STUDENTS PROJECTS
PROJECTS2012
Student: Toufekoula Vassia
Supervisor: Alexopoulou Aleka
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Architecture
Presentation Date: September 28, 2012
This thesis negotiates an urban space inside a block, which is located in Moshato of Athens, in the wider area of Faliro bay.
The block in located on Posidonos Avenue and includes residential uses, as well as office and educational buildings. The studing area is a large unstructured space that is currently inaccessible. The objective is to create a public and living space which can be visited throughout the day by all ages. The motive was the proximity to the spiritual center of the municipality, which includes teaching classrooms of art (painting, crafts, theater, dance, etc). Considering the lack of space for artistic groups who operate in the municipality, new uses of workshops were suggested. These workshops are rented to the municipality at a nominal amount, while periodically are organized festivals to promote their artistic works. This creates an open social space, regarding as self-organized, and a public local core with a variety of uses.
In order to design the space, first were attempted some routes that integrate the two existing main entrances, creating a single outdoor path which "repels" built. Then were imported diagonal and transverse routes on either side of these are formed building blocks. Were made experiments with the forms and shapes of the tumors, and in each case the tumors break, sink or rise above the ground, eventually creating a network of building blocks and organized urban spaces.
Were proposed three sections of uses, sports, workshops and housing, which diffuse one to each other for the optimum function of the space. The sport section starts at the west entrance with a raised building with a gym and successive elevation levels, which include an outdoor square with a court and a skate platform, and finally reaches the level of the basement, where is the carved pool area with the possibility of natural ventilation and the locker rooms. The second section has its main entrance to the south side of the block and includes uses of individual and group workshops. The workshops are grouped into four buildings blocks according to their theme, construction, visual arts, rehearsals and photography/cinema. Additionally, were added some extra spaces for the optimum function of the place, an amphitheater for events with two versions and a compatible roof of terraces, an exhibition space, a photography and filmmaking studio, theme shops and a cafeteria. The whole area is divided into three levels, in the basement are located the utility rooms, on the ground floor areas of public use and on the floor the workshop spaces. Among the building volumes is located one sloping square for outdoor events and projections as well as a green square of relaxation. The third section introduces residential and leisure uses which offset the universal office use in the front street Poseidonos. It includes three perimeter housing blocks, which "seal" the discontinuous fronts of the block at the entrances, leaving the ground level free for pedestrians and bicycles. A playground at the ground level completes this last section, which at the basement actions as a parking space and communicates via a stairway to the ground floor and internally with the dwellings.
To deal with the facades was chosen a variable system of different panels, sliding, hinged or pivoted and of different materials and textures in each case, which refers not so much to shading, but more to the use of the housed area each time and to the need of each use for privacy. Thus, every user in every place either has the free choice to be isolated from external noise and natural light, or to see, hear and participate in the collective life of this local social space.
