Appartment Building

The apartment building is located in Heraklion, Crete, on a hill, from where there is a view of the entire city.

Despite the density of the urban fabric and especially the proximity of the plot on both sides with other houses, the architectural composition does not suggest cutting them off. Instead, it creates a pilotis, in which public space enters the building’s private space. The building, with its architecture emphasizes the axis road – pilotis – pool – city – landscape. The landscape is basically framed through the building.

The apartment building is spread over four levels: basement, ground floor and two floors. Four apartments occupy the two floors, while there are also two roof gardens. The pool, a place of relaxation and tranquility, extends to the back outdoor area of ​​the plot, having views to the mountains and the city. The stairwell was placed in the center of the building, forming a distinct core, which is marked by the use of u-glass on its façade.

The four apartments, while having the same layout, differ in elevation. All apartments have natural light and ventilation. The openings are located on the east-west axis, so there was a need to control the natural light that enters the space. Thus, two types of apartments were created, depending on their balconies: one introvert and one much more extrovert. This results in an obvious difference in appearance: on the left we have a white solid volume, with voids and semi-outdoor spaces, with great privacy and protection from the sun. On the right, we have a reversal of the previous composition: the balconies are more visible, open.

Overall, the building balances through the asymmetry of the volumes and colors of its appearance, in a game of introversion – extroversion.