ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Hansen, Mixed Use Building in Athens, Greece by AREA, Architecture Research AthensFebruary 21st, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: AREA, Architecture Research Athens This project redefines the mixed-use housing typology of the “polykatoikia”, ubiquitous in Greek cities, in one of the most dense urban neighborhoods of Athens’ center, Patissia. An L-shaped plan is dictated by site orientation and adjacent building mass, creating a small garden to the South. The vertical arrangement of different programs, typically integrated behind a uniform facade of duplicate floors, is articulated here as a “sectional” facade: individual floor levels appear to extend different lengths along the street, varying the relationship of closed to open space at each floor. Along the street, the mass of the building is lifted to provide broad visual access to the private garden, and allow room for two vehicles. At each level of the building, an exterior or transparent space \”bridges\” the street to the backyard along the East party line, whereas the most sheltered interior spaces are concentrated along the opposite party line. This results in a double strategy. On the one hand, the careful manipulation of the building code incorporates a pilotis, a pergola and covered outdoor spaces, creating a porous civic facade that subverts the requirement for the building’s mass to continue that of its neighbors. On the other hand, the near-absence of protruding balconies brings the building’s interior closer to the realm of the street.  Building’s main facade, an exterior or transparent space “bridges” the street to the backyard along the East party line, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris
 Large window openings onto the South-facing garden are shaded by a tall, deciduous tree in summer (Sophora japonica), while the loss of leaves in the winter allows apartments to benefit from solar gain, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris Standard construction and everyday materials are made elegant through design. A reinforced concrete frame with brick infill is dressed in 6 to 7 cm exterior insulation for maximum energy savings. Sliding screens of birch plywood offer material economy, even as their movement activates the street facade. Operable windows and the integration of exterior spaces into the building’s L-shaped plan maximize cross-ventilation and natural daylight at every level. Large window openings onto the South-facing garden are shaded by a tall, deciduous tree in summer (Sophora japonica), while the loss of leaves in the winter allows apartments to benefit from solar gain. Design decisions, such as rendering the garden, pilotis and street front as a continuum, activate outdoor spaces that are normally treated as residual, thus offering a paradigm of urban sustainability. The building’s turquoise color highlights exterior spaces and recalls two local references: the widespread Athenian tendency among older buildings to paint the underside of balconies in decorative hues; and the ubiquitous colorful fabric awnings that add to the city’s lively appearance.  Pedestrian main entrance next to the pilotis, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  Pedestrian main entrance, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  The transparent living room of the 2nd floor hovers between the street and the garden, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  Main living room on the 4th floor opening to a pergola outdoor space, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  Vertical openings bring light and offer a garden view to the vertical circulation spaces, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  Interior staircase, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  The more private interior spaces such as the kitchen of the 2nd floor, Image Courtesy © Vassilis Makris  Image Courtesy © AREA, Architecture Research Athens  Image Courtesy © AREA, Architecture Research Athens  Image Courtesy © AREA, Architecture Research Athens  Image Courtesy © AREA, Architecture Research Athens  Image Courtesy © AREA, Architecture Research Athens
Categories: Autocad, Building, Mixed use, Residential |
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