize our services. We start working on site analysis using drone scanning. In addition, using them for site scanning and feedback during the construction process, even taking the incorporation of drone scanning a step further by integrating drone data feedback loops into their design practice. 3D printing is one of technology’s most revolutionary innovations, with the potential to change the face of so many industries including architecture. When presenting to clients or exploring design in further details, creating a 3D-printed model can help both designers and clients see a clearer picture of the project, seeing how a design interacts with its surroundings. Building Information Modeling (BIM) throughout the design process helps to improve quality and accelerates design processes with integrated workflows for concept design, modeling, multidiscipline coordination, and construction.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

RC : Sustainability was a key factor in the design of the house, emphasizing solar protection, natural ventilation and the use of photovoltaic / solar panels. The swimming pool was placed adjacent to the living room, for natural cooling The building’s placement enhances natural ventilation and lighting, and large openings add to the connection between inside and out. The design of the building façade appears opaque, dressed in adjustable aluminum strip cladding from top to bottom. This custom design device allows ventilation and protects the residence privacy. The aluminum panels play an important role in the passive cooling of the interior and, during the night, provide insulation from moisture.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

RC : Enginerr4u Civil engineers

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

RC : workflows for concept design, modeling, multidiscipline coordination, and construction.

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

RC : I have mentioned it above

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

RC : The existing environment

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

RC : Is very important to be part of an international competitions in order to have a good feedback

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

RC : We had to manage the time very well and the timeframe