Year: 2010

Category: Urban design, Public space

Design team: Eva Dimoula, Nefeli Makrynikola

Location: Tavros, Athens, Greece

Size: 30000sqm

Comments : Academic [National Technical University of Athens]

Plot is situated between Piraeus Avenue, railway, a shopping mall and 1960s’ housing units. The main goal was the creation of a living neighborhood, with public and semi-public spaces easy to use and maintain, as well as recreating the sense of community between the dwellers. The organized housing projects so far did not have the acceptance of Greek citizens. For example the housing multi-storey blocks, that are situated next to our plot, and their open spaces are nowadays more or less abandoned. Keeping that in mind, our concern was to design affordable social housing units, that can be successful in social, economical and sustainability terms. Square block system was preferred in order to keep a low building height, which allows dwellers to have a better contact with ground level. The inner square’s space I used as a public atrium for events and recreation. The proposed park solves another problem of the area, the lack of green common spaces. In our solution a green park with high trees is designed in order to “protect” the housing area from city noises, and also provide an easy accessible, natural and cultural route. Τhe second smaller park is situated along the railroad tracks, and facilitates athletic activities.