Luminous Minimal Apartment occupies the third floor and a rooftop of a building in the Athenian southern suburb. Limited budget refurbishment transformed existing reality into the bespoke, oneiric domestic realm. Inspiration was drawn from the potential of the given conditions of natural light. That potential was enhanced and revealed by increasing the size of window openings in several positions. Thorough spatial and materiality research was done so as to choose the most appropriate finishes that would highlight the beauty of natural illumination, while keeping the intervention at the minimum. Hence, blank canvas was implemented by applying neutral pallet materials that allows for habitat atmosphere alteration during the entire day.
Two main parallel axes were established. One that gave a sensuous experiential quality by erasing the boundaries between the private and public, while connecting a communal space to the backyard terrace and a newly created bamboo garden through the large bathroom opening. The other one was a multi-purpose five-meter-long custom-made unit of the cooking/dining area that relates to a papyrus/bamboo garden at the streetside terrace.
Environmental benefit was accomplished by improving the existing 150m2 flat rather than moving to a new one. Slight alteration of already defined spaces was imposed to avoid excessive demolition of divisions. Built-in equipment in varnished larch wood and lacquered MDF was designed particularly for this space and produced in collaboration with a local carpenter, thus contributing to the district economy. Terrazzo that covers multi-purpose unit in communal space was realized in a workshop and brought to the site. Cement mortar covered existing stone and ceramic tiles floors, uniting thereby outdoor and indoor areas, while black aluminum frames were harmoniously juxtaposed to the existing wooden ones.
Newly created sloped landscape-like greenery pots on the roof encourage Users for closer contact with Nature in a suburban environment.
Team:
Architects & Interior design: Architectural Studio Ivana Lukovic
Collaborators: Alexandra Arampatzi, Stanford Rabbit(Kostas Geranios & Orestis Mpormpantonakis)
Contractor:ELER AE
Mechanical study: Tasos Katsaros
Plumbing: Adri Marra
Electrician: P. YFANTHS & I. VOGKLH OE
Heat Pump: Kokkotas Klimatismos AE
Cement mortar and pebbled floors: Dimitris Exarhos
Plaster, gypsum boards, wooden floor: ELER AE
Joinery: Koupaloglou Emmanouil
Glass divisions: Ilir Kosta
Plants study: Vangelis Panou
Photographer: Athina Souli
Video: Athina Souli and Vangelis Michelidakis
Materials used:
1.ALMEL: Panagioths Melsas
Aluminium doors, windows, stairs fence, metal base for the custom made multi-purpose
2.THERMOPLAN ART: Radiators
3.KAYKAS AE: Switches and socketse
4.TOP MATERIAL: Austrian larch floor boards
5.BAKLATSIDIS BROS and KARADIMAS IOANNHS
Bathroom fixtures- Eurorama, features for showers and vanities
Teorema, master bathroom wall mounted basin tap
Serel, wall mounted toilet
Wirquin Venisio, slim shower canal
Geberit, flush tank and plate
Kitchen fixtures- Franke, sink and tap
6.LIGHT PLUS
Lighting features- Artemide, Nemo Lighting, Ole! Lighting, Atlas, Leti,Grupa Studio, Redo
Furniture- Prostoria ( Sofa, Easy chairs, Low tables, dining chairs, poofs),
Rex Kralj ( Shell chair), Kartell ( Componibili Recycled bedside furniture), B-Line (Woopy outdoor armchair),Kvadrat fabrics
7.URBI ET ORBI
Custom-made terrazzo counters
