I AM ALEXANDER ALEXIOU AND I AM AN URBAN PLANNER The following pages feature planning and design works produced mainly during my undergraduate planning and regional development studies. Within a wide variety of fields with spatial interest, ranging from urban design to urban sociology and from economic development to ecomobility, I have developed design-driven analytical and research-led managerial skills trying to respond to modern placemaking challenges. I believe in user-oriented, strategic planning and I consider lighter, quicker and cheaper interventions as a key to smart placemaking. For me, design plays the role not only of an aesthetically valuable tool, but also of substantial dynamics towards creation, transformation and communication. Whether you wish to discuss the importance of design (from the urban scale to the spacing between the characters of a typeface) or just drop by for a hello, please feel free to contact me. A.A
CONTACT DETAILS ALEXANDER ALEXIOU 32 Bayston Rd • London N16 7LT • United Kingdom e: alexander.alexiou@gmail.com t: +44 (0) 7460 033852 call: thealexanderalexiou connect: /thealexanderalexiou follow: /UrbanApexes plusone: +AlexanderAlexiou watch: /alexanderalexiou
CONTENTS
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Volos In Diagonal: inGRIDients for an adaptable city
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Planning and Regional Development
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Urban Apexes
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VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY
V
olos in diagonal: inGRIDients for an adaptable city is the collective work of an international team of architects and urban planners, during the Urban Design master class “Volos in the Extremes” (26-31 oct 2013, Volos, Greece). Under the distinctive title “Unit 1: Dens(c)i(ty)fication - The Orthogonal Urban Grid” we focused on rethinking the urban grid of the city of Volos, in order to propose a radical urban scenario for the post-crisis city of 2053. Within a strategic design framework and based on the idea of twisting the orthogonal normality of the grid by using its own components, we built a series of tools, applied them on the existing grid (public space and blocks) and eventually created a diagonally-oriented urban park. Considering the idea of adaptability crucial for the transformation of the future city, we used the toolbox and this diagonal formation as the first dynamic step towards the adaptable city and as a response to the challenges of an uncertain future.
f rom forma urbis to urban pl aygr o u n d
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Tools
new grid
central park
opening - closing
soft shrinking
public space clustering
block cutting
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Tools
grouping
narrowing
hierarchization
permeability
invertion
stepping stones
3d public space
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Maps
Volos: (lack of) Green Spaces
Volos: Major Open Public Spaces and Basic Street Network
What If a Diagonally-Oriented Park Existed In The City?
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Master Plan
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 1 Intervention 1a: Volos New Gate
City Hub “Paulo Mendes da Rocha” Tram and Parking Station
Volos New Tram Line
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 2 Intervention 2a: Permeability Of Ground Floors
Neighbourhood Hub and Bike Sharing
Semi-Public Courtyard
Volos New Tram Line
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 2 Intervention 2b: Use Of The Roof to Create a Thicker Garden
Urban Farming
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 2 Intervention 2c: Green Osmosis
Volos New Tram Line
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 3 Intervention 3a: Soft Shrinking and Creation Of a Linear Park
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 3 Intervention 3a: Soft Shrinking and Creation Of a Linear Park
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Masterplan Sections & Interventions Made With Use Of The Toolbox Section 4 Intervention 4a: Cluster Of Educational Facilities
New Sports Facilities
Parkway
New School Buildings
VOLOS IN DIAGONAL: inGRIDients FOR AN ADAPTABLE CITY Section 1: New Entrance To The City
UNIT 1: DENS(C)I(TY)FICATION - THE ORTHOGONAL URBAN GRID Olga Tsagkalidou Sarka Dolezalova Eleni Maria Barmpalia Christina Fratzeskou Tatiana Kaisidou Alexandra Ktenidou Evgenia Kuznetsova Schreiber Sotiria Alexiadou Carlo Pisano Alexander Alexiou
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PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
M
y diploma in planning and regional development at the University of Thessaly was definitely a multidisciplinary, eye-opening journey and an utterly valuable lifetime experience. Not only it introduced me to a variety of spatially-related fields like economics, sociology and politics, but also provided me with useful skills in order to cope with complex issues of the greek planning system. Most important, during my studies, I have acquired and further developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills, fostered my research skills and learned to adapt to fast-changing environments. Although the theoretical framework has always played a crucial role, planning implementation and design practices have also been present. Urban planning and design, general development and land use plans are included in the paradigms following shortly after the break.
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PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT • CITY OF VOLOS (1) General Development Plan (2) Settlement Dynamics (3-6) Educational & Sport Facilities
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(7) Social Infrastructure (8) Land Use Plan
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PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT • CITY OF THESSALONIKI Urban Design: New University Campus
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URBAN APEXES
T
he highest parts of a city or the climax an urban environment reaches. Maybe the geometric centre of a road turn within the urban fabric or just a selection of writing, editorial design and cinematography projects. “Urban apexes� features a combination of urbanism and automotive writings sourced directly from my academic background and my freelance writing work. These projects embrace my love for all forms of design and express my holistic approach to fields I am highly interested in (urbanism, automotive culture, writing).
URBAN APEXES Writing, Editorial Design and Cinematography: Berlin and Techno | Urban Space and Music (2012) “Berlin and Techno, Urban Space and Music” is my undergraduate diploma thesis. In fall 2012 a shorter version was presented at the 3rd panhellenic conference of planning and regional development, providing me, at the same time, with the opportunity to practise my editorial design skills. The project is accompanied by a 5-minute video, filmed in Berlin (January 2012) - my first video project including directing, filming and editing.
Watch “Berlin and Techno | Urban Space and Music” here: http://vimeo.com/alexanderalexiou/berlinandtechno
This project is a short narrative based on the love for cars and driving, garnished with fractions of public space. First published in February 2013 at www.4drivers.gr
URBAN APEXES Writing & Editorial Design: Urban Apexes
URBAN APEXES Additional Projects: Architectural Design, Editorial Design for Autokinisimag Automotive Magazine
© 2014