Apartment building "chains" [Interventions in the area of Dafni]
diploma project, Zervou Angeliki 2008
Urban dwelling and the apartment building as a dominant housing type that has determined both the face of the city and the lifestyle of its inhabitants are the subject of my degree thesis. My research has focused on residential areas near the centre of Athens (known as ‘central residential areas’), while the area of Dafni has been selected as a case in point, a model area for the proposed ‘intervention’.
I. The apartment building and urban dwelling - Observations about the general starting from the specific
Balconies: shaped by the tenants spatial interventions suggesting a turn towards the interior
The façade itself becomes a platform for the shaping of spaces that challenge the building’s original design, while articulating an intermediate public space, above the level of the street and in the gaps between apartment buildings.
Entrance: space of entrance hall shrinking increasingly. Point of entrance pushed and hidden under pilotis
Roof: cut off from the building’s main body,disregarding its potential as an open surface that is an integral part of urban topography.
Shaping the urban terrain
urban terrain: homogenous levels in organization, character, use
Greek urban space: emphasis on private property(land/apartment)
Results: clear and unalterable bounds between properties, street, open spaces
street= solid "line"/ boundary
open spaces=result of adjacency or clear delimination of properties
II.From the part to the whole – relating with the opposite side
Transforming the levels of the urban terrain
Initially, what is suggested is an intervention that would cause the levels forming the urban terrain to shift slightly, to slide so as to create a sense of continuity through different possible instances of succession and interaction. This process would produce flexible, adaptable and multi-leveled building fronts both on the area of the street and on that of open (vacant) spaces, whilst also allowing side elevations to function as an ‘active tissue’ connecting buildings to one another and to their surroundings and, by extent, connecting the city as a whole. Moreover, ‘vacant space’ between buildings would ‘extend’ beyond standing lot limits and so alter the character of intermediate zones. Both the area of the street and that of the open (vacant) space is perceived here as a space of contact between buildings facing each other; a link that guarantees a sense of continuity.
Entrance: space of entrance hall shrinking increasingly. Point of entrance pushed and hidden under pilotis
Roof: cut off from the building’s main body,disregarding its potential as an open surface that is an integral part of urban topography.
Shaping the urban terrain
urban terrain: homogenous levels in organization, character, use
Greek urban space: emphasis on private property(land/apartment)
Results: clear and unalterable bounds between properties, street, open spaces
street= solid "line"/ boundary
open spaces=result of adjacency or clear delimination of properties
II.From the part to the whole – relating with the opposite side
Transforming the levels of the urban terrain
Initially, what is suggested is an intervention that would cause the levels forming the urban terrain to shift slightly, to slide so as to create a sense of continuity through different possible instances of succession and interaction. This process would produce flexible, adaptable and multi-leveled building fronts both on the area of the street and on that of open (vacant) spaces, whilst also allowing side elevations to function as an ‘active tissue’ connecting buildings to one another and to their surroundings and, by extent, connecting the city as a whole. Moreover, ‘vacant space’ between buildings would ‘extend’ beyond standing lot limits and so alter the character of intermediate zones. Both the area of the street and that of the open (vacant) space is perceived here as a space of contact between buildings facing each other; a link that guarantees a sense of continuity.
Relating with the opposite side
Establishing links between buildings standing opposite each other in turn transforms the unit that shapes urban space: from the apartment building as solitary object to an interconnected ‘dipole’ and on to a ‘chain’ of apartment buildings.
Based on the current model for planning the urban grid, every lot is taken to be divided length-wise into 3 imaginary strips, each approximately 3-meter wide, which are then taken to mentally extend beyond the lot’s limits, into the areas of the street and vacant spaces. The strips themselves are first delineated by support columns and then divided along the vertical axis by horizontal levels. Lastly, vertical elements(walls/partitions) are added to shape the spaces of apartments on each level. This re-determines the ‘gap’ and ‘fills(filled space)’ and creates a sense of succession/flow/rhythm.
It establishes links between buildings standing opposite each other, as they seem to be sliding over and interacting. The arrangement of each strip and, by extent, of each building and of its relationship with its neighboring structures, is determined by this alternation between the ‘gap’ and the ‘fill’.
Interior space organization : Each apartment is a unified, flexible space that adapts to the user’s particular needs. Certain zones reserved for installing fixtures and fittings (kitchens, bathrooms)and the remaining spaces are organized by the tenant-user by means of partitions made from different materials. The same logic applies to the arrangement of each apartment’s balconies and semi-outdoor spaces, which may be linked to the apartment’s interior by means of installing a series of elements on the building’s frame.
This general quality of flexibility is further reinforced by the building’s mode of construction and allows the tenant-user to shape the interior and exterior limits of their own home, determining at the same time the way this will relate with neighboring buildings.
Establishing links between buildings standing opposite each other in turn transforms the unit that shapes urban space: from the apartment building as solitary object to an interconnected ‘dipole’ and on to a ‘chain’ of apartment buildings.
Based on the current model for planning the urban grid, every lot is taken to be divided length-wise into 3 imaginary strips, each approximately 3-meter wide, which are then taken to mentally extend beyond the lot’s limits, into the areas of the street and vacant spaces. The strips themselves are first delineated by support columns and then divided along the vertical axis by horizontal levels. Lastly, vertical elements(walls/partitions) are added to shape the spaces of apartments on each level. This re-determines the ‘gap’ and ‘fills(filled space)’ and creates a sense of succession/flow/rhythm.
It establishes links between buildings standing opposite each other, as they seem to be sliding over and interacting. The arrangement of each strip and, by extent, of each building and of its relationship with its neighboring structures, is determined by this alternation between the ‘gap’ and the ‘fill’.
General rules for arranging space within each strip and within the buildings as a whole: - No two fills may be adjoined within the same strip – they must always be separated by a gap. - The length of gaps serving to delimit two different buildings along each strip cannot exceed that of 7 meters, or be less than 4. An average distance of 6 meters is enough to allow adequate light and air to circulate between the buildings and to ensure safety. - The stairwell of each building must always be located on the central strip. - The floor area of individual apartments (including semi-outdoor spaces, galleries, etc) varies between 50 and 80 m².
Interior space organization : Each apartment is a unified, flexible space that adapts to the user’s particular needs. Certain zones reserved for installing fixtures and fittings (kitchens, bathrooms)and the remaining spaces are organized by the tenant-user by means of partitions made from different materials. The same logic applies to the arrangement of each apartment’s balconies and semi-outdoor spaces, which may be linked to the apartment’s interior by means of installing a series of elements on the building’s frame.
This general quality of flexibility is further reinforced by the building’s mode of construction and allows the tenant-user to shape the interior and exterior limits of their own home, determining at the same time the way this will relate with neighboring buildings.
