Proposal for the Square block 152

Student group: Karagianni Lemonia, Korompeli Evanthia, Tsatiri Zoe-Pigi
Supervisor: Alkmini Paka
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Architecture
Psesentation date : October 21, 2011

The esthetical and functional degradation of built spaces, coupled with the lack of free green spaces, do result in dissertation urban centers. The main purpose is to develop a module that redesigns substandard spaces, using modern technologies, leading to upgrated and rehabilitated building blocks.

Incentives
Reflections on the issues of degradation in the major urban centers. Detection of problem areas and study for the renovation of the existing urban network. The aim is to upgrade the Greek city centers and to reintegrate them into the city network, taking advantage of the large building stock and restoring its residential use. The following study addresses the problem of degradation in urban centers.

Recognition
The selected square block is located among Orfanidou-Fragon- Leontos Sofou-Valaoritou streets. It consists of nine 7-9 storey buildings and an empty space that is currently used as an organized parking lot. Three of the nine buildings, housing manufacturing businesses, have ground floor galleries leading to the stairwell of each building.

Analysis
The regeneration of the square block aims to reuse the empty building structures with  an environmental approach.  What is attempted is to allow easy access to the square block and to attract visitors to its interior. The facades of these buildings depend on their individual use. Public space is recovered with the extension of the galleries, the merging of the alleys, and the demolition of the interior one-storey buildings, the use of the building roofs and the development of vertical routes. At the same time, it is proposed that green be planted within the square block, on the facades and on the roofs of the buildings. The planting and re-using of building stock suggests an environmentally friendly approach. These proposed multiple uses will effectively confront desertification.  The empty building structures are transformed into residences, offices and their commercial use is maintained while a recreation use is added.

Thus, sections are formed within the square block and the terraces, which are accessible from the galleries, the bridges and the vertical routes. The different sections in conjunction with the horizontal and the vertical routes develop the final alignments.

Specifically
A public space is formed at level 0.00, which has two main routes starting from 4 and 8 Orfanidou building galleries. A secondary route which is vertical to the main ones starts at 10 Valaoritou building.

These routes are surrounded by grass, water and plants. The ground floor buildings are commercial and recreational. The University (AUTH) Student Residence D located in 11 Leontos Sofou extends into 8 Orfanidou building.

The ground and the roof levels are connected by two vertical routes rendering the roof-gardens accessible and forming the continuation of the ground floor park.

Finally, the outer facades of the block are developed with bioclimatic criteria, following a similar form with simple lines with green and mineral materials.