Co-Creating Athens @ Lifo

Greek lifestyle magazine Lifo published an article on our workshop on the revision of the “hated” Athenian apartment buildings.

Article @ Lifo, Athens, 14 January 2015

“Let’s start with a historical reference. How did we reach the center, but also the suburbs of Athens, to dominate large or small blocks of flats? Horizontal ownership and the phenomenon of consideration are an idiom of Greek reality, which facilitated rapid urbanization, especially after World War II. In retrospect, this development has been accused of transforming Athens into an amorphous mass of structured space, often of poor construction quality

We all know their negatives, but can you tell us their positive qualities? The possibilities of the apartment building are unquestionable: it provides the framework for social integration and urban cohabitation (shops, offices and residences in the same building). Small-scale ownership with many homeowners creates problems but is a powerful factor in social coexistence in the city. At the same time, the structure of buildings with the reinforced concrete (concrete) frame offers multiple possibilities for flexibility and flexibility. This means that we can remodel the apartments in order to meet the new needs that arise.

What changes did the crisis bring? The crisis brought “gaps”. The phenomenon is visible at the street level with the closed shops and the many tenants / vendors at the entrances. At the same time, apartment buildings are aging and the lack of resources makes it difficult to maintain and rebuild them.

Are there prospects for revitalization? What ideas were heard in the workshop? Of course! Importantly, both in the immediate and long term, we must find ways to turn the growth model from quantitative into qualitative. There were many good ideas in the workshop that are worthwhile to give them and develop them. A team of the lab dealt with the connection of the block of flats with alternative modes of transport: it proposed the widening of the entrance and, taking advantage of the raised ceiling, introduced the concept of “bicycle parking hangers”. The same group also dealt with the possibility of joining uncovered neighboring apartment blocks so they can function as a single attractive shared space. Another idea was to create a green roof as a meeting place and channel the most public character of the apartment building. This also discussed the potential of a dynamic awareness campaign about the city’s enormous profit in line with the minimum cost of such a measure. According to experts, the cost of sq. A green roof with Greek endemic plants is estimated at around 100 euros in 80 years. A green roof has aesthetic value and contributes to preserving and increasing biodiversity. It also helps significantly reduce the temperature of the city in the summer. An important thermal insulation measure has the direct effect of reducing the cost of cooling in the summer and heating in winter. Other suggestions made in the workshop concerned the exploitation of empty apartments by the apartment building community. Thus, the need for semi-detached spaces and infrastructure spaces can be addressed. For example, licensed apartments were proposed to accommodate nurseries or to be part of a travel network. A mapping of the qualifications of the residents of a block of flats was also proposed as an infrastructure for the development of a system of exchange of services between the inhabitants of the critical age in which we live. In general, all ideas focused on empowering the micro-community of the apartment building.

What is the framework of the workshop? The workshop was part of the project “Co-Creating the City”, which Hybrid Space Lab undertook . Apart from the tour of Athens as a work trip, the program also included a workshop on “Block Houses as Heaters”. The program of the workshop has been edited by Professors Elizabeth Sikiaridi and Frans Vogelaar of Hybrid Space Lab in collaboration with Amalia Zepou, Deputy Mayor for the Citizens Society of the City of Athens, and Konstantina Karidi, Counselor of the Mayor of Athens.”
Lifo