This project envisions a small residence for a three-member family in a peri-urban environment. Its primary goal is to encourage the residents to engage directly with the outdoors, fostering an immediate connection with nature. This approach offers a critique of conventional peri-urban housing, which often connects inhabitants to the natural environment only through distant views and visual escapes, maintaining a sense of detachment. The building mass itself allows only occasional and limited interactions with the natural surroundings from within. Openings restrict views while permitting light and ventilation; semi-subterranean atriums and sheltered courtyards are introduced to compel and encourage residents to seek the outdoors actively. The security of the residence -a nurturing shelter- is characterized by a prominent sloping wallroof that partially covers the semi-underground atriums. The house’s strong sense of inwardness, defined by its expansive covering slab, does not impose on the residents. Instead, the layout unfolds into three interior zones of open-closed and private-public spaces, carefully arranged to maintain the primary axis and the movement along the central corridor, which features entrances and exits at its ends.
To foster a sense of proximity and collectivity-while echoing the organic, anarchic order of a favela—the complex of 20 student residences is perched on the steep hills behind the university campus. Its arrangement unfolds around, above, and below two expansive plaza-arcades, punctuated with skylights. These spaces are formed by cantilevers that emerge naturally from the hills at varying elevations. The arcades, seamlessly embedded within the rocky terrain, serve as gathering spaces imbued with a mystical, almost sacred quality. Meanwhile, the projecting levels define new outdoor areas, following a labyrinthine circulation that weaves between the residential volumes and subtly frames semi-private courtyards. Staircases, pathways, and bridges meander through the site, deliberately avoiding rigid structural boundaries. This fluidity ensures privacy in a way reminiscent of traditional Greek settlements, where only the residents develop an intuitive sense of orientation and belonging. The residences themselves are functionally autonomous yet offer diverse living configurations. Internally, they reject conventional rooms and rigidly defined spaces, instead revolving around a system of benches and platforms that promote flexibility and open-ended use.
The high-speed road defines the area as a mere passage to thecity, despite the presenceofresidential,service,andcommercial spaces.Buildings,lackingidentityandspace for interaction, offer no sense of place, while the public realm, at the pedestrian scale,is dysfunctional, hindering natural movementonthesidewalks.Theconceptoffers a critical reimagining of megastructures, multifunctional buildings, and shopping malls,aiming to elevate pedestrian movement away from the highway and integrate it within the building’s spatialform.This results in an segmented system,designed to evolve over time,shaped by market forces and randomness. By analyzing the square meterage of different uses in two selected buildings,their spatial relationships are reorganized following qualitativerules in a puzzle-like formation. Categorized into housing,offices,shops,andleisure spaces, the building is redefined and organized across levels. Functional blocks are arranged along vertical and horizontal axes, with circulation defined by either direct or exploratory paths and voids. The circulation spaces creates a continuous experience, while the structure’s stability is organized likeurban furniture.Acurved element-serving asseating, benches, shading, or planters- runs along the interior facades,extending towards the open space. At the city’s outskirts, defined by the archaeological museum as its landmark, the high-speed road functions as an unyielding barrier, while preserved historical buildings remain inaccessible to the public. Perhaps the greatest loss for the residents,
The water and the cat, a stop to play. 2021
As one of Greece's largest commercial ports, Patras connects the country with Italy and the rest of Europe, positioning the city as a key hub for trade, transportation, and cultural exchange. The Rio-Antirrio Bridge, an engineering marvel linking the Peloponnese with Central Greece, further enhances the city’s connectivity, redefining its skyline.
The port also serves as a point of transit for individuals attempting to reach Europe, adding another layer of complexity to the city's role in regional movement and migration.
Nestled between mountains and the sea, Patras offers scenic views and a mild Mediterranean climate, with its hilly terrain descending toward the Gulf of Patras and creating a striking contrast between mountain and sea.
This natural slope has shaped the city into distinct zones: the Upper Town, with its organic layout of narrow, curved streets and traditional buildings crowned by a medieval Byzantine fortress, and the Lower Town, which follows a structured grid plan with straight streets and square blocks, clearly defining its functional centers.
The University of Patras, one of Greece’s largest academic institutions, attracts thousands of students whose presence energizes the city, fostering a lively social scene and driving economic growth across housing, retail, culture, and services.
This dynamic atmosphere is amplified by the spirit of festivity
and collective participation, which shapes public spaces into vibrant hubs of interaction, most notably during the Patras Carnival—a deeply rooted cultural tradition that reflects the city’s celebratory character.
The study area encompasses the full extent of the Gounari Street pier and the old port of Patras, assuming the existing port facilities (such as warehouses) have been removed. The Port Authority building remains at the edge of the pier and is intended to be repurposed as a cultural facility. The proposed accommodation, situated in the industrial area of Patras, is designed through the repetition of a structure containing two units with a shared threshold. This configuration results in two elongated, two-story buildings positioned opposite each other, forming an urban void—a long square—that emphasizes the visual connection to the sea.
The design is based on a 1.4m x 1.6m grid. Inspired by the quarantine experience, where daily life was confined to the home and activities such as work, living, and dining were limited to individual residences, the proposal introduces a neutral perimeter space with movable vertical wall elements to offer spatial flexibility. The model residential complex aims to adapt to and leverage new conditions and opportunities presented by digital technologies, remote work, and other tele-services, reflecting circumstances similar to those of a lockdown.
A spatial grid frames the residences and also functions as a garden. Vertical columns supply water and nutrients to linear, horizontal planters integrated into openings. The sea-facing gardens offer privacy, allowing residents to connect with nature, sunlight, sky, and sea during periods of isolation.
Gardens facing the square are designed for public use, drawing inspiration from victory gardens—collective gardens that, during the world wars, boosted morale, fostered social action, and supported food production. These green spaces also contribute to atmospheric purification and provide shared areas for recreation and social interaction among residents while ensuring adherence to social distancing guidelines.
The interior of each residence is divided into four zones: a central defined space, a sanitary area (bathroom and WC), secondary defined spaces, and a semi-outdoor area leading to the private garden. Four residence types are proposed, each addressing specific spatial uses and the personal needs of the residents. Type A is designed for individuals with mobility issues, Type E prioritizes workspace, Type Y offers personal relaxation space, and Type M is dedicated to cooking. The complex aspires to accommodate diverse living needs, with adjacency between units made possible through the opening of movable walls.
In Patras, the shift of the passenger port away from the city center opens the waterfront, positioning the coastal zone as key to balancing urban and marine environments and enabling future growth. Like many modern cities, Patras faces interconnected challenges from climate change, public health, and transportation, all of which profoundly impact urban life. To address these issues, the goal is to develop strategies for public programs and a transport network that connect land and sea. A proposed maritime transit network, with neighborhood-scale ports and sea buses, will activate the vacant coastline, protect against rising sea levels, and link urban functions through key public spaces and transit routes. This project focuses on a selected area, proposing an active small-scale port. The idea of this utopian architectural design project is a stop for playing and shaped landscaped spaces where movement between or within them becomes a game for the body. To achieve this, a vocabulary of materials was created, such as sand, soil and water, qualities like passage, seating, obstacle and surface and experiences such as lifting, swimming and climbing.
From the research conducted along the entire waterfront, this site stood out due to the problematic, large vacant, fenced lot that was once the old train station, blocking any kind of relationship with the sea. This area of Patras, deep within the city is a residential zone. It was observed how the horizontal, main roads divide and isolate self-sufficient neighborhoods, each with its own school and church with no need of exchange of any kind. In order to create a meeting point for these neighborhoods where both kids and adults could be playful, the idea explored the design of multi-level cat trees and the theory behind brutalist playground structures as a large-scale urban development.
A sample of the concept has been designed, focusing on a portion of the entire site. On the first level, the main movement connects the two stations (train and boat), integrating the layouts and facilitating the flow of passenger boats. The road, now submerged, runs alongside the structure.Some of the installations-toys that have been designed are labyrinths, steps, caves, climbing walls, staircases, various levels, water elements such as lakes and canals, waiting areas, bridges and ramps, forming the complex itself which exists as a landscape.
Population movement has historically been framed as a problem, often emerging in response to war, famine, conflict, economic crises, or environmental disasters. Mass migration during emergencies results in millions seeking refuge, both domestically and beyond national borders. Notable examples include the Great Famine in Ireland (1845), the First World War (1914), which displaced 7 to 15 million people, and the partition of British India (1947), forcing 10 to 20 million to relocate. More recently, the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022) has led approximately 9.9 million people to abandon their country. The process of resettlement often results in widespread confusion and instability. Refugee camps, scattered across 60 countries—particularly in sub-Saharan Africa—have proliferated since the Syrian crisis in 2011. Over 1,000 camps now shelter more than 4.5 million people fleeing persecution. Camps like Dadaab in Kenya house approximately 250,000 refugees, many of whom have lived there for over 24 years. Similarly, the Zaatari camp in Jordan has hosted around 78,000 Syrian refugees since 2012. In Europe, 2020 statistics indicate nearly 2 million refugees and migrants seeking asylum, primarily from Ukraine, Morocco, India, Syria, Brazil, Belarus, Venezuela, Russia, China, and Turkey.
Climate-related migration has also grown significantly. Natural disasters such as storms, floods, landslides, droughts, wildfires, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions displaced 17.5 million people in 2018. By 2020, approximately 30.7 million people worldwide were forced to move due to weather events and geophysical phenomena, with the highest displacement rates in East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Despite these crises, voluntary migration has become an increasingly prominent aspect of the modern world. People frequently relocate for education and work, seeking diverse cultural experiences and broader opportunities. Remote work has further enabled long-term, semi-permanent travel, fostering lifestyles that transcend traditional notions of stability. In 2021, there were 35 million Digital Nomads globally, typically residing for 3 to 9 months in hotels, friends' homes, or Airbnbs while engaging in remote work. The United States and the United Kingdom are the main countries of origin, followed by Canada, Russia, Germany, France, Australia, the Netherlands, and Brazil. Popular destinations include Mexico, Thailand, Portugal, Colombia, and Bali. However, this modern form of mobility introduces new inequalities and economic disparities in host cities. These destinations must adapt to the transient population, balancing the influx of visitors with the needs of long-term residents. Housing markets, in particular, become divided by economic comfort, flexibility, and immediacy, often exacerbating existing problems and creating new challenges for local communities.
In conclusion, the gathered information highlights a situation that is both timeless and crucial. While its global influence is undeniable, its management remains complex and fragile. The diverse expressions and data surrounding migration—varying greatly in causes, consequences, and optimal responses—demand sensitivity, care, and attention. At the same time, individual intentions, capabilities, legal frameworks, origins, and backgrounds make it impossible to devise a universally effective solution without reducing it to a purely functionalist approach. In a further evaluation, the creation of a residential environment initiated by the resident to meet their specific spatial needs—the way they choose or are accustomed to living—influenced by factors such as age, family status, culture, activities, work, and even religion, is a characteristic that emotionally connects the prospective inhabitant, making construction an integral part of residency itself. Additionally, economic considerations extend to the massiveness of the production process beyond on-site assembly. As demand is calculated on a large scale, materials must simultaneously meet standards for insulation and strength while maintaining a weight and volume that support participatory composition and transport. The primary concern remains accessibility, ensuring these materials function effectively as widely available commodities.
In a trajectory shaped by Archigram, with projects like Ideas Circus, Plugin City, Walking City, and Instant City (1968-1970), and by Constant Nieuwenhuys’ New Babylon (1956-1974), and in dialogue with the ongoing phenomena of population movement, I choose to design a basic unit with mechanisms and joints—adaptable, polymorphic, autonomous, sustainable, extroverted, and accessible. This choice contrasts with proposing a rigid, permanent architectural complex. The global scale demands a method that enables mobility and travel to areas in need—a flexible, minimal, and temporary solution with a small footprint that is inclusive and intercultural.
The primary intention is to create a housing system that addresses any critical housing emergency—whether urgent or voluntary, collective or individual. Housing is defined as a triptych of hygiene, rest, and nutrition, while also offering dignity, independence, and self-sufficiency. Spatial organization revolves around the presence and expression of the inhabitant, storage, ownership, and the need for privacy, identity, and coexistence—all under the principle of minimalism. The goal is to make spaces flexible and creatively usable, without strict structural or furniture constraints. Additionally, the design allows for expanding spaces according to residents’ needs, reinforcing the concept of flexibility.
The basic prism-unit is elevated from the ground on screw-type scaffold supports, stabilizing and adapting to any slope or irregular terrain.
The residence is organized into three distinct spatial zones:
The Main Space: A multifunctional area that can easily adapt to accommodate gatherings, work, or dining. Objects play a significant role in each design—whether stored or displayed as traces of dominance and use. This evokes the aesthetic of vaults or museums, showcasing interests, habits, memories, images, collections, heirlooms, and other significant items. Functionally, horizontal protruding zones serve as receptacles for storage boxes, seating, and surfaces. Emphasis is placed on the extroversion of the living space, with large openings that connect the interior to the surrounding environment, enhancing the sense of continuity between the living unit and open outdoor space.
The Sliding Expansion Space (Drawer): A key element in the housing ensemble, this space is dedicated to bodily withdrawal, creating an environment of isolation and rest—a refuge for body and mind with a connection to the sky. Functionally, the sleeping area is elevated to double as seating, facing the central space.
The Hygiene Zone: Occupying the smallest possible space, it addresses bodily care and natural needs—fundamental daily considerations. Personal care and self-nurturing are safeguarded in spaces dedicated to each distinct need. This zone also includes a folding ladder with a hatch that connects the residence to the roof, offering the potential to add extra enclosed space on the upper floor. The ladder’s position allows independent access to the upper floor, where wet areas become shared, intermediate spaces for two rooms. The wet space unit houses water supply and drainage networks, with provisions for connection to existing infrastructure when possible. Its roof is designed with landings that house mechanical installations. By leveraging the multifunctionality and flexibility of the basic unit, the design allows for easy transformation into communal activity spaces. Broadly, by scaling up from the unit to small communities, the goal is to create a shared environment that fosters collective structures for spontaneous interactions around courtyards, squares, passages, and facades.
