AREA & SITE ANALYSIS

The slightly controversial character of Metamorfosi area, home to large-scale industries and trade but at the same time to small residences and neighborhoods, creates two opposite “scales”. The main characteristic is the many social housing units in the broader area, whose interconnection , spatial and special needs formed our design strategy. Places where people could meet ( eg. to exercise, to play, or to walk in nature) were of vital importance in such a crowded and not quite wealthy neighborhood.

As a result, our proposal attempts to create a central meeting point for all residents, both of the particular unit and the rest of the neighborhood, keeping in mind the presence of nature, by preserving an open view and passage to “Dilaveris” hill.

2 types of residencies: Studios and two-bedroom apartments

Linear relation of apartments, connection through the common exterior corridor

The entrance is always in the common spaces of each apartment, keeping bedrooms more private

The kitchen and living-room form a unified space

Studios

Small balconies connect the apartments with the corridor

Entrance through these smaller private spaces

The lifted “bedrooms” offer some degree of privacy within the apartment two-bedroom apartments

Entrance following the circulation on the exterior corridor

There is a smaller exterior space, more private, designated for every two next-door apartments

Thus the design principle was to create small meeting places for the residents, forming small “neighborhoods”, squares, public “balconies” in the interior of a unit. A common corridor which runs horizontally though the façade of the buildings functions as a common space, it creates meeting points and can give space to smaller private balconies. The unit can fit up to 170 residencies, providing at the same time common spaces in separate buildings throughout the site : working labs, library, day-care center, common kitchen and an outdoor gym and seating area. This creates a public space wide enough tov welcome people from the broader neighborhood and bring them closer together.