OFFICE BUILDING FOR THE REGION OF WEST ATTICA

Architecture: Micromega

Chief Architect: Alexandros Zomas

Design Team: Alexandros Zomas, Mara Papavasileiou,

Dimitris Papageorgiou , Fereniki Fotopoulou, Giouli Spiropoulou, Evelina Faliagka, Natasa Drougka, Dimitris Siokis.

Structural Engineering: Nasos Mantzanas, Fotis Kondis

E/M Engineering: TETRAS A.E.M.

ARCHITECRURE STUDENTS : IASONAS AMERANIS

CLIENT: REGION OF WESTERN ATTIKA

The building complex is designed as the new image of P.E.D.A. reflecting a new concept for public buildings, introducing them as open and accessible to the public, friendly to the worker and the citizen.

The structure of the archaeological site of Elefsina is the inspiration for the architectural design of the building. An analysis of the spatial qualities of the archaeological site, leads us to identify spatial concepts such as those of the enclosed space, the dispersal of the volumes, the promenade, but also the element of the descent that derives from the myth of Persephone.

Thus the volume is divided, transformed and finally the building complex of PEDA. is housed in 4 buildings that are joined together, while a passage leading to an inner courtyard functions as the heart of the complex. The proposal introduces uses that will programmatically expand the working hours of the PEDA, bearing an educational, cultural and leisure character, so that part of the complex is open to the community. These uses include the exhibition area, amphitheater and café, as well as a proposal for a municipal library.

In terms of materiality, materials are selected in relation to the earth, referring to the importance of the soil as a constitutional element of Eleusis. The land of the Thriasio Field was systematically cultivated from antiquity to the 20th century, inspired the myth of Demeter and shaped the identity of the place. Concrete, slightly colored to resemble rammed earth, is used at the level where volumes are born from the ground, while its monolithical aspect is challenged by the brick, also a natural product generated by the soil, but treated, baked and organized into small building blocks. The brick creates a double skin and offers  variations with motifs that allow a more or less limited visual relationship between the two sides of the partition depending on the density of the pattern.

The architectural proposal is not limited to the buildings’ shell: it also encompasses the interior of the building, addresses itself to the final user, the civil servant or the visitor. The interior patios function in a sustainable way and create natural light diffusing conditions and facilitate the ventilation of the building, and they also function as rest areas. Internal wall partitions made of lightweight metal structures have indoor plants and allow natural light to diffuse. The introduction of the natural element into the working environment, combined with the atriums, have a positive impact on the microclimate of the building and the person's development (biophilic design). Each floor includes zones of social interaction and unofficial gatherings in order to promote co-operation and creative encounters between employees.