Pissouri

Rooted in the Landscape

Hyland Edgar Driver

Use these (originals) without

the annotations and with an
inset location plan.

Existing Flora and Fauna

Comprehensive vegetation, fauna and site surveys
will be undertaken in advance of further design
development but on the basis of desktop study
and photographic analysis the following may be
summarised.
The site, although cultivated in part, is covered by
Mediterranean garrigue vegetation, sometimes
known as Phrygana in Greece.
This is an open community of mainly evergreen
shrubs. Often aromatic and colourful in flower,
smaller herbs, bulbs and wildflowers grow beneath
the shrubs and between the rocks and patches
of bare ground to provide early spring and late
autumn highlights of colour.
Typical shrub species include Myrtles, Brooms
and Cistus such as Calycotome spp., Cistus spp.,
Genista sphacelata, Myrtus communis, Pistacia
spp. and Sarcopterium spinosum with flowering
herbs and bulbs such as Cyclamen, Thyme, and
Wild Orchids.
In addition to the shrub species however there
is clearly an existing population of tree species
including Olive (Olea europea), Juniperus
phoenicea and one would suppose species such
as Carob(Ceratonia siliqua) and Pistacia lentiscus
to exist.
The bird life of Cyprus is relatively diverse due
to its location on the north south Africa-Europe
migration routes.
The site is likely to support a wide range of
small warblers, pipits and larks as well as more
charismatic Mediterranean species such as
Hoopees, Bee-eaters, with birds of prey such as
buzzards, eagles and falcons flying above.
Other attractive wildlife will include some of
Cypruss fifty odd butterfly species living on the
plants and flowers of the garrigue.

Proposed Landscape Strategy

Cyprus like many parts of the world suffers from
habitat loss due to human degradation particularly
in phrygana areas.
The development proposes therefore to work with
the natural landscape and to give something
back through enhancement using the existing
vegetation and landscape types as the basis for
future design and management.
In place of the ornamental boulevard will be the
hillside road meandering through flowering shrubs
and herbaceous plants scattered with native trees.

Hillside Village

In place of the continuous hedge will be the

interconnecting drifts of groundcover and low
shrubs.
That said the design will recognise the needs of
the human being both in the creation of private
and public space but in so doing will use native
or naturalised vegetation in formal associations
such as Olive and Carob Groves or perhaps field
terraces of Orange, Lemon or Almond under
planted with native shrubs and flora.

River Valley
Village Centre

Typology 1 appropriately named to reflect exisiting and suggest

proposed character

Diagram needs to be something like

this as an overlay on Starc Architects
material. Needs to show three typologies
on a base of Natural Landscape with the
latter binding them together.

These associations will extend to structural

forms in urban courtyards and plazas where,
in combination with locally derived paving,
materials the design will create a contemporary
interpretation of local culture and tradition, of local
ecology and vernacular.
All of this will combine to one landscape within
which there will be different characters, a sense
of place with a range of experience at home in the
Cyprus landscape.
The following images have been chosen to
illustrate the design intent in advance of detailed
schedules noting they should begin with the above
mentioned surveys.

Typology2 appropriately named to reflect exisiting and suggest

proposed character
Typology 3 appropriately named to reflect exisiting and suggest
proposed character

Begin with the landscape itself and the buildings and

people in it, draw inspiration from the rocks that tell the
history of time, from the waters and plants that give life and
from the people who live in and shape the landscape.

Local Skills, Local Techniques

.
Neither pastiche nor pure but a contemporary interpretation
of tradition, stylish and sensual, discerning without being
elitist.
The principles of design of space and experience remain
constant, what is required is an understanding of climate
and culture and the willingness to be open and responsive,
to listen and to learn.

The hard elements of the landscape will be

derived from the local geology and vernacular
characterised by limestones and marbles with
occasional granite and ceramic/terra-cottas
complemented by iron timber.
Whilst a traditional palette is proposed it is
anticipated that this will be expressed in a
contemporary manner using clean and simple
lines.
The following images have been chosen to
illustrate the design intent in advance of detailed
proposals.

Infrastructure, Uses and Landscape Character

Diagrams need to be something

like this as overlays on Starc
Architects material.

Site Entrance

Principle Hotel Buildings

Hillside Town
Site Entrance

Hillside Hotel Villas

Principle Route

Private Residencies

Footpath

Whatever???

Existing Watercourse

Village Square/Plaza

A Landscape led Design Strategy

Diagram needs to be something like this as an

overlay on Starc Architects material.
I suggest three key landscape types united by the
natural landscape running through.

On this, as if evolved over time, there are three

main landscape character types that may be
summarised as River Valley, Village Centre and
Hillside Village though within and across these
typologies will be the detail that defines local
character.

The Village Centre at the heart of the site provides

the focus of activity with not only the sport facilities
but also village shops and cafes clustered around
a contemporary version of the traditional village
square. Villas and apartments that face the square
will derive their character from the square with
harder more urban pathways and alleys softened
by occasional specimen trees contrasted by small
groups, luxuriant climbers cascading over walls
and even bespoke planters.

Hillside Village
Private Residencies

As one moves up the hillside away from the

Village Centre, the paths become less urban and
greener and the landscape becomes more natural
with ornamentality retreating to gardens as the
natural landscape with occasional grids of Olives
or plateaux reminiscent of former field terraces
create moments of interest, intervening focal and
amenity areas.

Village Centre

Spa

Design should not be the application of an international model but a unique

and complex response to the landscape. Design should give back to the
landscape, to its ecology and to its people, their culture and their livelihood.

The concept begins with he natural landscape that

runs through and underpins the whole concept.

The River Valley works with the more even,

greener land of agriculture and becomes a linear
park continuing to perform its seasonal role in
flood alleviation whilst also providing a range of
amenity and sporting opportunities overlooked by
a variety of villas with their own character to the
north west falling to the outward looking edge of
the Village Centre to the south east.

See text opposite.

River Valley

Landscape Concept

Imagine the route as if one enters over the top of

the hills through the natural landscape. One first
encounters the higher outlying villas of the Hillside
Village in their green setting but as one moves
down the hill the scene becomes more urban till
one reaches the Village Centre with its street life
and beyond that the green River Valley flowing
ultimately to the sea.

Landscape Concept
Imagine the route (illustrated from left to right) as
if one enters over the top of the hills through the
natural landscape. One first encounters the higher
outlying villas of the Hillside Village in their green
setting but as one moves down the hill the scene
becomes more urban till one reaches the Village
Centre with its street life and beyond that the
green River Valley flowing ultimately to the sea.
A concept that is best told in pictures perhaps...

Hillside Village

Hillside Village

Hillside Village to Village Centre

Village Centre

Village Centre

River Valley

River Valley

One Landscape

One Landscape...

...Many Characters

Section - Hillside Village to Village Centre.

Section from other project indicative of intent only

Section - Village Centre to River Valley

showing cafes, plaza and sport beyond

Section from other project indicative of intent only

Section - River Valley Villas to River Valley

showing natural parkland with picnic, play and maybe
jogging?

Section from other project indicative of intent only

Hyland Edgar Driver

Hyland Edgar Driver (HED) has a wide ranging
portfolio of prestigious and acclaimed work in the
UK and overseas with a reputation for design and
delivery in landscape and urban design.
In the UK HED was landscape architect for the
London Olympic Stadium team responsible for the
stadium plazas and approaches seen worldwide
in 2012 and was responsible for Heathrow Airport
Terminal 5, the countrys largest construction
project, as part of its wider work for BAA.
HED has a portfolio of overseas work including
landscape masterplanning, leisure, commercial
and retail developments.
Overseas experience includes developments in
Albania, Austria, Belarus, Cape Verde, Congo,
Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Germany,
Greece, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Libya,
Malta, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Romania,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Oman,
Turkey, UAE and Ukraine.
HED believes in Local Living as a design
philosophy for residential developments,
starting with local landscapes and their people,
understanding their histories and stories and their
arts and their crafts, and using those as the basis
for design concepts.
Concepts rooted in localities offer context and
engagement and provide the user with fond
memories, stories of a place and an experience
that transcends simple classification of quality.
Concepts rooted in localities also tend to use tried,
almost intuitive, sustainable designs where the
sense of place and the technology of tradition are
one and the same.

Projects illustrated on this page and the next

are Vacation Club La Sella Denia Spain; Estrela
Resort Cape Verde; Spencer Dock Dublin Ireland;
The Village Centre Markojica Golf Resort Croatia;
Mykonos Resort Greece; London 2012 Olympic
Stadium.

Simon Edgar FLI, FRSA

Simon is a founding director of
HED with experience in Europe, The
Mediterranean and The Middle East on a wide
range of projects.
He has been involved with residential, hospitality
and leisure, commercial, urban and waterfront
landscapes for many years, including work
throughout the UK and Overseas working from
landscape masterplan through to the delivery of
award-winning schemes for major developers and
clients.
Simon acted as Peer Reviewer for HEDs 2012
London Olympic Team.
Simon is also responsible for HEDs relationships
with the likes of British Land, BAA, Microsoft
and O2 as well as most of HEDs overseas work
particularly in the CIS and India where he is
working in Mumbai and Bangalore.
He also leads HEDs relationships with
international hotel operators including their
vacation club and associated villa options with
projects in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Simon is currently working in
the UK, Europe, Russia, and the
CIS, Africa and the Caribbean
and has worked around the
Mediterranean for over 25 years.

www.heduk.com
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