Apartment No 25

The young couple that asked us to redesign this ground-floor apartment had high requirements. First of all, to have the structural elements of the apartment reinforced according to the new seismic building code. Then, they wanted to have a spacious, bright living room, opening up to the veranda and the garden, where they would be able to entertain friends and even host private music concerts. Lastly, they required a private main entrance from the street, a fireplace and a large bookshelf.

The ground floor was totally stripped down to its bearing structure. All installations were dismantled (electricity, water, heat, sewage). Pillars and beams were reinforced with FRPs. A new system for autonomous heating was installed. The masonry and superstructure were thermally insulated. New aluminium frames featuring thermal breaks and insulated glazing were installed. We made sure the apartment can be cross ventilated to reduce the need for artificial cooling during the summer period.

We moved the day zone to the South not only for bio-climatic reasons but also to ensure direct accessibility from the new private entrance and the veranda. We then moved the night zone to the northwest side with access to a private first floor balcony. We kept the system of beams and pillars visible and thus maintained the total height of three meters in the day zone- living room, dining room and kitchen. At the northwest side balcony we designed a vertical garden to protect the bedrooms from the summer heat and create a natural screen from the opposite neighbouring properties.

This project has an interesting story. Athough we had followed every wish and requirement of our clients, our initial design draft was rejected. Thankfully, we were not afraid to re-evaluate, re-form and design anew.

When finished, our clients loved the apartment that  was also presented at the 7th Biennale of Young Greek Architects.