Author: sinani

This project is a radical renovation, converting a ground floor retail area into a modern residence, located in the center of Athens. The purpose of the design was to fully meet the needs of the principal, for the creation of a fully functional and equipped residence.These data, combined with the small area of the floor plan led to an “out of the box” design approach.

The proposal focused on how we can avoid the conventional linear positioning of the individual spaces and approach the organization of functions through a basic gesture. A wooden cube was placed in a diagonal arrangement to define individual functions and movements within the perceptually unified space. This cube brings together the mechanical infrastructure and defines the kitchen, bathroom and storage spaces on the ground floor level. On the loft level the cube becomes the sleeping area and defines the office area in continuation of the vertical movement axis. The wooden cube was created from veneered in a warm shade of oak where together with the gray tile with a mosaic effect on the floor and the library furniture in the natural shade of clay create a balanced palette of light colors and natural materials. In contrast to this light color palette, black color was chosen for the staircase and the metal structure of the loft, wanting to emphasize perceptually and aesthetically the diagonal axis as a dominant element.

This project is a radical renovation, converting a ground floor retail area into a modern residence. The purpose of the design was to meet the needs of the principal, for the creation of a residence with a parking space. This data, combined with the total area of the floor plan and the limitations resulting from the static support of the building, led to an open space plan design approach.

The architectural proposal focused on how we can overcome the perception we have of the conventional way of living and perceive private spaces as “open” spaces and as elements within a single perceptual whole. The sleeping area was defined with basic geometries of wooden construction, avoiding conventional walls that reach up to the height of the ceiling and create an enclosed space. The parking space as an area that is not directly involved in the daily life inside the residence, was decided to create a strong boundary. This boundary defined at floorplan level, the entrance and living room, while at sectional level, it created the required height for the sleeping area. The bathroom remained in the existing position, one meter higher than ground floor level and the kitchen was created based on it, for the functional and mechanical integration of the two spaces. In this way, an area was created at this level, in which the office space was freely placed. The static carrier was treated as part of the design composition and chosen to stand out by displaying its material.