Our proposal aims at satisfying all requirements and specifications set by the tender, and at the same time provide a contemporary and innovative building complex, which will meet all functional, technological and aesthetic needs of an educational building. The main issues set at the top of our architectural agenda, was how to smoothly incorporate the new building in the Historical complex of ANATOLIA COLLEGE and how to create a friendly shell for an International School like PINEWOOD.
Design concept
Present architectural proposal aims to attribute the vision of α building complex to a distant horizon, whose roof outlines the SKY LINE, in a bid to create a new community of culture and education. Already used in the existing traditional buildings, the archetype of “house with a sloped roof” element and its multiple random combinations refers to the timeless image of multicultural community.
The new building, as a friendly shell, but also as an extroverted enclave of life, in constant interaction with its surroundings, is enriched in the ground floor level, with the element of an intermediate connecting space, a CULTURAL HUB, merging the new building with its attached open space and offering a transitional area that can host students everyday life, along with special cultural and leisure school activities, as an open and dynamic communication meeting point.
Architectural design
The building consists of ground floor level with two floors on top of it, plus a small basement area for auxiliary uses.
The allocation of the various uses in different levels is described below: Basement: Parking, MEP areas. Ground floor: 4 Classrooms, Gym-Multi Functional area, Theatre Lab, Art Lab, Admission’s Office, Infirmary and WC. 1st floor: 6 Classrooms, Elective Courses Classrooms, Flexible Learning area, Teacher’s Office and WC. 2nd floor: Biology & Chemistry Labs, Administration Offices, Student Support areas and WC.
The building is served by two staircases and one lift.
Basic material used for the building facades are stone, timber and aluminum panels, while both building and landscape areas are designed on a bioclimatic basis, in order to achieve the best possible sustainability performance and consume the less possible energy, while thermal and visual comfort is offered to its users.
Typology: Education
Anatolia Elementary School
The tender competition announcement concerns the construction of the New Elementary School “Anatolia” in Pylaia, Thessaloniki.
The site of the school is located at Vas. Sevenidi street, in Pylaia, Thessaloniki and has a total area of 21.378,38 sq.m. At its eastern boundary there is a demarcated stream, while the north west area is occupied by a pinewood of a total area of 4.497,20 sq. m.
The school (first three grades) is currently housed in two existing buildings, one three storey building, consisting of sub-basement, ground floor and first floor, built in 1996, with a total area of approx. 1380 sq. m and one ground floor building, built in 1992, with a total area of approx. 185 sq. m. Both buildings have been renovated in 2010 to cover the needs of the current school. According to the tender the three storey building will be renovated and incorporated in the new complex, while the ground floor one will be demolished.
The new elementary school, in its full development, will consist of 24 classrooms.
The concept idea is the organization of the various functions in three different groups / sections, with different design approach. A new two storey building, housing common uses and administration, is developed along the eastern boundary, combines with the existing building, housing all special classrooms, and forms a compact elongate element, which delimiters the complex, and creates the background of the architectural composition.
On the contrary the typical classrooms are combined to form six individual units scattered among the environment.
In fact, the general idea is the transition from a typical school wing (classrooms – corridor – classrooms) to a loose layout by splitting, separating, turning, and dispersing units into the landscape.
Classrooms are organized around small green courtyards creating an intimate and personal space, consistent with the nature of its users. Classrooms are open to the surrounding allowing students to experience the green environment as an integral part of the learning process.
The proposed child-centered layout creates a quality learning environment, suitable for educating the younger generation.
All units and separate buildings are connected by canopies or semi covered areas, forming an extensive network of intermediate – transitional public spaces and providing sheltered connection between all buildings.
The main material proposed is wood (pergolas, canopies, external cladding, classrooms internal cladding). The screen that becomes a canopy, the same also becomes a balustrade, creating a unifying element and key feature of the complex.
Scattered volumes are coated with acrylic plaster of different colors, giving to the complex a more colorful image. Another key feature of the complex’s facades is the creation of certain openings highlighted by special colored frames, thus creating diversity, and further enhancing the colorful image.
School of Arts
The design proposal and space organization of the building complex responds to the principles set by the promoter and satisfies all the objectives set out in the call for proposals, such as the highlighting of the importance of the building, its integration with the environment, its connection with the existing buildings, the adequacy of the internal arrangement and the modern aesthetic approach.
The concept design of the complex aims at the creation of an intrusive building that develops around a central patio, but at the same time is open to existing buildings to which it is connected through a sheltered outdoor path. This enables on one hand, the creation of an enclosed, protected outdoor space – a focal / meeting point for the outdoor functions and on the other, the arrangement of the various uses into three distinct morphological units – wings, depending on the program requirements.
The complex is covered by a grid of roofs, alternating in size, orientation and slopes, allowing the natural lighting of the upper rooms. The volume configuration combined with the facades’ formation and the diversity of roofs emphasizes the complexity of the building making it the focal point / landmark of the area.
As already mentioned, the complex is developed around a central patio, and comprises of two floors, a loft and a basement. Generally, the educational areas are located in the east and north wing for better orientation, while the common areas, staff and administration areas are located in the west and south wing. At ground floor level there is a semi-covered space through which the entrance to the building and the communication of the surrounding space with the inner patio are implemented. In the basement of the building there are 20 parking spaces, MEP areas and storages.
The facades and the different morphological approach enhance the concept idea of the three volume-configuration units. The complex is “wrapped” around and on its roofs with a second skin / shell consisting of either concrete panels at ground level, or zinc linear elements at floor level and roofs. On the east and west sides of the west wing of the building, vertical sun protection louvres are provided.
The building complex is designed in accordance with the bioclimatic principles, to ensure the best possible sustainability and consume the least possible energy, while providing thermal and visual comfort to its users.
The landscape design generally follows the characteristics of the concept idea. The surrounding area enters the inner patio and extends to the existing buildings as well as to the east side of the plot.
The pattern of floors, green areas and surrounding elements follow the concept idea of split roofs but are differentiated as they rotate at an angle of 45 degrees, creating greater tension in the relation of open and closed spaces. The new building is connected to the existing one by a canopy integrated in the diagonal grid, with aesthetically similar covering to the new building.
Anatolia IB College
The tender competition announcement concerns the extension and upgrading of the premises currently housing the Baccalaureate (I.B.) course. This includes buildings Compton and Ladas.
Compton is a mid 30s stone building.
Ladas is a mid 60s concrete building of T shape, consisting of two wings, initially built to house students dormitories.
The basic concept of our proposal aims at satisfying all conditions and requirements set by the tender, and at the same time provide a contemporary educational building , which will meet all functional, technological and aesthetic needs of today.
This is a difficult but interesting challenge, because it creates the idea of composing contrasts in many levels such as the old and the new – the past and the future, traditional methods and contemporary trends, conventional mentality and the need of innovation, educational systems and sociable culture.
Contradiction becomes – through the environment – the direction (path) to sustainability.
Our goal is to organize the various uses and functions taking into consideration the available space and the restrictions of the existing structure as well as functionality and monitoring, familiarity and effectiveness of the environment.
Compton is a massive, introvert, simple-form stone structure, which is restored to its initial form.
On the opposite side the new building follows a lightweight and elegant type.
A transparent, extrovert, geometrical glass structure that brings the outdoor environment inside, and – at the same time – exports its unique identity in the immediate vicinity.
A composite shell covers the outline of the building.
Iktinou School Complex
It is a school complex in the center of Thessaloniki, founded in 1931, it expresses the Art Deco & Bauhaus Movement in Greece and has been labeled as a monument by a Decision of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. It consists of nine independent structures (eight buildings and a concrete shed) with a total area of about 6.600 sq.ms, most of them with a basement and two above-ground floors. The structures are generally made of cast in-situ reinforced concrete, consisting of slabs (solid or ribbed), beams, columns and in some cases of masonry (natural stones and artificial bricks with holes). Our designs have anticipated its energy and structural upgrade. During the structural upgrade (up to the current level of safety), assessment and interventions designs were carried out, which resulted in strengthening (addition of new concrete walls, beam strengthening, reinforced concrete jackets on columns) and repairs of the structure.