Athens has some of the most dense and dispersed areas in Europe with bad rymotomy, minimum possibilities for spatial development and very poor architectural quality buildings in areas of low-income population. The project is situated in a distinct working-class region with narrow and small building sites where Building Regulations allow limited open spaces and gardens.
The challenge of this project was to explore an alternative and positive approach to this problem. The site holds the corner of a building block and the house had to be adjacent to the inner corner of the site. Our proposal presents the idea of vertical, short term/transient spaces in order to achieve optimal land use. An elevated garden at the back side of the first floor brings light into the heart of the house whilst enhancing natural ventilation of the rooms.
The building is designed with an unexpected introduction of semi-public spaces which dislocates the neighbourhood’s rigid concepts of privacy and density, forming a blured boudary between interior and exterior worlds.
By exploiting the idea that humans form a community around resources, the "Open House" offers a living experience that incorporates the complex urban setting and culture of the region.
