Plans have been submitted for an innovative new education hub in Limassol district, Cyprus.

The scheme for The Island Private School, a progressive English-speaking international school for pre-school through to secondary education, is set to form the centrepiece of a wider masterplan for a new village community on the island, also by the practice.

Designed for Luvasa Properties, in collaboration with executive architects Panos Panayiotou + Associates, the 21,000sq m scheme is planned to be integrated into the hillside context of the site and tailored to the Mediterranean climate to provide a nature-led learning environment for over 2,000 students.

Conceived as a ‘village within a village’, the proposed scheme responds to the natural contours of the site, embracing and connecting to an exciting series of outdoor courtyards to ensure that it flows down the hillside while maintaining and preserving local ecosystems.

The scheme proposes embedding classrooms, play areas and circulation into the landscape to blur boundaries between indoor and outdoor learning, in a bid to create safe and stimulating environments, promote wellbeing, and to place exploration and discovery at the heart of the learning process - across all curricula and age ranges.

In keeping with the hot and dry climate, we have designed the scheme to integrate shade and passive water management. The scheme carries a frame structure and standard grid to meet demanding local seismic standards and to aid with buildability, future flexibility, and adaptability.

Our design proposal includes bio-diverse roofs and is designed to incorporate natural materials including excavated stone, wood, and indigenous planting, in order to insulate and shade buildings, ground the school into the local environment, and create a unique sense of place for pupils, staff, and the wider school community.

The aim is to open the new school building in September 2026.