Two Floor Addition in Existing Building

The brief consists of the design of an apartment block that will split in three independent flats, to house three families: a two storey ground floor flat, a first floor flat and a top floor two storey flat.

Instead of knocking down the existing house, the decision of using its basic structure for an extension was taken very early on, on environmental and financial grounds. The layout of the flats offers a simultaneous visibility of Hymettos Mountain and of the adjacent green space (for the ground floorfirst floor flats) and of the city of Athens (for the second floor flat). The big inclination of the site in the southeastnorthwest axis allows for the ground floor flat to develop in two floors. Both floors have access to the garden. The design of the addition follows special technical specifications. The initial building was knocked down revealing its structure. The existing structure is reinforced internally by the use of gunite. Externally it is 'enveloped' with concrete beams and columns. In that way the house extends in two more floors. The main staircase, lift and roof are made of self supporting metal structure. This being of small dimensions in comparison to concrete structure, gives space to the flats and to the preexisting mature cedar tree in the northeast corner of the site.

The southeast main elevation is characterized by a bioclimatic panel that covers and shades the central staircase. The cedar tree, the three balconies and the top shelter offer shadow to the southeast elevation during the warm summer months of Greece. Solar panels are used partly for heating and mainly for the provision of hot water for the most part of the year. These are placed on top of the southeast shelter.