Dynamic grid

The new Metropolitan College building, spanning a total of 2,000m2 with an additional 1,000m2 of basement space, is the fourth facility added to the existing campus in Maroussi. This expansion addresses the organization’s growing educational demands.

 

Functional Organization

It is a mixed-use building, housing the Centre for Interdisciplinary Education and Research in Rehabilitation on the ground floor. The basement and first floor contain student training rooms, while the second floor consolidates administrative offices previously spread across other buildings.

 

 

Façade Design & Materials

The new building is situated in the southeast corner of the plot, maximizing the open space in-between the existing buildings and the new addition, while allowing an abundance natural light to enter the interior spaces. Even though the new structure is designed to complement the configuration and style of the surrounding buildings, it establishes its own identity through a unique facade. Instead of a continuous horizontal arrangement of louvers, the facade shifts in angles, directions, and density, forming a dynamic, broken line around the perimeter.

The thoughtful use and variation of materials, along with the striking grid organization and color contrasts, create a contemporary interior. This design moves beyond a typical workspace or educational setting, inviting users into an inspiring environment that encourages creativity and growth.

 

 

Sustainable Design

Aligned with modern energy efficiency standards, the building has a zero-energy footprint and is classified as energy class A+, marking it as an innovative structure. It is fully automated with a KNX system and can be operated and monitored remotely. The lighting system detects human presence, adjusting its intensity based on natural light entering through the windows. The building utilizes VRV inverter systems for air conditioning, has a green roof, and uses solar systems to supply hot water. Additionally, plans to achieve zero energy consumption are realized through the installation of photovoltaic panels.

 

 

Green revitalisation

The project focuses on the redevelopment of Feidas Square in Lambrini, covering a total area of 16,343m², which includes the square itself, along with its surrounding streets and sidewalks. The goal of this revitalisation is to transform the area into a vibrant, sustainable urban hub that enhances the quality of life for residents while fostering a stronger connection with public spaces, in harmony with both nature and the urban environment.

 

Design Philosophy

The square is currently in a state of significant disrepair, with issues such as cracked flooring and abandoned retaining walls, neglected dirt paths, a lack of low greenery, narrow sidewalks, and insufficient signage. The proposal seeks to address these problems by improving the environmental, functional, and aesthetic quality of the square, while also creating a modern, welcoming urban space that promotes greenery, recreation, and play.

 

Architectural Approach

The design preserves the square’s existing layout, with the central area featuring a hardscape formed by a 4mx4m rectangular grid. This grid is created using continuous rows of marble blocks, while the resulting paved sections are distinguished by a mix of “cool” concrete and marble blocks arranged in three distinct patterns, along with raw concrete poured in two different shades. The repeating and alternating squares form a cohesive geometric backdrop of textures and colors. Tree canopies, both existing and newly planted, are integrated into the design, bordered by one or more rows of cobblestones arranged in concentric circles.

 

Public Uses

In the central area, the flooring is distinct and features ground-level water jets, surrounded by a circular seating area. A playground is created in the northeastern section of the square, while the existing basketball courts are preserved. The dirt paths are redesigned with varying widths, and new public amenities are added, including benches arranged in groups within shaded areas.

The perimeter sidewalks are expanded to provide more comfortable and safer pedestrian conditions, with new rows of trees added along their length. Traffic management measures include implementing one-way streets, reducing vehicle speeds, and organizing and limiting parking.

 

Sustainable Design

A primary planning goal is to combat the urban heat island effect through “blue and green” interventions. This is achieved by reducing hard surfaces and expanding planting areas to foster lush vegetation and natural stormwater management. Retaining existing greenery, along with introducing a substantial number of new trees and low plants, provides ample shade and lowers temperatures in warmer months. Enhanced planting diversity not only improves the microclimate but also boosts biodiversity, enriching the urban ecosystem.

In addition to serving as a recreational feature, the floor jets also function as a cooling element, particularly during the summer months. New led lighting and recycling initiatives are introduced to minimize the environmental footprint. Moreover, traffic regulations and the installation of bicycle parking spaces promote increased bicycle use.

Varying elevations

Situated on a plot of land outside the settlement of Akrotiri, a modern, stone residence is designed and constructed. Morphologically, it consists of four separate volumes in different sizes and shapes, placed slightly offset from the plot’s main axis. Gardens, water features, and glass walkways create distinct exterior spaces and connect the individual volumes.

 

Design Philosophy

The rectangular plot has its long side facing south, offering amphitheatrical views of Souda Bay and the White Mountains. To the north, the plot borders a section of forest and a high-traffic road. The building is aligned parallel to the longer side, ensuring that all spaces benefit from clear views and an optimal north-south orientation.

On the south side of the plot, all the main spaces are divided into atriums with varying levels of privacy and different uses. In contrast, the north side of the buildings is inward-facing, with an artificial mound -a green hill- serving as a barrier between the main road and the structures, significantly reducing traffic noise.

 

Functional Organization

The four volumes house numerous bedrooms, common areas, offices, service rooms, and an outdoor dining and barbecue area, all spread across varying elevations. A shallow pond between the second and third buildings extends from the main pool, which features a glass bottom, allowing natural light to illuminate the basement and create a striking visual effect. The basement includes a gym, sauna, baths, a specially designed massage area, a cinema room, and a playroom with a billiard table and bar. Additionally, a tennis court is located on the south side of the plot, while the gardens are planted with local tree species.

 

Material Palette & Sustainability Strategy

The building features walls clad in local stone and concrete roof slabs. The exterior is finished with natural mortar in natural earth tones, complemented by hidden aluminum frames, which offer a minimal aesthetic. The interior floors are covered in marble and wood, walls are coated with mortar, and the furniture is made from natural oak.

The building’s orientation and positioning, its extended permeability along with its advanced sustainable technology, transform it into a bioclimatic and partially passive structure. More specifically, photovoltaic panels, thermal insulation, underfloor heating and cooling combined with fan coils, and various automation systems, turn the project into an energy autonomous residence.

Linear forms

The residence is located in an existing olive orchard 92m2 above the north coast of Corfu. Clad in local olive wood and Corfu stone -quarried directly from the site- the building is partially immersed into the hillside and oriented south to maximize views of the Ionian Sea.

 

Architectural Design

The residence spans in two levels and is organized in an open-plan layout, which includes a living and dining area, a kitchen and four en-suite bedrooms. Sharp, clean lines construct a series of architectural forms, clearly separating the interior from the exterior. Bespoke furniture and minimal lighting fixtures become accent elements within the space, which is painted in off-white tones.

 

Sustainable Design

All spaces throughout the residence lead to a series of terraces through large openings that foster cross-ventilation. Instead of relying on air-conditioning systems, a comfortable internal temperature is achieved using highly insulating materials, such as thick stone walls, polished concrete floors as well as a green roof, which collects rainwater stored in an 80-ton tank. Olive trees on the plot provide all the wood required to fuel the open fireplace during the winter. Reverse osmosis is also used on site, ensuring that the tap water is drinkable.

 

Energy Conservation

Building on such a remote site meant that the building had to generate its energy needs itself. Solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels provided most of the energy necessary, which was supplemented by air source heat pumps. This array of sustainable solutions provides a low-maintenance, comfortable living environment all-year round, taking full advantage of the views the location has to offer.

Hyperbolic structures

The building is part of a large campus -managed by the Eugene Eisenman Avifauna Foundation- immersed in the Panamanian tropical rainforest. It offers a series of ecotourism facilities such as an observation tower and a visitor’s center that showcases the area’s natural heritage. The shelter functions primarily as a tour guide training center.

 

Design Morphology

The project consists of two primary elements: an elevated, open-plan wooden platform, which acts as a place of gathering, teaching, and food preparation, as well as a large gable roof that is the design’s main morphological feature. The roof is supported by two main columns and a central beam, forming two hyperbolic polaroids, thus achieving a free and flexible effect. Being a highly durable material, rigid thermopanel sheets are used as roof cladding.

 

Landscape Integration

The shelter maintains both a visual as well as an emotional relationship with the forest. Its architectural design is minimal yet accounts for all the essential functions needed to inhabit the space. During the day, it provides shading through its intricate roof design, while at night, a series of indirect lights illuminate the wooden platform.

 

Social & Cultural Impact

The project’s construction greatly impacted the social and cultural heritage of the area. Using the local workforce and expertise to materialize the design has resulted in making this site an educational destination. It has become a learning center for ecotourism and environmental sustainability within the scenery of Panama’s tropical rainforest.

Sustainable heritage

The residence was originally part of a historic palace located in Chianti, Florence. During the 20th century, it was remodeled as part of an energy redevelopment initiative, leading to radical interventions that obscured its historic elements. This contemporary renovation aims to restore the character of this traditional historic Chianti houses as well as improve the building’s energy performance.

 

Layout Restoration

The design reinstates the continuity and fluidity of the space. The ground floor has an open-plan layout and consists of the living, dining and kitchen area connected by a series of new and existing large square openings that lead to a private garden. The openings are embellished with metallic edge bands. A double-sided fireplace replaces the old, historic one and becomes the focal point of the space.

The first floor is accessed through an old, preserved staircase made from stone. The space is stripped back to its original form and revolves around a single loadbearing wall. It houses two bedrooms with a shared bathroom and one en-suite with a large, private office overlooking the garden.

 

Local Materials

During reconstruction, traditional local materials were used such as terracotta tiles, chestnut wood, stone, and lime mortar. The old façade openings were traced and eventually restored to maximize the natural light entering the space as well as its connection to the surrounding landscape. Many incongruous elements constructed during the 20th century restoration were reinstated to their original typology. Part of the walls were cladded in handmade terracotta bricks manufactured in Imprunenta. The roof was reinforced with the same local chestnut wood and was further insulated using high-density wood fiber.

 

Elevating energy performance

An additional challenge was to increase the building’s energy efficiency using materials and design solutions that were compatible with its historic character. Instead of creating an external thermal coat, a plaster layer of lime and cork was applied to both the interior and exterior walls, adapting perfectly to their complex form and texture. New single-leaf windows in wood and aluminum minimized any thermal losses. Finally, the installation of new radiant panels led to cleaner, minimal spaces adherent to the building’s historic character.

Recycling Textures

Located in Berlin, a former bread factory is redesigned as the company’s new headquarters, housing approximately eighty employees.

 

Design Philosophy

Taking inspiration from the moss as a symbol of sustainable growth, the space is designed through flexible systems, such as modular structures that can be disassembled, as well as by utilizing on-site resources. Playful branding elements, columns cladded with moss and a bespoke ping-pong table placed at the center of the space, establish an aesthetic balance between a corporate identity and a new, innovative start-up.

 

Sustainable Design

Studio Vale’s primary goal was to develop a sustainability strategy throughout the duration of the project. From inception to completion, circular economy practices were implemented in every design decision. Studio Vale’s involvement during the demolition stage, resulted in the preservation of all the available assets and resources found on-site. One example is the careful demounting of acoustic panels, which were dressed in green textile and repurposed inside the space.

 

Transparency and Privacy

The workspace’s design promotes human-centric activities and interactions. Albeit its open plan layout, the space fosters a sense of seclusion without compromising the overall circulation and functionality. Mobile elements such as recycled ceiling panels and desk dividers provide visual and acoustic privacy. A series of meeting booths promote clear employee communication and confidentiality.

Cohesive enclosure

The 4,800 m2 building includes the new office space, production unit and storage areas for a series of products, of Kikero Hellas (Calpak).

 

Integration with the urban landscape

The 25,500 m2 plot, houses an existing office building, a production unit and warehouses of 3,500 m2. The overarching design principles strive to maximize the building’s visibility from the street and to the visitor, while also presenting its morphological form as a cohesive singular volume, regardless of the diverse functions occurring within its interior

Based on the above, the curved facade was designed to unify the boundaries of the building and highlight both its morphological contrast in relation to the existing structures as well as the company’s transition to a new era.

 

Layout Configuration

The new building is divided into three functional zones. In the first, and in direct relation to the public character of the street, the offices were placed on an elevated level, offering the best view to the employees, both to the exterior surrounding and the production space.

The ground floor area houses the assembly room and the company’s museum exhibits. The second, intermediate zone, is the new production unit, which is adjacent to the office space.

The third zone houses the warehouses, located in the most private and inner area of the site and a short distance from the existing storage units. This layout minimizes the physical distance and transportation between the different business functions and prevents the workers and finished products from being exposed to the exterior environmental conditions of the site.

 

Hybrid Functionalities

The integration of the office spaces with the production unit is achieved through the use of interior transparency. The offices are located at an elevated level and communicate visually through glass panels with each other and with the production unit, thus enhancing the sense of team spirit that reflects the company’s culture.

 

Sustainable Design

The building’s energy performance is highlighted by the use of perforated sheet metal shading panels and the design of an internal atrium that provides natural lighting and ventilation to both the offices and the production unit.

Integration into the landscape

The building is located at the foot of the Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain region in the Anhui province of eastern China. It serves as a tourist center providing information to visitors from surrounding villages and consists of a reception area, information desk, toilets, storage space, and staff quarters.

 

Integration into the natural environment

The main design goal was to avoid a “building-object” and to integrate the structure into the landscape both formally, as well as materially. In terms of form, a staircase placed at the north end and one at the south end makes the building continuous with the ground, facilitating seamless circulation from one side of the structure to the other through the roof. As a result of this, the roof becomes an extension of the public space around the tourist center and can be openly accessed for enjoying views of the dramatic mountainous surroundings.

 

Custom-made construction

The majority of materials, such as cedar wood used for the facade ribs, have been locally sourced to minimise their carbon footprint. The panels are designed as closed shapes consisting of straight lines, making them easy to measure (each protruding point consists of one dimension in the x-axis and one in the y-axis) and easily cut by hand by local craftsmen.

 

The function of wooden panels

Formally, the width of each panel varies from one end of the building to the other, with the panels above the central opening being wider to mark the entrance to the building. Another function is also to shade the interior from the low hot sun in the summer, while allowing sunlight into the space for passive heating during the winter.

 

Sustainable architecture

Amidst economic constraints and limited availability of local materials, tools, and techniques, the aim was to create an environmentally sustainable local landmark for both visitors and residents of this remote rural area.

Spaceship Earth

On 3 November 1957, a stray from the streets of Moscow became the first living organism to orbit the Earth. Laika, the pioneering cosmonaut, although rather unnecessarily sacrificed -looking at the scientific impact of her hasty journey- on the altar of the competition between the two space superpowers of that time, can, today, be glorified again as the sub-object-symbol of a new era, that of the Anthropocene.

“No! We are in the Anthropocene era.”

Eugene F. Stoermer

Starting from the famous Trinity Experiment at the American nuclear test site, geologists, biologists, and other experts place the milestone of this new geological period, molded by the dominant participation of human activity in the formation of the planet’s geology and ecosystems, on 16 July 1945 in New Mexico. The atomic bomb is the point of no return, which has given man the ability to annihilate himself, in a few seconds, according to Buckminster Fuller’s “Spaceship Earth”.

Several decades later, Eva and Carlos, two Belgian Malinois dogs, Harris the cuckoo, five families of terns and six falcons and twenty sparrows, live and learn together in a new building, located thirty kilometers west of Madrid. Situated amidst rural fields that have been altered in recent decades by urban development and intensive agriculture, the architecture of the Educan School represents an integrated experiment in restoring the local ecosystem and reversing the negative impacts of human activity.

Educan’s architecture is a design for multiple types of “users”, including but not limited to humans. In the two classrooms, dogs and trainers practice sports that require dexterity, timing, and precision, such as Schutzhund. Meanwhile, birds gather in nests formed by the facade, enjoying the view and orientation as well as other benefits that particularly attract them. Small birds feed on rodents, contributing to the ecological balance of the neighboring fields. Smaller species and bats – which inhabit the south façade sign – feed on insects, such as mosquitoes, which can carry certain dog diseases, while also participating in the pollination cycles of flowers and plants in the area. Sparrows made an impromptu appearance in this self-regulating ecosystem, uninvitedly settling in the circular holes of the structure’s containers.

 

 

Non-humans (not as the opposite of humans, but as all species beyond humans) are at the center of the design. Ηas this, then, sparked a third architectural revolution following the theocentrism of the ancient and medieval periods and the anthropocentrism of the Renaissance and modernity? Form, an awkward yet fundamental criterion for determining the architectural identity of a new project, does not provide the answer. Educan is not necessarily different from a (well-designed) rural warehouse or an ordinary productive infrastructure for people and machines. Typologically and functionally, the differences in this new architecture are subtle. However, what is critical is the scale of the animals themselves, in what is usually called “detail.” The floors, typically designed for humans and their shoes, are adapted for the paws and joints of dogs’ feet. The training rooms feature removable rolls of PTE synthetic turf approved for dog training, while the theory rooms are covered with semi-polished, exposed, inert concrete made from river pebbles.

The average height of the architectural space drops from the typical 1.60 meters (the eye level of the average standing person) to just half a meter. Internal openings are raised to over one meter to avoid distracting trained dogs. Blinds shadow the south-facing openings, allowing enough space for the dogs to move. Rainwater is collected from the roof into large troughs for dogs and birds, while interior surfaces are lined with sound-absorbing foam insulation to minimize noise and reverberation.

The building employs a wide range of materials and construction practices, both conventional and digital, integrating various techniques, scientific knowledge, and production systems. This approach connects the building, from its production to its eventual demolition, to the natural environment and neighboring human activities. The materials used are either recycled or fully recyclable, while paying special attention to minimizing waste during their production, life cycle, and disposal.

The thermal capacity of the in-situ concrete mass contributes significantly to the energy efficiency and behavior of the structure, while the wavy sheets of the formwork are produced from recycled trusses. The optimization and standardization of the industrial metal sheets and the precise cutting and joining of the glued timber on the CNC, together with the reuse of HC 40 containers and the handmade iron construction with customized joints, follow a philosophy of minimal resource management for achieving the maximum result.

Unique elements such as the legs of specific furniture, light fixtures, and large sliding doors, as well as manual bioclimatic features like perforated shutters and blinds, have been designed, commissioned, and assembled. From the weight of the foundations and reinforced concrete walls to the lightness of the dry-structure elements, everything is conceptualized with two primary considerations: the behavior and perception of non-humans and environmental sustainability. This approach influences both the tectonic adequacy and morphology of the structure.

Educan is the tangible proof of a new architecture that responds to the demands of the Anthropocene. The basic components of architecture (of people for people) are reformulated based on a new, universal method, motivated by a totally innovative purpose: life on Earth beyond our own species.