Aer House / Studio Kyriakos Miltiadou

Situated near a sparse forest with intriguing vistas over the suburbs of Nicosia, this house stands in a deliberately ambiguous way: Rather than adopting a conventional residential typology that opens outward to offer uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape, it rises as an austere, introverted box. Is it a building, a sculpture, or a container? The proposal constitutes an elaboration of the primordial dwelling-box and its reinterpretation in relation to contemporary modes of domestic living.

As the late urban planner Jaime Lerner once argued, the future of architecture lies not in building new cities but in updating those that already exist. In a world where resources are finite and urban space is increasingly saturated, his statement feels more urgent than ever. It calls for architects to look inward, to rethink what truly needs to be built, and to recognize the creative potential of what is already there. Within the constraints of existing structures lies an opportunity to design differently: to repair, adapt, and reuse. Or, as French poet Louis Aragon would have it, to reinvent the past to see the beauty of the future.

Architecture has entered a pivotal moment. As cities continue to grow under the weight of climatic and social pressures, the materials and systems that shape them are being redefined. Artificial intelligence and robotics, once used to accelerate construction processes, are now being rethought as tools for cultivation. Printed structures that grow, breathe, and decay. Cultivation, in this context, refers to designing with biological materials, where growth and decay are active parameters, merging digital precision with ecological intelligence. This evolution shows the shift from efficiency to empathy, where architecture becomes an agent of active repair. The introduction of mycelium and other natural materials into 3D printing presents a new paradigm in architecture: the logic of the living. A place where computation and fabrication meet biological adaptability.

The Christinger Residence offers around fifteen rental apartments designed for seniors. The project originates from the bequest of Mrs. Christinger, who donated to the municipality a 1,933 m² plot of land and the villa that had been built there in the 1940s. Upon receiving the testament, which dedicated the property to the benefit of the municipality's senior citizens, the municipality initiated a reflection on the type of housing for a population experiencing declining autonomy.