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Luminous Minimal Refurbishment

Architectural Studio Ivana Lukovic

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Bronze
View towards communal space - Athina Souli
View towards two newly created parallel axes - Athina Souli
Natural light effects in the fireplace area - Athina Souli
View towards communal space - Athina Souli

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Large Apartment
5.23
6.11
5.74
4.77
5.46
Qi Wei
Qi Wei Member, Urban Renewal Professional Committee, Vanke Shanghai Area at Vanke Group
5
6
5
4
5
Lisa Torreggiani
Lisa Torreggiani Partner at Monkeydu
5.5
6.2
5
5
5.43
Mao Hua
Mao Hua Founder at EK Design
5
6
5
5
5.25
Massimiliano Tosetto
Massimiliano Tosetto Managing Director at Lodes
5
5.5
5
4.5
5
Melissa Amarelo
Melissa Amarelo Cofounder and Creative Director at Toi Toi Toi Creative Studio
5
7
6
5
5.75
Michela Falcone
Michela Falcone Architect / Educator at Experimental Architecture / BNU University
5
6.5
6.5
5
5.75
Bernhard Kurz
Bernhard Kurz Founder at IFUB*
6
7
7
4
6
Karen El Asmar
Karen El Asmar Architect & Interaction Designer at Tech
5
6
5
5
5.25
Claudia Mazzucato
Claudia Mazzucato Associate Designer and Architect at THDP
6.45
6.67
6.88
5.6
6.4
Britt Berden
Britt Berden Senior Creative Strategist at FranklinTill
6
7.5
7
5
6.38
Simal Yesiltepe
Simal Yesiltepe Founder and Creative Director at Simal Yes Studio
5
6
7
4
5.5
Bob Chen
Bob Chen Founder at Bob Chen Design Office
3.99
3.54
4.17
4.43
4.03
Astin le Clercq
Astin le Clercq Cofounder and Design Director at Modem
5
6
6
5
5.5
Amber Feijen
Amber Feijen Spatial and Concept Designer at 5AM
5
6
5
5
5.25
Baoyu Tian
Baoyu Tian General Manager at Foshan Shengtianjia Lighting Equipment
5.5
5.8
5.5
5
5.45
Client
Vassiliki Grigoriadou and Iasonas Anagnostou
Floor area
150 ㎡
Completion
2021
Budget
EUR 100,000
Social Media
Instagram
Furniture
Lighting
Accessories
Custom-made Terrazzo Counters
Larch Floor Boards
Switches and Sockets
Radiators
Aluminium Doors and Windows

The Luminous Minimal Apartment occupies the third floor and a rooftop of a building in the Athenian southern suburb. Limited budget refurbishment transformed the 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 providing 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 being 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. 

The 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 in order 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, filled with a variety of Mediterranean herbs, encourage Users for closer contact with Nature in a suburban environment. Moreover, the outdoor living is enriched by movies projections screen and hummock for the distant observation of Argo-Saronic Gulf.