CONCEPTS OF PROJECTS

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CONCEPTS OF PROJECTS

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STATEMENT Commitment to my Architectural Policy, vision and thinking : Concepts of my projects are as follows: THE “ FROM KAT-OIKIA TO SYN-OIKIA “ MIXED USE (CULTURAL+LANDSCAPE+RESIDENTIAL) PUBLIC PROJECT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: The architectural structure of the house was inspired by two incidents/stories, which defined the starting point of a proposal that blossomed on the rocky but fertile, as regards urban planning, ground of the specific area in Ano Poli (Upper Town).

SALVADOR DALI and GALA: In 1930, Salvador and Gala started searching for a house to purchase in Catalonia, which would serve as a home and a working area. They finally bought a house in Port Ligat, a fishing village not far from Cadaqués, which was slightly larger than a hut. After having decorated their new home (as good as they could given their limited resources), which consisted of a 4x4m room leading down a few steps to the bathroom and kitchen, Dali and Gala moved in immediately. Soon after moving in, they bought the neighbouring houses and, by opening doors through the partitions, they created a wonderful home that grew over time, like a living organism.

DIMITRIOS PIKIONIS: Very often, constantly in fact, Pikionis insisted on the role played by the relations between full and empty spaces, on the surface and in space, and explained the importance of lateral and frontal flights, points of successive views, incidence angles, the orientation of a settlement and even the importance of the tone and colour contrasts between own shadow and thrown shadow. From now on only one thing is certain; it is the architect’s job to point out the target sites i.e. the key points from which the optical image tends to completion.

2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The entire building consists of two main large volumes and one small volume. This is not a building with a shell whose form is shaped like a sculpture, but a building with 2+1 shells that tend to separate and whose forms distinguish themselves from one another.

There are thus 2+1 buildings consolidated into a single use and single function (residence) but they simultaneously remain distinct shells (neighbourhood). In this way, the multi-shell building satisfies 4 types of architectural composition.

HISTORICAL PROFILE: The 2+1 volumes of the residence represent the neighbourhood's three periods of history. It is as if each volume has been built in a distinct historical period and the volumes have currently been unified into a single residence. Volume 1 of the residence represents the first period of the neighbourhood when it was still a village – a suburb of villas and mansions with courtyards, and among them the original rocky landscape/environment of the area. Volume 2 represents the second period of the neighbourhood, after 1922, when refugees settled and residential density increased. At the time, the suburb with its mansions and the private courtyards surrounding them was transformed into a neighbourhood with open public spaces surrounded by numerous smaller residences. Private courtyards were used as public squares and the buildings housed several families. Volume 3 represents the third period of the neighbourhood, after 1945, when immigrants arrived and settled in simple ground floor buildings, attached to each other, while the roads became narrower and turned into cul-de-sacs providing access to the residences. Therefore, both the volumetry and the morphology of the volumes/shells is based on the typology of the buildings of each historical period. In this way, the building of the residence becomes a summary of the architectural and town-planning history of the neighbourhood. Step 1: volume 1 – original non-urban historical architectural core – villa. A memory of the modulation of rock into a residence (Turkish occupation). Point 1: independent and self-supported original wall; a reference to the walls and parapets of the town and the square respectively. Point 2: view over the bay; relation between the interior part of the house and the environment i.e. the sea.

Step 2: volume 2 – urban post-refugee architecture of the square – neighbourhood. A memory of the organisation of residences into a neighbourhood surrounding a square (refugees). Point 1: extroverted relation with the square/site of social events. Point 2: a small balcony resembling a theatre box suspended over the square. Step 3: volume 3 – post-war simple modern cul-de-sac architecture. A memory of access arrangements and communication between the neighbourhood's housing units (migration). Point 1: reproduction of the morphology of the house under demolition. Point 2: access – linear form of movement that follows and reproduces the form of the ground like a small street.

TOWN PLANNING PROFILE: This is a debate between individualism and collectivism. A discussion between the private and public forum. The area that is used exclusively by one user is influenced by and influences the area used by several users. The design of the building initially produces a privacy shell, a total void within the town planning functionality of the neighbourhood. It is an introverted building that decomposes the public function of the neighbourhood and converts it into a street network. The design of the building is a surgical town planning intervention that heals the distortions suffered by the neighbourhood due to historical events (refugees – migration). The design of the building also restores the completeness in size and functionality of the public urban areas surrounding the building, without deleting the memory and reference to historical events. Other private urban areas are reproduced within the building itself. This is the revenge of the open space that has been built and integrated in the building. The public urban areas and private urban areas are interrelated and communicate. Through their senses (sight, hearing, touch – walking) users perceive the neighbourhood and the residence as a single unit. Users cross the neighbourhood and enter their home feeling as if they are entering the neighbourhood again while already in their home.

Architectural design continuously redefines the relation between user and neighbourhood, rendering it more friendly, safe and harmonious. The architecture of the residence does not isolate users from their neighbourhood; on the contrary, it reconciles

3 users with their neighbourhood. When sitting in the living room of their home, users have a feeling that resembles the one they have when sitting in the neighbourhood square. The entire structural construction of the residence, the walls, windows, doors, combined with the staircases, floors, ceilings, balconies etc., is transformed into a televisual machine providing contact with the view and the sounds of the neighbourhood and the town. The staircases of the house reproduce the uphill/ downhill feeling of the neighbourhood's roads, while the corridors of the house become parts of the neighbourhood's street network. Step 1: a small street – corridor – stairwell that runs through the building and preserves the feeling of an urban promenade within and throughout the architectural functionality. Point 1: access in linear form. Step 2: interesting thoroughfares, outstanding tours and easy access routes are identified by reading the micro-landscape and ground morphology. Point 1: vehicle traffic. Point 2: pedestrian traffic. Point 3: possible thoroughfare with interesting points for observing the town. Point 4: view point. Point 5: ground slope. Point 6: passage through the square with no view. Step 3: the view as an ensemble of successive images; stirrings in a single movement that splits into distances. Point 1: observation point distances. Point 2: observation points. Point 3: stop levels and observation points. Step 4: the cluster of stop points and movements together with a diversity of views, and the relation between the interior of the building and the external environment suffocate in the simple primary shell that the single use creates. Point 1: shell outline. Point 2: stops. Point 3: movements. Step 5: the scale of the schematically simple volume is an initial transformation, which is indicative of the shell content. Point 1: shell outline with volume scaling. Point 2: independent or dependent areas contained within the shell.

Point 3: movements. Point 4: stops. Step 6: the single shell is transformed and modulated into a dynamic multi-shell; the simple volume cell is multiplied into a variety of volumes and living shapes. Point 1: outline of a multi-shell via which the residence is transformed into a neighbourhood. Point 2: areas – ground plans with various uses. Point 3: circulation corridor that runs through and connects the areas. Step 7: the interplay between the interior and exterior area and the interactive relation of the building with the environment erode the volumes and sculpt the final shapes. Point 1: indirect relation to the environment – view. Point 2: direct relation to the environment – access. Point 3: volumes – areas added, penetration of the interior into the exterior. Point 4: detachable volumes, penetration of the exterior into the interior. Step 8: after composition and final volume sculpting, abstraction, transparency and permeability, via which the building, like a bridge, optically connects areas of the town. Point 1: permeability axes that visually bridge the areas of the town. Point 2: observation or target sites. Point 3: the surrounding town and its areas like a solid building with facades. Point 4: targeting the town’s aspects from the interior of the building. Point 5: the shell splits the town volume into areas. Point 6: movements between target sites that change the visual images of the town from the building. Step 9: the final result is a multi-shell, which is light, suspended, inhales images, views and movements, both within it and around it, confusing the internal area with the external area and open space with enclosed space. Point 1: horizontal free movements. Point 2: a view that enters the home from everywhere. Point 3: building levels at the target levels. Point 4: target sites – levels. Point 5: horizontal and vertical final connection of target sites. Step 10: firstly, construction, when the building is a sculptural object that is constructed by decomposing the town; secondly, decomposition, where the town is the sculptural object that is reconstructed by decomposing the building. Point 1: aperture – town atrium that produces its internal aspects. Point 2: panoramic view of the town – internal aspect.

Point 3: optical axis.

Point 4: living the town, not living in the town.

CLIMATIC PROFILE: The building has two climatic characters, three climatic behaviours and two climatic objectives. The first climatic objective includes all those features that a ‘green’ building should have, such as energy saving for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. Energy savings imply a friendly relationship between the building and the natural environment.

This means that the building does not pollute the natural environment with energy waste. In order to achieve the first climatic objective, the building is broken down into a living machine that consumes energy and raw materials, and produces waste during its construction and operation. The second climatic objective includes the management of

4 the interaction between the architectural microclimate, the town planning microclimate and the natural microclimate. A residence is an artificial environment that develops its own meteorological data i.e. it has its own temperature, its own internal wind speed and its own humidity rate. A neighbourhood is also an artificial environment that develops its own meteorological data, which to a certain degree depend on the meteorological data of the residences that form it. Both the meteorological data of residences and those of the neighbourhood alter the meteorological data of the natural environment i.e. they cause climate change and influence local weather. In the town of Thessaloniki, this is an existing and specific fact. The temperature and size of the town’s buildings and streets create a barrier that diverts the “Vardaris” wind from its perennial course. The “Vardaris” wind is a significant factor of the area’s natural climate. The change in its direction and the attenuation of its speed has changed the area’s climate, transforming it from dry (temperate) to humid (subtropical). In order to achieve the second climatic objective, the building is approached as a climatic system and its meteorological data are configured in view of interrelating in a friendly manner with the respective meteorological data of the neighbourhood and the natural environment. The building achieves its climatic objectives via two climatic characters, a winter climatic character and a summer climatic character. The winter climatic character is based on the igloo phenomenon. The building’s closed, curved and aerodynamic form during the winter has a positive impact on the direction and speed of the wind around the building and prevents overheating of its external shell. At the same time, due to its architectural structure (suitable design of entries, corridors, stairwells and rooms) it functions as a heat-trap, trapping heat within the building. The summer climatic character is based on the tunnel phenomenon. The building’s open, flat and elongated shape during the summer increases wind speed and directs the wind flow into the building and through the building, preventing overheating of its interior. At the same time, due to its architectural structure (suitable design of openings and floor levels), the building functions like a cooling, ventilation and shading machine, both for itself and for the neighbourhood. Thus, the residence has three climatic behaviours; in the winter it warms up the neighbourhood, protecting it from the wind, and in the summer it cools the neighbourhood, protecting it from overheating. Step 1: in the winter, the house has a closed igloo shape with internal mezzanines. Step 2: in the summer, the house has an open tunnel shape with intermediate levels.

ARCHITECTURAL PROFILE: The building has three floors, an underground car-park and a loft below the roof. There is a studio with an open-plan kitchen-living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms, as well as a main entrance with a lobby and stairwell. On the second floor, there are two bedrooms, a main bathroom and a sitting room with windows that provide a view over the square, as well as an auxiliary entrance with a stairwell. On the third floor, there is one room, a kitchen and a small bathroom, a dining room and an open-plan living room with a view over the town, as well as a stairwell. All floors are connected vertically by a hydraulic elevator that descends to the underground car-park. The building has only two façades with totally different aesthetics, morphology and composition rationale. One facade is northern, and has a view over the neighbourhood square. Details: Central French window that accentuates the symmetry axis of the sahnesi (protruding part of the building’s facade) and the pediment, with a small balcony facing the square that opens up and socialises the house and at the same time preserves the feeling of safety due to the theatre box architecture that characterises it.

Central pediment, a characteristic morphological element of Ano Poli, which hides the attic.

A strong architectural segment that degrades the volume of the house and sets off the open and spacious character of the square. Central refined protrusion, a hovering balance of introverted privacy and extroverted connection with the square, due to its low elevation with respect to the square. Symmetrical openings with neoclassical details and finishing.

Building wall with joints in the plaster, a reference to the popular neoclassical architecture of the interwar period. Step 1: removal of parts of the roof in order to reveal more of the sky. Point 1: Removal of volume and surface. Point 1: Total volume of building block. Point 1: Separation of property facades. Step 2: division of the facade surface into more interesting (primary) and less interesting (secondary) parts, optical hierarchy and organization of the facade. Step 3: protrusion of the primary part, while the secondary part visually withdraws into the shadow. Step 4: strong increase of the

5 void area in the full one, the surface of the secondary part. Step 5: formation of an arched horizontal edge in order to reduce the vertical dimensions of the void and optically lower the part. Step 6: yet another separation of the part into a floor unit, which is smaller than the façade of the floor and roof-pediment unit. Step 7: inscription on the main unit using very fine linear elements and opening of symmetrical gaps in order to achieve permeability in the volume of the building’s facade. The other façade is southern and has a view over the sea and the town. Details:Glazed protrusion, abstraction of volume and surface, highlighting of the arch like a wall as opposed to a seating wall, house openings with a view over the sea and optical permeability towards the square. Arch built of bricks and stone, a morphological reference and optical reduction to the adjacent walls and their doors. Four-slanted roof that isolates and delimits the volume of part of the house. Protruding veranda with kiosk morphology; creates the feeling that it is a construction of the square. Double protrusion and balcony with volume and surface abstraction so that the functionality of the balcony does not limit the intensity of the wall. Wall, a memory of a low wall supporting the square and at the same time a reproduction of the square’s border that runs through the building. Low cottage at the foot of the wall – low wall – wall, a memory of local popular architecture and simultaneously a visual transfiguration of the self-supported stone wall into an architectural part of the building. Step 1: copy of the square’s stone wall. Relocation of an element that is to disappear behind the road with the steps. Point 1: properties boundary. Point 2: new stone wall. Point 3: existing house. Step 2: wall extension to wall by placing an arch as a characteristic element of the city walls located near the plot.

Point 1: small street crossing the building lengthwise. Step 3: construction of volume at the base of the wall, a memory of a characteristic building entity of the city's Byzantine walls. Step 4: building of a protrusion and arrangement of the floor based on an open construction-kiosk morphology and form. Step 5: completion of the floor by another protrusion dominated by gaps, by abstracting part of the solid surface, adding transparency and improving the optical permeability of the building. Step 6: the final shaping of the four-slanted roof defines the lower view of the part and separates the volume from the rest of the building. Step 7: the two-way penetration of the gallery as a drop and as a prop for the loggia on the surface of the stone wall without reducing the intensity of the stone wall material.

THE “ FLYOVER CLASSROOM “ EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC PROJECT KALLITECHNIKO GYMNASIO OF AMPELOKIPI secondary school of fine arts.

HISTORY: The school has been founded recently. Operated for two years and has only two classes.

In regular operation is expected to have 6 classes. Is a regular secondary school that has extra art lessons, divided into groups of dance, painting and theatre – cinema. The students learn mathematics, physics, language and simultaneously they learn dancing, painting, theatre and making films. The school is temporarily housed in another school until its own school building will build up. The plot exists, already has been bought from the municipality of Ampelokipi and this moment becomes the debates on the architectural planning of new building. Ladies and gentlemen, we present the concept and part of architectural preliminary drafts of new building of artistic school.

SCHOOL'S ADMINISTRATION SAID: Firstly the room must be large in relation with the number of students, that good will be it does not exceed the twenty. Desks placed circularly and flexibly, in order that the students work sometimes in teams, sometimes opens a debate, in desks placed in Ushape, sometimes work certain alone, individually, others in teams, proportionally with the object of teaching and the requirements of circumstance. At least in one part of the classroom it is good to have a large carpet and big cushions, in order that certain students, in relaxed disposal, can sit down and write a literary text, work in small teams on a script, process a project in geography or in the biology, try a dramatization, while the remaining deal with something else. Generally good is to create corners in the classroom, with parallel pastime of students on different sides of the same subject ( collaboration of teachers of various items). Parallel with the central library of the school, it is useful to have bookshelves in classroom, to host favourites books of childrens, and the favourites cd's and dvd's, which will be parallel useful as starting

6 points in various instructive objects and in relative projects. Furthermore, it is necessary an audio system, video, computers and projection screen, Internet connection, to open a window to the world any time is necessary at the phases of teaching in the frame of multiliteracies. On the other hand there should be a real window to the world, in nature, namely: the class will be supposed to view with large windows and glass in a green area with trees and flowers. Stimuli in the multi-modal approach of the world should come not only by technical means. The child will be supposed to hear the real song of bird and inspired a text based on them, to actually see colours and shapes of flowers and create art. Even more, good will be the instructive classroom to have its own access to a small garden, to which will be responsible the children of this class. Flower-beds with flowers and with vegetables will need their care. Trees will offer shade and the benches will be mounted in an appropriate manner, in order that lessons could be outdoor, when the conditions allow it. Back to indoors: the classroom may, in at least a part of, skylight on the roof, with appropriate treatment, to allow light to enter the classroom, but to provide heat, other to be aggravating, when the temperature rising.

SCHOOL'S TEACHERS SAID: if you give students a library, will bring books from home. If they have suitable space they will bring a photograph, a printed page from something that moved their the interest, a painting, a comment. In this room the children do not seat nailed in hard seats. It is a medieval type torture (seven hours a day for twelve years) for people full of life and vigour. A corner that will watch the seasons, the sky, the rain, a corner with fireplace. I imagine a school with a yard in its center, the nature. Rooms and laboratories built around from the yard in a big circle with no corners.

PEDAGOGIC SOURCES: A great teacher, Alexandros Delmouzos mentioned in the "secret school": one morning when I went down in my office, I found certain students to seat around from the fireplace, where fire burned, thus front in the beautiful fire I opened slowly a conversation, and students began to say their own stories.

ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT: In order to make a classroom as ask to us by the school, the teachers and the students, first we separate the structural and architectural departments that constituting in two categories: 1) functionality: The entire classroom is a house with five rooms: the main classroom, the lounge, the garden, the yard and the facilities. We place the garden in the ground floor, we place the main classroom of teaching, the lounge and the facilities in the above floor and the yard is placed in the intermediary. The plan of this construction can be built with different materials, other for urban areas other for rural areas and other for a portable version of the building. The building hangs from a structural system that is independent and for its hanging can be used different structural systems such as reinforced concrete or metal frame. As basic unit of dimensioning was used a dimension of 0,6m = 2ft which produces all the other dimensions. The main classroom is flexible and modifiable. Its about 14 classrooms in one. It takes the form of a typical classroom and can also be converted into an amphitheater. It can be transferred to the garden for outdoor lessons. It is mainly litted up with natural lighting by the roof, while it has also a large northern window in the ceiling for the students to view the sky and the seasons passing by. Has its own system of natural ventilation and a kneeling system to improve its acoustics performance. The interior design changes in order that is suitable for each one from the 7 types of courses (performances, lectures, experiments, projections, debates, computers, workshops) while it has all essential equipment (video, computers, benches, mirrors) that need these courses. Shaping the change to be appropriate for each of the 7 types of courses, and has all necessary equipment (video, computers, benches, mirrors) that need these courses. The lounge placed around the classroom and has a fireplace, sofas and exhibitions surfaces, with its own separate ventilation system.

The windows are positioned below the floor to allow students that sits down on sofas to watch the yard with the flowers. Thus they have the sense that the lounge is in the ground and no in the floor. There are also eastern windows placed tally, in order the students view the rising of the sun from inside the classroom. The garden has a greenhouse, a vegetable garden and an open area for student's desks. The natural soil of the land is maintained by avoiding construction to alter it. Desks go down from the classroom along with the floor, with a lifting mechanism. The yard is a big circular ramp with very small slope. Protects students from obesity because it makes them walk. When

7 they go up they make good in their health and when they go down they have fun. It has flower-beds with flowers in all its length and a drainage system for the collection of rainwater. The highest point of ramp is south-eastern to allow students walking in the sunshine when they come out for break. The facilities includes w.c., cupboards students, a pharmacy for emergency care and warehouse for classroom's equipment.

2) sustainability: The building is constructed with no need to dig the soil of plot.

Construction does not alter the topography which is the fundamental environment. The manufacture does not degrade the morphology of soil. It is therefore a flyover classroom drifting between earth and sky. It has a greenhouse for the exploitation of solar energy while the placement of classroom above the greenhouse exploits the movement of hot air to above. In the roof exists space to install photovoltaics, while on the four columns can be installed wind generators. The walls must be curved to have a greater surface to the sun. Each wall is a barrel that can be filled with different ecomaterials like earth bags, straw bales, clay, bricks, e.t.c. Has systems of natural lighting and ventilation and the roof is ventilated to avoid overheating of the classroom. The classroom is surrounded by plants for more cool and has a drainage system for the collection of rainwater. Has a fireplace for alternative heating, as well as for emergency purposes, like blackouts.

3) list of materials: The classroom can be made from the following materials concrete, steel, aluminum, wood, bamboo, soil, earth bags, straw bales, clay, bricks, fabrics, glass, plastic, tiles, as well as with local materials and techniques.

THE “ SHIPS-TO-TEEPEES “ PROJECT FOR WOODSTOCK MUSEUM IN NEW YORK THE DESCRIPTION 1.The 'exodus' main entrance: It is the space of main entry that is located right below the main stage. From here the visitors enters in the world of museum but simultaneously come out from the remainder world.

2.The 'doors of perception' crossing: It is a passage under the ramp. From here, visitors pass, leaving behind the rest of the world. The architecture of passage gives visitors the impression of entering a garden in another world where they will encounter new and different things and live new experiences.

3.The 'white light, white heat' central navigation point: It is a small but central square.

From here visitors can make their own choices and monitor the entire space of the museum. After they pass from the covered space of entry of museum, visitors find the light and heat of the sun at this point.

4.The 'third stone from the sun' central meditation point: It is a rock of round form covered with water which symbolizes the planet earth and the relationship with the sun.

The spiral path rotating around this point. Thus the visitors when they are directed to the museum, always moving around the planet earth and maintain a relationship with her. Also it symbolizes the source of origin of seeds of love.

5.The 'river deep' exhibition gallery: It is a space for additional exhibitions.

6.The 'dancing in the streets' main ramp / path / movement: It is the main route for visitors to the museum. The form of ramp repeats in the space the form of movement that makes the hand of a farmer that diffuses seeds in order to be planted in soil. Is made from pieces of battleships and other recycled materials.

7.The 'stairway to heaven' places with view: It is a stairway parallel with the ramp. Has large steps and at each step, visitors can stop to relax and enjoy the view. With landings on its side, the ramp is functional without losing its dynamic form.

8.The 'top of the world' central viewing point: It is the point with the better view. From here the visitors see opposite them the museum.

9.The 'blue crystal persuasion' central stage: It is the stage for the all events. The floor is translucent to give the sense that it suspended in air. Is a magic carpet full of wonders and art. It is opposite found from the museum and is the corresponding open museum.

10.The 'wave' descend ramp: It is part of the ramp that descends to the museum. The horizontal form of eminent ramp is copied the shape of a sea surface wave. The visitors first go up to the stage and afterwards go down to the museum, riding the wave.

11.The 'on the road again' final deck: It is the last piece of ramp and is parallel to the street.

8 12.The dock of the bay' museum yard: It is the courtyard of museum and the space of main entry of building.

13.The 'hard rain is gonna fall' main drainage system: It is the system of concentration and storage of rainwater.

14.The 'seeds of love' kiosks for souvenirs: They are the small shops, from where the visitors can buy various souvenirs, the material objects that will remain from their visit in the museum. They are teepees that are overturned and under their floors have rainwater storage tanks. They are placed on the spiral path and show the visitors that love makes the world spinning.

15.The 'pieces of my heart' kiosks roofing: It is the roof of the shops. Represents the slow technology that elevates humans without destroying the environment. Symbolizes the flying without wings, expanding consciousness and tells visitors that flight travel at low speed with an open mind creates a conscious relationship with the land, sky and the universe.

16.The 'imagine' mega silver screen: It is a cinematographic screen, precisely opposite from the central stage, for all kinds of projections. While the central stage is the space of real live event, the cinematographic screen is the space of virtual diachronic event. The two scenes-stage are placed opposite from each other so that they can have a debate between them.

17.The 'eve of destruction' structural construction system: It is the structural constructional system that supports the ramp and symbolizes the overshooting of material world and its deconstruction.

For and on behalf of Konstantinos Zabetas

Principal architect U.I.A. – dir.